A Bay teenager and her mum who saw first-hand the devastation in Vanuatu have turned their attention to providing aid for the cyclone-ravished country.
The pair will be collecting donated items this weekend to send to three desperately in-need communities of Vanuatu. Can you help? See the full list of"items urgently required" at the bottom of this story.
Courtney Tilby was volunteering as a teacher on Pentecost Island when Cyclone Pam hit and she was forced to evacuate to Port Vila about a week later.
Her mother, Kerri Tilby-Price, traveled over to Vanuatu and the pair spent a week purchasing and distributing food, water, tools and building materials to this community, as well as establishing a mini-clinic to dress wounds caused by broken branches and flying iron.
Now safely home in Tauranga, the pair started fundraising for the most in-need areas of Vanuatu and collecting items for a container which would be sent over to the islands.
They would focus their support on three communities. The first was the urban community of Ohlen Esqal, just outside of Port Vila.
"Not a single structure, tree or crop survived, and at the time I was leaving Port Vila, they were still waiting for aid," Miss Tilby said.
The second area was the island of Mataso, where two of the 100 residents died.
The third was Miss Tilby's home on the island of Pentecost which had been declared as being in food crisis.
Courtney's village was hit hard by Cyclone Pam, shortly before she was forced to evacuate
ITEMS URGENTLY REQUIRED FOR VANUATU RELIEF CONTAINER: - Food and Water: Rice, canned meat, canned fish, flour, sugar, oil, plain crackers, tea bags - Household Items: Candles and matches, wind-up or solar powered torches / lamps, pots, pans, 'camping' kettles, sheets, polar fleece blankets, towels, face cloths, foam mattresses, washing soap, plastic bowls / plates / cups - Building and Gardening Tools / Materials: Hammers, Nails, Saws, Axes, Chainsaws, Rakes, Spades, Post-Hole Borers, Roofing Iron (in good condition) - Footwear: Jandals / Sandals / Crocs in all sizes - School Supplies: Exercise books, teaching resources - Medical Supplies and Special Requests: Antibiotics, wound dressings / sticking plasters, paracetamol, water purification tablets, Vicks Vapour Rub, head lice treatment, reading glasses
Rally your friends, workplace, church, or organisation and start collecting for the main drop-off: Saturday, April 11: 9am - 4pm Sunday, April 12: 9am - 4pm Exult Offices, 26 Botanical Rd, Tauranga (opposite Botanical Rd Kindergarten) For more information phone Kerri on 021 439 499 or email kerri@exult.co.nz
