A young child (below) helps clear away debris from a house site.Photo / Unicef Pacific
A group of volunteers from the Bay will travel to disaster-stricken Vanuatu next month to help rebuild the shattered nation.
But crucial tools and materials are still needed to make the rebuild happen.
Cyclone Pam hit the South Pacific island nation on March 13, leaving a path of destruction.
Of more than 166,000 people affected by the cyclone, 75,000 needed shelter and 110,000 people had no access to safe drinking water and 96 per cent of crops have been destroyed, leaving no alternative food stocks.
New Zealand Vanuatu Rebuild chairman Dave Eddy said at least 10 volunteers would travel to Port Vila on April 12 to help reconstruct buildings belonging to the Vanuatu Society for Disabled People.
The society is a nationwide non-government organisation that helps people with disabilities participate as fully as possible in community life.
Its services include community-based rehabilitation, identification and assessment of people with disabilities, provision of technical assistance to clients, provision of equipment such as wheelchairs and crutches, training of caregivers and parents, and support for people with a disability within schools and the workplace.
Since the Bay of Plenty Times published its first story about Mr Eddy's plans on March 25, he has had people from Singapore, California and Australia showing interest in volunteering.
Mr Eddy said the team had at least one tonne of freight donated but more tools, materials and supplies were still needed.
"We have had some support from local organisations but we need more to make this really happen for the people of Vanuatu. In events like this, organisations like disability schools are often overlooked until the last minute so we are hoping to get in there early and make a difference for these people to get life back on track as soon as possible," he said. He was looking forward to getting on the ground and getting stuck into work.
"Everything we are seeing through the media is so horrific, the team are really excited to get to work and help turn this situation around for the people of Vanuatu," he said.
Once the team had finished its building projects it would donate its tools and materials to other projects in Vanuatu and would keep fundraising for country.
Bay journo off to help:
Bay of Plenty Times photojournalist Ruth Keber will be joining New Zealand Vanuatu Rebuild for the two-week trip.
Keber will help with the rebuilding and send back stories and photos about her experiences.
Keber is passionate about humanitarian aid, has worked for non-profit organisations such as MSF and World Education and cannot wait to there to make difference in Vanuatu.
"It will be eye opening to document the diaster in Vanuatu and highlight to Bay readers on how a natural disaster can have such a huge impact on people's lives," she says.
What the rebuild team needs:
Materials: Galvanised nails, screws, bolts, tek screws, gang nail plates, 600mm straps, 30mm nails for plates, nails for nail guns, Z nails and bags of high-strength concrete.
Power tools: Two power drills, skill saw plus blades, reciprocating saw plus blade, angle grinder plus disc, two nail guns and two canisters.
Hand tools: Two sledgehammers, six hammers, four shovels, two tin snips, four hand saws, two crowbars.
Miscellaneous: Generator, four power leads, two power boxes with surge protectors (4 point), two chainsaws (suitable for hardwood), chainsaw operator protective gear (helmet, gloves/visor, safety mitt, ear muffs, trousers, jacket, boots), building wrap, tarps, duct tape, post-hole borer, ladder, 10 clamps and 20 pairs of gloves.
How you can help:
To help the team get to Vanuatu, please visit: givealittle.co.nz/org/nzvanuaturebuild.