Rotary send boxes to help Vanuatu islands

Barrie Smith, of the Stratford Rotary Club, is appealing to the Stratford community for donations to help the devastated islands of Vanuatu.

Cyclone Pam destroyed homes on 80 islands around Vanuatu and New Zealand Rotary Clubs are doing their bit to help.

Barrie says Rotary International have developed an emergency relief box filled with emergency supplies including a large tarpaulin for weather protection.

The cost of this box is about $600, he says.

Since the cyclone, Barrie says New Zealand Rotary Clubs have provided 1000 emergency relief boxes.

"However there are a lot more people who are still in need".

Barrie, who is an assistant governor for district 9940, says the four clubs in the cluster (Stratford, Inglewood, Hawera and Waitara) have provided seven emergency boxes, two of which came from donations by the Stratford community.

"In the last three weeks we have received a further $1000 in donations from the community," adds Barrie

Barrie says he has been impressed by the huge humanitarian effort from the Rotary clubs and community.

"It is estimated that 90 per cent of the islands' infrastructure and crops have been destroyed so there is still a lot of work to be done".

Would you like to make a donation? Perera's Paper Power on Broadway have a collection bucket in store or go to the Rotary Sausage Sizzle outside Perera's Paper Power, every Saturday morning.