Oxfam distributed hygiene kits last week at Lycee Bouganville school in Port Vila which is acting as a temporary evacuation centre. Oxfam’s Amy Christian spoke to some of the families sheltering at the school about their experiences when Cyclone Pam hit, and their plans and worries for the future.
Oxfam distributed hygiene kits last week at Lycee Bouganville school in Port Vila which is acting as a temporary evacuation centre. Oxfam’s Amy Christian spoke to some of the families sheltering at the school about their experiences when Cyclone Pam hit, and their plans and worries for the future.
Gideon Iamar, 27 and his wife Aileen, 26 and son John, 5 were grateful recipients of the hygeine kits.
‘I’ve been here a week now. We came last Friday as the cyclone started. Our house has been destroyed. The roof is completely gone.’
‘When the cyclone happened it sounded like a big whistling sound. I’d never heard anything like it in my life. I was really scared. The walls shook so hard, Rain water came inside so we had to move the children up onto the tables.’
‘We are moving to another evacuation centre today but we will probably only stay there a week and then we will go back to our community and home. I am hoping that we’ll be helped with a tent or some tarpaulin, as we won’t be able to live in our house at the moment. It will take me several months to rebuild and repair the damage of the cyclone, as I don’t have the finances to build back quickly. I have no money.’
‘If we could have a temporary home (tent) then we can live in that whilst we rebuild.’
‘In our community we don’t have any clean water, we used to use a well but that has been contaminated now. In the next few months my biggest worry is food though. At home our garden is damaged so we won’t have any food available. Food is my biggest concern now.’
‘Thank you so much for coming here today and giving us these things, we really are thankful for this and for you coming here to help us.’
The Oxfam hygiene kits consist of:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Washing powder
- Towels
- Face washer
- Hairbrush
- Mirror
- Sanitary Pad
- Sewing Kit
- Piece cloth
- Plastic basin
You can support Oxfam’s response by donating to our Cyclone Pam Appeal at www.oxfam.org.nz/donate/pam or by calling 0800 600 700 to talk about other ways you can support.
