Give to Vanuatu

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'Monster Cyclone' Pam bared down her full intensity on The Republic of Vanuatu on 13 March 2015, leaving the tiny South Pacific nation with immense and overwhelming devastation.



News trickles in as each day unfolds and it is said that over 130,000 people across Vanuatu are currently homeless, after 9-out-of-10 of the nations buildings have been destroyed by the force of the Category 5 storm; one of the largest cyclones ever recorded in the region.

You may find it hard to understand what it must be like to experience a storm of this magnitude, if so, here is a quote from Port Villa based Graham Crumb of Humans of Vanuatu "I've seen dangerous, even deadly weather before, but this was beyond imagining. The devastation is comprehensive. Entire communities are without shelter, food, water or power." Graham says.


[center]That tree just crushed your car! Where were you when that happened?''We were in our house just behind you. The wind rose and rose and when that tree came down, we thought it was the end of the world, but it actually blocked the wind enough to save our house.' - Graham Crumb interviews a local survivor. [/center]

Yet there is light in the dark, as Graham continues:

"Amazingly, these very same people smile broadly when they greet us, their children laugh and play around them. Even in the face of apparently insurmountable challenges, the people of Vanuatu are resolute, positive, indomitable." he says, "I love these people. We owe them our utmost effort to help them return to the peace and happiness they once knew." Graham Crumb, Humans of Vanuatu .

Vanuatu's President Baldwin Lonsdale has made an emotional plea to international aid and humanitarian agencies to support the people of his country, and help re-build the nation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Give to Vanuatu , a group of family members related to locals living in the devastated nation, call for goods and monetary donations from Australian nationals.

The group consists of Leonie Martin and Cassie Phelan, both born and raised in Vanuatu now living Australia, and Cynthia Cheung, born in Sydney and raised in Vanuatu.



Leonie says: "Vanuatu was hit with Cyclone UMA in 1987 and this was a Category 3 and left the country devastated. Cyclone Pam has left Vanuatu even worse off. 90% of buildings are damaged, most (if not) all villages have been wiped, roads are flooded, bridges collapsed, roofs have flown off homes - its really devastating."

The group is in contact with families, local friends, the Red Cross and the National Disaster Team of Vanuatu to establish the items most needed in country.

If you would like to reach into your pockets, you can donate money via GoFundMe , alternatively, donations such as hardware, building supplies, pots and pans, linen, tarps, clothing, tools, school supplies, candles, matches, pet food, insect repellant, torches, can food, baby food and lots, lots more are desperately needed.

There are two containers in Slacks Creek QLD, Hampton VIC and Sydney NSW all waiting to be filled. Once they are full, containers will be shipped to Vanuatu (hoping they leave next week). Sydney's container has been confirmed to leave on 26 March 2015.



Please check the updated donation list (changed regularly, in accordance with donations already received), here . Your nearest drop-off points located all over QLD, VIC and ACT can be found here .



As kind as it is, there is no more hands-on help required at this stage; only donated goods and money.

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