Sea Mercy Vanua Balavu - One step at a time

RECOVERY: ONE STEP AT A TIME

The school in Mua Levu (East Coast of Vanua Balavu) is just matchsticks

Malaka Bay, Vanua Balavu,

June 5, 2016 (17*14.260S, 178*58.090W)

In Mua Levu, school is conducted under a UNICEF tent.
Kids travel by long boat and open transport from 4 villages, rain or shine, no raincoat, no shoes

When faced with such a massive disaster and a recovery process of such magnitude as Cyclone Winston, where do you start? How do you proceed?

What is left of the school in Avea... and the beach beyond it has been washed away

SEA MERCY coordinates with major NGOs (Red Cross, UNICEF) as well as government agencies, and identifies gaps in the aid process. Since the organization is small, it is nimble and able not only to respond quickly to small needs but also to initiate long-term, inexpensive programs that benefit long-lasting recovery and self-sufficiency. That’s what we did this week with interventions in Loma Loma and Delaconi, Avea, Susui, and Cikobia.

Super Yacht NOMADESS came to the rescue

When we toured Loma Loma last week, Dr. Malo —the hospital physician— asked for the women’s ward windows panes to be repaired, for the children's ward to be repainted and for some linens for the beds. Within hours, our coordinator had relayed the need to NOMADESS, a super yacht coming our way. That yacht was only with us for 2 days, but what a powerhouse!

NOMADESS crew at work: repainting the hospital children's ward

The crew repainted the wards, fixed the windows, brought linen… but they didn’t stop there. They went on to the 3 islands in the lagoon in dire need of water. The situation in Cikobia was so dire that the islanders were ready to light up their emergency signal: a fire seen by the next island, then relayed to the mainland! Sea Mercy yachts Peregrine and Remedy relayed for immediate help!

Cikobia: filled 6,000 liters by jerry jug on long boats

In 2 days, NOMADESS brought relief while using daring, exhausting means: 6,000 liters in Cikobia, 6,000 liters in Susui and 8,000 liters in Avea. TWO DAYS… and they were gone, having relieved the immediate water needs and worries of hundreds of islanders.

You can read the story at http://seamercy.org.

The crew of INTERLUDE IV babied the solar panels and water maker kit all the way from the mainland.
DOMINO will deliver them to Avea for water making

Right now, we are loading 2 water makers on DOMINO, complete with solar panels, pumps and hoses to deliver next week to Avea where one of our fleet yacht will monitor water making and refilling of the water tanks. Then, on to the next island!

Fitting the fishermen with more wetsuits from Dive Tutukaka, New Zealand

Meanwhile, on the west coast of Vanua Balavu, DOMINO was preparing the next step: help the fishermen, improve the community gardens and start composting. It takes a lot of talking, meetings with the chiefs and the officials, respect for local customs and hierarchy, but once the rapport is established the people are eager to let us in.

Vanua Balavu's agricultural officer gives JP the Thumbs Up on the Sea Mercy gardening program

With the full accord of the local agricultural officer and spurring from the public health nurse, we went to work. Six of us met with the women’s club leaders and the school teachers.

In Mua Mua, clearing space for the 1st compost pile

If JP thought he was pretty good with the machete when he started to clear the site for the compost pile, Mila showed him how to really use a machete! A few stick, and there we are, the first compost pile on the island… and more to come, in each of the 12 villages!