In the face of the storm
WHEN Siliva Ditalei packed her three-year-old son into a suitcase and hid him under a bed as super storm Yasa’s destructive force winds tore into Yaro Village on the island of Kia, off the coast of Macuata, she prayed for their lives.
She asked for divine intervention. She feared for their lives, but maintained hope in the face of overwhelming odds.
It was stressful and terrifying.
The rain pelted down on her and other villagers. The winds were powerful and had blown the roof off their home. She fled with her two children to their neighbour’s house.
She opened the suitcase three times to check on her son, and prayed for protection over him.
However, as the winds continued to pick up strength as Yasa moved over the Northern Division, her neighbour’s roof also gave way, forcing her and two other young mothers sheltering there to take desperate measures.
The mothers and their children cowered underneath a bed. The wind, cold and rain inched out hypothermia.
It was a night of terror. When the winds finally subsided, village elder Savenaca Yabaki said all 30 homes at Yaro were damaged by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa. Villagers began feeling strong winds from 8am on Thursday and it turned into destructive force from 3pm to 8am on Friday.
The terrifying turn of events reflects the power and destructive force of Yasa. It is a reminder for us of the intensity of cyclones now. We must remind ourselves that we are still in the annual cyclone season. We are not out of the woods yet.
We were struck by our first Cat 5 when STC Winston hit us in 2016. Yasa came with 240km/hr average winds with momentary gusts of 345km/hr.
In its wake, it left flattened homes, destroyed villages, blew off roofs, and killed four people.
It left thousands of Fijians homeless, and many with just the clothes on their backs. In the face of this destruction though, we see many people unite in support of their fellow Fijian.
There have been donations made of clothes, food, and other items for those affected by Yasa in the North.
Being mindful of the fact that we are still facing a global pandemic, Yasa was not able to take a swipe at the resilience of Fijians, and it did not dent their consideration for others.
They gave what they could, and they did so from the heart. Intertwined with the many horrific reports is an inspiring tale of humanity, of concern for a fellow human being, and even in the face of great adversity, of selfless giving. It should motivate us as a nation moving forward.
That no matter what calamity we face in the future, there are thousands of Fijians, and many business houses willing to make sacrifices to assist those less fortunate. They are already on the move, making their own assessments and providing assistance.
Now more than ever, we must unite in this rehabilitation effort.