Spirit of giving

THE headman of Votua Village in Lekutu, Bua, Viliame Catanasiga still cannot explain how no lives were lost, or injuries sustained when Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa hit them.

When one considers the megastorm came in with average winds of 240km/hr and momentary gusts of 345km/hr, coupled with the fact that only three homes remained standing out of 93 in their village, his comments make sense.

“By midday Thursday we had shifted everyone to the primary school and advised them not to move around,” he said.

“STC Yasa was much more powerful compared with STC Winston and some houses were damaged by fallen trees that were snapped in two like matchsticks.”

As our team starts to slowly enter the disaster zone, we are being updated about the destruction, and frightening tales are emerging about an afternoon and night of terror.

It is difficult to appreciate the impact of Yasa until you actually talk to those who experienced its power and destructive force.

You see pictures of the devastation and wonder, like the headman, how things eventually turned out the way it did for the villagers.

Maybe luck was on their side. Perhaps there was divine intervention. Maybe they did the right thing under the stressful conditions.

There are many ‘what if’ questions. They will forever nag at the old noggin, yet circumstances would have differed on the night for each of those directly in the line of fire so to speak.

What the villagers are left with is life itself, and perhaps an appreciation of how fortunate they are, and to be alive.

These are real stories. They reflect the grave consequences of natural disasters, and the urgency with which we must embrace appropriate preparation.

Whatever it is we decide moving forward, there are lessons to be learnt, and many will be appreciated over the coming days as we inch deeper into the disaster areas.

As the State machinery goes into rehabilitation mode, we are compelled to be forthright, and raise the issue of how we must improve our homes, our preparation strategies at a personal level, and at the community and village levels, and our response.

We are still not out of the woods yet. We are supposedly approaching the peak period of the cyclone season.

Mother nature can be harsh sometimes, and cruel. However, cyclones have not suddenly just popped out of the woodworks so to speak.

In the face of all this though, we must appreciate the assistance from our neighbouring countries, foreign missions, the European Union for instance, the Red Cross, the UN and NGO partners. There are many other groups around the country pitching in, buoyed by the support of the business community, and the masses.

They have all taken the initiative to assist those affected. They do that from the heart.

Many Fijians have united for a worthy cause. Christmas is just around the corner. It may not be a festive occasion for everyone right now perhaps, but it is encouraging to note the spirit of the season in action.

That spirit of giving, and appreciating the plight of a fellow Fijian. Understanding and sharing what we can despite the challenges we each face.

That is motivating. ■ FRED WESLEY