Company helping Vanuatu recover
TA firm rebuilding homes in cyclone hit island
After cyclones Judy and Kevin devastated Vanuatu earlier this year, Te Awamutu’s Wade Gadsby and Jake Wilmoth of Outdoor Living Evolutions fundraised and shipped a 20-foot, 20-tonne container of building materials to help the disasterstricken communities.
The pair work together installing outdoor living spaces, but following the cyclones, they decided to put their building skills to make a positive impact for families that had lost their homes.
They have the vision of seeing 100 homes rebuilt, repaired and strengthened as the people of Vanuatu are without the government assistance and community support that New Zealand had post-cyclone.
Building work is now well under way thanks to a team of volunteers in Vanuatu, who Wade and wife Erica are connected to through their past volunteer work.
“Throughout our 20s, we travelled there every year doing water tank building projects and a little bit of community buildings as well,” Erica says.
“It just seemed like if we can do it, then we should. At the moment we’re working in a community called Ervan. Just because of their location on the island, they’re in quite an exposed area near the coast.
“It seemed like a really logical place to start. People had no home at all and were sleeping in the local church, or wherever they could with other families.”
The project has received a large amount of corporate sponsorship, including locals such as Mitre 10 Mega Te Awamutu and Bitz & Piecez torohanga.
“I think it’s amazing. With businesses, for example, Mitre 10 Mega here in TA, we chatted to them and they’d already given their annual quota of donations to the cyclone relief here in New Zealand, which is awesome,” Erica says.
“In addition to that, they also gave us a donation of materials to go over to Vanuatu. It’s always really touching to see the generosity of people wanting to give outside of themselves.
“We’re just humbled that we can be the connection point between people who want to give and people who are in need.”
Greg Laing, a friend of the Gadsbys and a builder from Whangamatā, is one of the volunteers.
He and wife Nik, moved to Port Vila, Vanuatu just as the cyclones hit.
“It became clear that he wanted to donate his time doing the practical building work on the ground. We’re resourcing him from this side and he’s doing the work over there,” Erica says.
Laing also created a Givealittle page to support the communities in Port Vila.
“Good, cyclone-resistant fixings here cost a bomb and are outside locals reach. Old roofing nails in tin don’t last the distance,” Laing states on the Givealittle page.
“We can help make that story a little different for some families. What a privilege — we’re obviously here for a reason.”
With the success so far, the Outdoor Living Evolutions crew are hoping to continue the project into next year.
“We did get a big donation of fastenings from Pryda which we still need to send over,” Erica says.
“So we’re thinking about doing another container depending on if we can get enough supplies for it.”
If you would like to donate building supplies, contact Outdoor Living Evolutions via 022 684 2089 or info@outdoorlivingevolutions.co.nz