With a little bit of help from your friends

from w
Many countries, individuals, organisations, companies are chipping in to assist those who suffered in Cyclone Tomas. Australia, New Zealand, USA, China and others. It's a start especially the logistics of moving urgent tents, food, shelter boxes, to places that are hard to reach. Even small gestures like collecting cans of food is necessary. But beetroot - now that's a good one. I don't recall ever eating the stuff in Fiji though one of my kids, when small, really loved the stuff when he visited a relative in Australia! Keep the good will going. Meanwhile the big cleanup has already started with people searching for their clothes under piles of sand swept up from the sea, washing clothes, fixing broken roofs, finding food in the destroyed gardens. If only Fiji wasn't so far away. The excesses of countries like Australia have just so much food, that is thrown out, or cheap as remaindered, but it cost too much to move it to Fiji.

Courier starts food collection
Friday, March 19, 2010

DHL Express Fiji has started a canned food collection for those affected by Hurricane Tomas. DHL Express general manager Nick Taylor said the company was collecting cans of fish, baked beans and beetroot. "As long as it will make people happy and help them through this tough time then we will take it. We don't however take any perishable items," he said.

Mr Taylor said the idea started as a staff initiative but then management decided to spread the idea to all customers and the public to allow them to help in whatever way they could.

He said DHL Express was liaising with DISMAC to ensure the cans were given to those who most needed it.

"We will also send it to our agent on the ground in Savusavu who will ensure that cans are given out to those in need," he said. "We are happy to provide this service for as long as the customers, public and staff are willing to contribute." He said as of yesterday, around 50 cans were collected plus 12 large buckets of biscuits donated by City Security. Mr Taylor said it was important that corporate citizens gave back to the community.
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(later Friday) There are many stories with little videos on the FijiTV website today about some families in Labasa whose homes and farms have been destroyed, moving aid to help people and other stories.