By: Goddess

Goddess — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 01:31:51 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with this article on how people deal with disasters….if you give them a sack of rice right after the cyclone, they will expect a sack of rice for every other disaster thereafter, they will sit,..and wait for it. This reminds me of Savaii after Cyclone Ofa, it devastated the North of Savaii but in the weeks after, so many people bounced into action, shared resources, village councils regroups and did so much of the work and most importantly, prepared for future disasters…so when the trucks of ‘aid’ arrived late into the villages, there were hardly any people – they have moved with relatives inland or rebuilt elsewhere, many in the Vaisala and Asau region built ‘fale afa’ (cyclone houses)….but then Cyclone Val happened and because of the delayed aid that poured in after Ofa, when the trucks came rounds, there were now people going “we’re waiting for the Government to help us” “we’re waiting for our tent” “How come the Sione family got moli matagis and we got candles? “Why did Sili village get a container of cutlery and we got skiboots and Norwegian underwear?” …Aid has enabled a culture of dependence and waiting for help when people have the capacity and know how – to help themselves. Amen.

Comments on: Why must the poor and needy be convinced they are helpless?

By: Goddess