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To
our family, friends and supporters,
At
around 6.30am on Tuesday, 29th
September, my wife Tui and I awoke early as was usual for our morning devotions and
Bible readings, when an earthquake measuring some 8.3 on the
Richter scale shook our house. I immediately went to Grandma’s (Tui’s
mother aged 95) room and held her hand and assured her that
there was nothing to worry about. After the tremor I went back
to our room. Tui was on our front Patio looking out to sea and
immediately alerted me to coral heads exposed in the distance
that we had never seen before and the sea before us rapidly
receding. We both decided that we had to immediately evacuate
and get Grandma to higher ground.
While I changed out of my pajamas, Tui and Tafa (Grandma’s
nurse) bundled Grandma into her wheelchair and very quickly we
had her seated in the front seat next to me with Tui and Tafa
behind us in our Hyundai Tucson. We had only moved about 20
meters when to our left some 30 meters away loomed a wall of
water that was approaching with a roar and speed that one could
not imagine. I instinctively turned right hoping to seek refuge
behind Meleisea’s ‘fale talimalo’ (my neighbor’s house). As we
were turning in, Meleisea and his family were on the way out in
their Pick-up and were hit by the wave ahead of us. Their
evacuation by car was about saving a small baby and two
toddlers. Sadly, Meleisea’s 3 young grandchildren did not make
it.
Our
car was swept along with everything else in the wave’s path and
ended up some 300 meters inland. Tafa tells that she fell out
through the back window quite early and survived. Tui fell out
of the car later. When the car finally came to a stop,
miraculously on its wheels, Grandma was still beside me and
alive calling for Tui. Two men standing on higher ground who had
seen the whole incident, came quickly to my call for help and
took Grandma out of harm’s way. I proceeded to look for Tui and
Tafa and other members of my family. Sadly Tui was thrown out of
the car and was swept into a cluster of trees only 5 or so
meters from where our car came to a stop.
Family tradition was followed and after a Dawn Service at the
Tanumapua Homestead the following day our Dear Tui was laid to
rest in a simple grave at the family plot at Siusega. Grandma
Anna was well enough to attend a short Family Service we had for
Tui but she took a bad turn on Thursday having developed
pneumonia and passed away quietly at 10.30pm Saturday night. She
was laid to rest at Moto’otua on Wednesday, 7th
October. May Tui and Grandma rest in peace.
My
country Samoa and our people have suffered greatly from the
devastating effects of the Tsunami. My district Falealili
suffered considerable damage but Poutasi, the village where Tui
and I lived with Grandma is almost totally destroyed. Twenty
three families lost their homes and all their possessions. Four
adults and five children lost their lives. We are greatly
uplifted by the outpourings of love and many offers of support
from so many and from all corners of the world.
We
are determined to rebuild, re-establish homes and livelihoods.
It will take many months perhaps years but I am confident that
with God’s guidance, your love and support, we will succeed.
Our hotel
suffered extensive damage to its low
lying facilities and plans for repairs, reconstruction and new
development are well advanced with some work commencing in the
new week. We have been overwhelmed by offers by former guests,
family and friends from overseas to come to Samoa to help with
cleaning up and reconstruction of both the hoel and Poutasi. Some
have already arrived and have been most helpful.
My
vision for Poutasi is that it be reconstructed as a model
village. A few structures can be repaired which include my
house, the Congregational Christian Church (CCC) and the
Catholic Church buildings. The District College was extensively
damaged and will have to be moved to higher ground. The
destructive wave just stopped short of the District Hospital so
there are no immediate plans for relocation. The CCC Hall and
play grounds were also damaged and a Good Samaritan has offered
to do the repairs if it becomes a Community Hall. This offer has
been accepted and work commences in the new week. Caritas (a
Catholic based organization) has offered the construction of new
homes for some 18 families in my village of Poutasi whose houses
were completely demolished. Humanitarian assistance by way of
food, clothing, household items and tools continues to
overwhelm.
If
you are wondering where you can help it would be in the
development of the traditional village – financial assistance
for the re-construction of traditional meeting houses and
dwellings. It is noteworthy that the traditional fales with
their open sides fared much better then the conventional walled
houses. The ‘vision’ is that our Churches, Community Hall,
Meeting Houses and some 5 families become the Traditional
Village. An appropriate Memorial be constructed at the Malae in
memory of the nine village members who died in the Tsunami. Our
reefs have been extensively damaged and have now been declared
‘marine protected areas’ and cannot be fished in for up to 2
years depending on coral re-growth and fish stocks.
A
Website has been established (http://samoatsunamirelief.com)
and photos of our development will be posted from time to time
as a ‘running commentary’ of progress. Details are also given as
to how best you can make a financial contribution to this cause.
Your
assistance, be it money, in kind or prayer, is appreciated and
may God abundantly bless you for it.
Fa’amanuia le Atua/May God Bless
Alofa tele/Much love
Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale
25th
October, 2009
Samoa
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