World ARC Rally Boat, S/V AIN'T FANCY, Donates Solar Panels.

The World ARC Rally passed through Fiji recently and Dirk from S/V AIN’T FANCY donated these solar panels and a MPPT controller to Sea Mercy. The panels were installed on the pastor's roof in Avea Island by volunteers in the Recovery Fleet.

Thank you very much AIN’T FANCY for your generous contribution.

Solar power provides cost effective and eco-friendly power to the remote villages of Fiji. Solar panels are high on our list of needed donations so, if anyone happens to be replacing theirs, please keep Sea Mercy and the people of Fiji in mind. 

 

Latest Tasking Plan For Recovery Fleet by Jonathan Robinson

Eight Sea Mercy vessels from New Zealand are clearing into Vanua Balavu on Wednesday/Thursday this week to deliver aid to the remote islands of Northern Lau and half a dozen more will be in Savusavu by the weekend.

The following is an update from Tracey Collins, Sea Mercy Fiji Project Manager, on the activities of other Sea Mercy vessels already working in the area.

S/V SHINE: Left Port Denarau Friday, May 6^th and headed for the Lomaiviti Group of Islands.  They delivered aid to Yanca Village, Morturiki & Naigani Village, as well as Batiki Island. Patrick is heading up the following projects planned for NAIGANI VILLAGE:  

1.        Roofing Structures - build (8) roofing structures with guttering next to existing water catchment tanks.

2.        Pipe Spring Water to Village - build a small dam at water source above Naigani village and run pipes 1000 meters to village.

3.        Repair Methodist Church - paint walls and floor, replace glass louvres, repair ceiling panels, repair porch roof.

4.        Repair Brackish Well - clean out old surface water well and repair.

5.        Copra Dryer - supply and install new Copra dryer (used in making coconut oil).

6.        Teach Gardening - teach how to plant seeds, composting and any other gardening skills. 

7.        Clear Path - clear a path from Naigani to the Hospital across the island.

8.        Clear Debris - clear away debris from Naigani village and recycle building materials.

9.        Build Temporary Toilets - build 9 toilet facilities using existing septic tanks. 

           

10.    Build Kindergarten - build small Kindy for (8) kids.

11.    Rebuild showers                    

MAKOGAI

S/V ANAHATA: Currently in Port Denarau and headed for Makoagi 25/5/16. David will be rebuilding the toilets here - cleaning them up, installing a shower and basins in preparation for the volunteers.

S/V OUTSIDER: Currently in Port Denarau and departing for Makogai 30/5/16. Ian and Wendy will head up the Makogai School Rebuilding Project that include the following tasks:

1.    Set Up Camp in Makogai for volunteers.

2.    Rebuilding of the School - As the central building for the village, our first goal is to rebuild the school to cyclone resistant safety standards for the protection of the village while installing the guttering and water tanks for drinking water catchment (the children are currently attending school outside under a tarp).

a.    Materials Needed: Lumber, metal roofing, guttering, nails, caulking, concrete, tools, etc.

3.    Rebuilding of their Homes - We will transition the villagers from the temporary tent shelters once each home is rebuilt and/or restored.

a.    Materials Needed: Lumber, metal roofing, guttering, nails, caulking, tools, etc.

4.    Water Catchment & Storage - We will repair and deliver new water storage tanks to the village once the buildings are in place.

a.    Materials Needed: Water tanks, caulking, pipe and guttering

S/V ROCKSTAR: Currently cruising the Yasawas. ETA Makogai unknown. Danny and crew will clearing a track from the dinghy beach to the village and then help with the bathroom renovation.


ADDITIONAL VESSELS

INTERLUDE III: Currently anchored outside Pacific Cove, Taveuni 24/5/16.
Fletcher has made some great contacts while he was in Savusavu.  He has travelled overnight to Taveuni with all of the aid from Savusavu as well as filters for our water makers.  He is in contact with Julie Kelly from Nakia Dive Shop and will be providing assistance to her and her projects in Southern Taveuni.  Fletcher is aiming to be back in Savusavu Friday 27th May.  He will restock his boat and head to Northern Lau to join the fleet there.

S/V KOKAH: Currently in Port Denarau after returning from Naviti Island on 23/5/16.

BEV left Port Denarau on 16/5/16 bound for Kese, Soso and Mua-ira Villages.  She and her crew changed the filters in our water makers and gave them a good clean out. She has left extra filters along with instruction on how to clean the filters. Bev will also be helping in the warehouse when available.

S/V GAMBOL: Currently in Suva. We are waiting for a response to our tasking request.

WAREHOUSE

DENARAU WAREHOUSE: We still have aid in our warehouse.  We also have 5 pallet loads ready to go to Makogai.

I also need help to pack up pallets ready to ship to Savusavu.  I will wait on direction from Jonathan as to what aid is required in Northern Lau.

SAVUSAVU WAREHOUSE: Between Fletcher(Interlude III) & Tony from the Copra Shed, we have managed to find two options to store any items for pick up by our fleet in Savusavu.  I will check them out when in Savusavu on Saturday.

TASKING REQUESTS

We currently have two volunteers here working for NGO Byond.  They have a shipment of school supplies and other aid that they would like to get out to Kubulau, which is on the mainland of Vanua Levu just down from Savusavu.  I believe there are 5 villages in total, all with safe anchorage outside.
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Tracey Collins will be at the Copra Shed at 11am on Saturday to meet with any crew from Sea Mercy vessels.

We are hoping to kick off both projects in the Lomaiviti Group the 1st week of June.  Any volunteers/vessels interested in helping at these islands please let Tracey know:

Phone: +679 7400049,

Email: fijiadmin@seamercy.org or
Email me at coordinator@seamercy.org

Vinaka

Jonathan
Sea Mercy Fleet Coordinator

Cruising Kids Sell Cookies to Raise Money for Fiji Relief

Don't you just love the way cruising expands the minds of children and opens their hearts to the people of the places they have visited!!

Elizabeth Silverstein (Field Trip), Gigi Mitchell (Nirvana), Ella Richards (Varekai)
sell cookies in Whangarei town basin to raise money for Fiji Relief.Photo courtesy of Julie Mitchell.

  Gigi Mitchell(Nirvana) and her friends, Elizabeth(Field Trip) and Ella (Varekai), made and sold cookies in the Whangarei town basin. They did it for two days and raised $255 NZ. Gigi did all the baking and her friends helped with the sales. I understand they also had help from the brothers, Axel (Nirvana) and Michael (Field Trip). J

Gigi’s mom, Julie Mitchell, told us “Last year we went to Fiji and Vanuatu. We spent a long time in the Lau Group and she really was concerned for the people there. We saw in Vanuatu how cyclone Pam had really effected the people, so she decided to do something to help.”

Julie contacted us about donating the money they had raised and we directed her toward the Rotary Global Grant Fund link on the Sea Mercy website. This program will allow us to turn every $1 of donations into $4 for our Fiji relief efforts with the help of the Rotary. We just need to reach a minimum donation level of $7,500 by June 1st to receive a grant of $30,000. Please consider donating to help us reach our goal if you have not already done so. 

Thank you Gigi, Elizabeth, Ella, Axel and Michael for your efforts in helping the people of Fiji!!

Updated List of Items Needed for the Warehouse

The following items are needed for our warehouse in Port Denarau:

Spades
Gardening forks
Seeds
Machetes and files
Fishing nets
Mask and snorkels
Knives, forks and spoons
Plates and cups
Large pots and pans

More On the Warehouse

Based on our experience in Tonga and Vanuatu, Sea Mercy realized that our ability to respond quickly in a disaster was dependent on having supplies stored and ready ahead of time. We chose Port Denarau, Fiji as our base because of it's central location and access to international shipping and air freight. Little did we know that Fiji would be the next to experience a disaster of such huge proportions.

According to our plan, the warehouse in Port Denarau is stocked with donations of household goods, food and equipment. Donations are loaded onto the Sea Mercy volunteer vessels and sent to fill the needs of the people in the remote islands we are tasked with helping. The volunteers at the warehouse have been invaluable in our efforts to get the supplies we need and get them where they need to go. 

Vinaka!!

MANY IN THE REMOTE ISLANDS AND VILLAGES STILL IN DIRE NEED 6 WEEKS LATER!!

As time passes and the news coverage of Fiji dwindles, please do not take this to mean that life in Fiji is back to normal!! Some remote villages and islands have yet to receive any aid and even those that have received aid are still in great need of help to survive next few crucial months.

Kitchen of a school in the interior of Ra(Photo courtesy of Donna Quinn)

We recently received this picture of the kitchen of a school in the interior of the Ra District. The school serves 247 students and everything you see in the picture is all the kitchen equipment they have left. The dorms were flooded and all the bottom bunk mattresses were destroyed. A New Zealand relief organization has just committed to replacing the mattresses, but they will still need bedding, sheets. pillows etc. They are also badly in need of childrens clothing.  

Our contact, Donna Quinn, has also told us the school is off the beaten path and she has been out there a couple of times with the last being Thursday. She saw no sign that anybody had been there with first relief and also passed along the report of a fatality. A little girl ran from a collapsing house during the storm and was killed by flying debris.

We plan to take what we think they urgently need and do a further assessment while on site. 

This is just one example of the many people who are still suffering from the aftermath of Winston and have not been able to get the help they need. In addition, Fiji is currently experiencing heavy flooding from new storms.

The need is still great!! Please continue to help Sea Mercy by donating your money, time or goods(in Fiji).

An Answered Prayer!! Donation of Landing Craft Vessel

We are excited and feel very blessed to announce that an incredible, bighearted sponsor/donor (who wishes to remain anonymous) heard of our need and stepped forward to meet it for us! 

Below is the vessel transport design that is currently under construction in Nadi, Fiji (delivery date of June 1st) that will join and complete our "Sea Bridge" Fleet program. This Landing Craft vessel will allow us to access every one of our remote island lagoons in order to deliver the much needed heavy supplies and equipment that will help to quickly return these remote island villages to the thriving and self-sustaining communities they were before the destruction of Cyclone Winston.

This transport vessel donation is a "game-changer" for our disaster recovery operations and will help us shorten the remote islands rebuilding and recovery time by ten-fold or more!

Please join me and thanking this incredible donor for their support of Sea Mercy's Sea Bridge program and their love for the people of the South Pacific.

Vinaka vakalevu (thank you)!

Thank You Clark James & Friends of Taveuni Relief!

A special "thank you" goes out to Clark James for his heart for the people of Taveuni, and to those who have given of their hearts and finances to support his effort to make a difference in Fiji following Cyclone Winston. As the director of those funds, Clark has selected Sea Mercy as the recipient of your gifts in order to best utilize them for maximum assistance.

Visit Clark James' Go Fund Me page to read more about the factors that influenced his decision to entrust the fruits of efforts to Sea Mercy.  

For as long as it takes, Sea Mercy is committed to the rebuilding of Taveuni and the hundreds of other devastated remote islands, returning them to the thriving, loving communities they were before Winston.

Sea Mercy's Global Mercy Armada program (www.seamercy.org/gma) will be one of the next of many steps to help the often forgotten remote island people of the South Pacific.

Thank you!

Donations Needed to Install Remaining Watermakers

See the "Feature Post"  on this page for details of our first watermaker installation in Batiki. Since then, we have also installed a solar-powered watermaking system on Makogai. We have 6 more watermakers to deliver but do not yet have the funds needed to to acquire the necessary solar panel and accessories required. The cost of each solar power system is $6500. Clean drinking water is essential for health and is the number one priority after any disaster.

Your donations will allow us to provide these remote islands a reliable source of clean drinking water. Please donate using the PayPal button on this blog or on Sea Mercy's website.

Plenty of sunshine to power a watermaker here in Fiji!!

Rotary Global Grant for Sea Mercy's Fiji Recovery Program!

Rotary International's "3-1 Donation Matching" program can turn every dollar donation into four!

Fern Ridge Rotary Club is applying for a Rotary Global Grant under their Economic & Community Development criteria. Following Cyclone Winston in Fiji, this is a perfect fit for a Global Grant. Help them reach their minimum goal so they can turn $7,500 into $30,000 to help the people to rebuild their lost communities and farms.

Follow this link to learn more about this Rotary program and how you can help!

Rotary Global Grant For Sea Mercy's Fiji Recovery Program

Thank you Rotary!!

Items Needed for Our Warehouse

Seam Mercy is proactive in their approach to Distaster Relief and is able to respond quickly by having supplies on hand to immediately distribute. We have emptied our warehouse at Port Denarau several times in the wake of Cyclone Winston and are in need of essential supplies for the recovery of the remote islands.

Items Needed for Our Warehouse are : 

Spades
Gardening forks
Seeds
Machetes and files
Fishing nets
Mask and snorkels
Knives, forks and spoons
Plates and cups
Large pots and pans

Vinaka

Donations Still Needed - New Warehouse Hours

As of tomorrow the Sea Mercy Warehouse will be open from 8:30 am - 12 pm Mon - Saturday. All donations are still welcome! If you would like to drop items off at the Warehouse outside these hours please call Tracey on 740 0049.

Another Donation Idea by Julie Watson

If you are travelling to Fiji and want to donate lightweight useful items, here a a couple of ideas. Portable water containers and purification tabs. We are collecting all donations for Sea Mercy First Response appeal. Our warehouse is located at the Port Denarau Marina.

URGENT - Donations Needed For Sea Mercy's Warehouse in Port Denarau by Julie Watson

Thanks for all the donations to Sea Mercy’s warehouse in port Denarau Marina. For those that still wish to donate items, please see the attached lists. Food bags can be purchased at Punjas for $50 which contain items for 1 family for 1 week. We cleared the warehouse yesterday so need more supplies. Vinaka

Posting Note: You can help with this urgent need even if you are not in the local area. Your monetary donations go directly to Sea Mercy Fiji and are immediately available to purchase needed supplies as well. Use the Paypal link on this page to help restock our warehouse and continue to get emergency supplies to those who need it.  

Give Light to Fiji

Many of the villages we have reached so far have expressed the need for solar powered lights. Sea Mercy already has the "Give Light - Get Light" program in place that makes it easy to donate this amazing product by luminAid! It is any easy way to help and if you want to maximize your donation, there is an option to donate both lights. Check out the program and see this amazingly versatile light. The link below will take you to the Sea Mercy website where you can "Give Light - Get Light".



http://www.seamercy.org/GiveLight

Urgent Need For Local Donations of Mats!!

​We have learned there is an urgent need for mats for Fijians affected by Winston. Please donate any new or used marts that you can. They will be collected at the following locations:

Suva - Monday, place to be determined.

Pacific Harbour - Monday and Tuesday at Nai'a Diving offices office in Pacific Harbour. They are located in Art's Village closest corner to Rajeev's Service station. The sign says "Nai'a Cruises and Pacific Islands Travel". The office will be open Monday from 8 - 5 and, on Tuesday, the mats would need to be dropped off before 10 am. 

Lautoka - Monday and Tuesday at the Lautoka Main Wharf gate. Just say that it is for TC Winston relief supplies for Nai'a. Ideally, this could happen all day Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

Please pass this message along to as many people as you can. I will update the post with a location in Suva soon.

Thanks!!