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Wednesday 3 Mar
Aitutaki Red Cross elects new officers
Lion Red or Lion Red on Aitutaki
Recovery plan slow
Tuesday 2 Mar
Red Cross reconnects families during evacuation
Monday 1 Mar
Wairarapa community backs cyclone appeal
Aitutaki faces fuel shortage
Saturday 27 Feb
Araura teachers offer guidance
Principal takes school ‘home’
New plants already sprouting
Tent living the last resort
Southern Phoenix still waiting to offload
Composers comp delayed
Hercules pick-up
Aitutaki
baby not called Pat!
Recovery plan still coming
Friday 26 Feb
Army relief team ready to depart
Young mum recovers from Cyclone Pat
Red Cross appeals for food supplies
Hot local bread back
NZ approves Penrhyn relief flight
Call for extra food supplies
Threat from depression
Welfare needs for Aitutaki being considered
Thursday 25 Feb
Squadron leader to speak at schools
Aitutaki Red Cross elects new officers
Wed
3 Mar
Cook Islands Red Cross Aitutaki branch elected Leelee Tuara as its board president at the annual general meeting in Arutanga last Thursday.
Other new office bearers for the Aitutaki branch are vice president Mii Blenkarn, secretary Teinakore George, Treasurer Mataiti Rave and youth
representative Marleen Ioane and committee members, Kopu Tumutoa, Mii Estall, Camp Henry, Teetu Tschan, Metua Strickland and Punua Marsters.
CI Red Cross still has a team in Aitutaki helping with cyclone relief efforts.
Lion Red or Lion Red on Aitutaki
Wed
3 Mar
Aitutaki MP Teina Bishop says he paid $10,000 to get the inter-island cargo ship Te Kou Maru II to divert its trip to Atiu and Nga Pu Toru due to
depart today to be able to supply the island with cooking gas and beer.
Yesterday Bishop, owner of TNM Ltd, said he had managed to negotiate and pay for the ship to go to Aitutaki first so that he could get 90 forty-
five-kilogramme gas bottles to the island which was short on cooking gas.
He said he also hoped to get a tonne of fish on board as well as some Victoria Bitter beer.
“There’s a choice of Lion Red, Lion Red or Lion Red in Aitutaki right now so I thought I’d get some VB. I think the people will
appreciate that,” he said, laughing.
Bishop said, in any case, he was glad he was able to get some more supplies on the ship for Aitutaki which is still in need of basic
commodities.
Recovery plan slow
Wed
3 Mar
Prime minister Jim Marurai says he is ‘comfortable’ with the process government is undertaking for an Aitutaki recovery plan, despite
the criticism that it is taking longer than expected.
It has been three weeks since the devastation of Cyclone Pat and Marurai’s office says he understands that putting assessments together has
taken time but these have now been presented for consideration, and feedback from various stakeholders. The deadline for the feedback is today.
“What is important is that the recovery plan has the integrity of detailed and accurate information otherwise the end policy results would
be flawed. Once the draft report is circulated by tomorrow afternoon, the PM expects cabinet to be in a more solid position from which to make
sound decisions about the rehabilitation of Aitutaki, particularly housing priorities,” said a statement from Marurai’s office in response
to CI News questions.
Yesterday health minister Apii Piho confirmed that the recovery plan won’t go to cabinet until tomorrow for endorsement.
Piho says he is confident that government will deliver a recovery plan that is well thought out and that will attract the NZ Aid funds needed to
invest in the reconstruction of homes in Aitutaki. The plan was initially proposed for announcement last week.
Piho believes four weeks is not long to wait for the plan to be put into action. He says government hopes to begin shipping building materials to
Aitutaki for reconstruction to start within a month’s time.
Yesterday CI News asked Aitutaki MP Teina Bishop to comment on the draft plan he has already seen.
“Policy is one thing, money is another. The policy is good but people are just saying ‘tell us where the help is coming from and when
it is coming’,” he says.
Bishop says the draft plan he received included the possibility of building new homes worth about $35,000 each for those in Aitutaki that have
been left homeless.
“People won’t leave because of food, energy and water, but they will because of housing and mortgage problems.”
While Bishop says he is hoping the reconstruction will happen sooner rather than later, he has been encouraged by what he has seen from
government’s draft plan so far.
Minister responsible for the recovery plan, Wilkie Rasmussen, was due back in Rarotonga last night on a flight from Penrhyn – a day earlier
than planned – but the plan is still due to spend another day being prepared for cabinet.
Rasmussen’s CEO Vaine Teokotai, also a member of the committee working on the plan, said it would have gone to cabinet on Tuesday but it was
still being completed. He said there was no way government could move faster on the plan as the process they are following is the ‘way the system
works’.
He said the committee was aiming to have the plan finalised by the end of the day yesterday with a draft copy going out to key officials
overnight.
Red Cross reconnects families during evacuation
Tue
2 Mar
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Red Cross registered 1274 residents and visitors at seven relief centres during Saturday’s early morning tsunami warning
evacuation.
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About 1270 Aitutaki residents and visitors registered with Red Cross at seven relief centres during Saturday’s early morning tsunami warning
evacuation.
The registration process was part of Red Cross’ Restoring Family Links programme, which aims to help worried family and friends find news of
their loved ones during a disaster, as well as assisting the police in identifying missing persons.
Red Cross volunteers took the names of 1274 people who had evacuated to Aitutaki Hospital, Piraki, Mormon Church, Araura College, Baxters, a
private residence and Tuaiti Avaura.
“Red Cross’ registration service is crucial during disasters, when families and friends may be separated and communications systems
can be unreliable,” said Red Cross board member Patrick Arioka.
“The tsunami warning came at a time when the Aitutaki community is still reeling from the devastation caused by Cyclone Pat. Red Cross is
committed to supporting people during disasters through helping them to reconnect if they lose touch, and providing peace of mind,” Arioka
said.
Red Cross is the first large scale evacuation Aitutaki has experienced, where the island’s entire population needed to move to high ground
for safety.
“While disaster response services have been strengthened during the ongoing response to Cyclone Pat, the tsunami warning put us to the
test,” said Arioka.
“Red Cross is committed to working closely with authorities to improve coordination among all partners in any future disaster
response.”
Red Cross also provided food, blankets, tarpaulins and psychological support to people
in relief centres during Saturday’s response.
Red Cross’ tsunami warning response was the third in a series of disaster responses in Aitutaki, coming quickly after the
organisation’s Cyclone Pat response was interrupted by preparations for a tropical depression.
“Red Cross definitely stepped up to the play in each event and the newly elected executive committee and volunteers have now had significant
firsthand experience to guide them through the development of the Aitutaki branch disaster risk management plan and assisting the community to be
better prepared,” Arioka said.
Wairarapa community backs cyclone appeal
Mon
1 Mar
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Digging deep – Masterton community worker Tere Torea, who was born on Aitutaki, has lent his support with the Wairarapa Pasifika
Association to the Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal launched last week by Riversdale woman Sylvia Scott. PICTURE / LYNDA FERINGA
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Pacific Islanders living in Wairarapa have thrown their weight behind a regional appeal to help cyclone victims in Aitutaki.
Riversdale woman Sylvia Scott last week launched the Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal after Cyclone Pat devastated the island on February 11.
Scott said the Salvation Army in Masterton had donated essentials to the appeal that are to be sent to Aitutaki and Masterton firm Printcraft had
donated a run of 250 posters highlighting the campaign.
Masterton community worker Tere Torea, who was born on the island, said the Wairarapa Pasifika Association is supporting the appeal, which now has
a focus on raising funds to help cyclone victims recover.
He told the Wairarapa Times-Age newspaper that members of his family who lived in Aitutaki were not injured in the cyclone but were, like their
neighbours, now struggling to rebuild their lives and homes.
“Islands like Aitutaki and Rarotonga are a place of relaxation for a lot of us and I agree with Sylvia when she says that we need to
help,” he said.
“Some of the people who lost their homes are older people on a pension.
“They can’t afford to rebuild just like that and they really do need our help.”
Torea said he realised the Aitutaki appeal came on the heels of similar calls for generosity in past months to help earthquake survivors in Haiti
and tsunami victims in Samoa and that people in Wairarapa may be “tapped out”.
“But it would be great to see our community dig a little deeper and show their generosity at least one more time.”
Scott said she posted a 20kg consignment of requested sheets and towels to a friend in Aitutaki, who will distribute the goods to those in
greatest need.
She said tarpaulins were now the islanders’ main form of protection from the elements and the island was now facing serious threats from
dengue fever and fire hazards made worse after wide swathes of trees and vegetation were flattened.
Donations to the Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal can be made at the National Bank branch in Masterton.
Wairarapa Times-Age
Aitutaki faces fuel shortage
Mon
1 Mar
The island of Aitutaki could face fuel and cooking gas shortages after the cargo ship Southern Phoenix returned to New Zealand on Saturday
carrying cargo for the island.
The Southern Phoenix had spent a week sitting outside the reef in Aitutaki with rough seas hampering attempts to offload the ship.
Aitutaki mayor Tai Herman said yesterday that their real concern is that they are not too sure as to what cargo remains on the ship.
“I know that one company on the island has run out of cooking gas which is on the ship along with some fuel,” said Herman.
Herman said that building materials for the island’s recovery programme were also on board the ship – but he didn’t know exactly
how much of what supply remained on the ship.
Just 15 of the 30 containers for Aitutaki were offloaded last Monday.
Meanwhile Herman says that the island and her people were not affected by the effects of the tsunami or the now downgraded cyclone Sarah.
Araura teachers offer guidance
Sat
27 Feb
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Tekaaroa Primary School principal Naomi Henry has opened up her home for the sake of her students’ education. She is pictured in her
front porch turned classroom with (from left) Tamatoa Henry (4), Naomi Henry (6), Teremoana Maramatoa (5) and Matamanea Ngapoai (5).
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No signs of trauma here – Araura Primary School students (from left) Stella Puapii (10) and her best friend Tekura Brown (10) play
and laugh their way through school.
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Araura College students spent their first days back at school this week talking about their experiences during cyclone Pat.
Prior to the school reopening, teachers met with Tereora College guidance councillor Sarah Milne who coached the teachers on how to identify signs
of trauma and depression among their students.
Araura College principal Enoa Raea told Cook Islands News that when school began on Tuesday morning, he held a school assembly aimed at making the
students feel comfortable enough to speak about their experiences through cyclone Pat.
“I acknowledged that we the staff understand that many of the students and their families have lost a lot because of the cyclone,”
said Raea.
“I also introduced Sarah to the students so that they can be familiar with her and talk to her if they wanted to.”
Milne said that while she hasn’t seen any symptoms of trauma among the students at school, she has told the teachers that stress would be
the main symptom to watch out for.
“This is stress caused by worries of helping at home and making sure their families were alright,” said Milne.
“The main problem is that the students are tired – they’ve been working hard to clean up their family homes.”
Milne added that she has urged the teachers at the school to encourage their students to talk about the cyclone using the curriculum.
Raea said that on Wednesday only 133 of the school’s 221 students attended school.
“Not all our students have returned to school. Because of the tropical depression that damaged Penrhyn, the authorities decided we should
keep the school closed because it’s the cyclone shelter for the village.”
But when the depression posed no danger to the island – the school reopened.
In the last few days, the defence force was able to repair the damaged roof of the school and the finishing work is to be completed by local
contractors.
Meanwhile at the Araura Primary school, on the same grounds as the college, students were happily playing and reading in the only dry classroom at
the school.
Ministry of Education operations manager Ina Herrmann was also on the island helping at the school and said she was happy with the progress of
repairing the school considering the challenges they face.
Principal takes school ‘home’
Sat
27 Feb
Cyclone Pat may have demolished the Seventh Day Adventist’s Tekaaroa School on Aitutaki,but that wasn’t a good enough reason for
school principal Naomi Henry to stop educating.
In fact, the devoted teacher opened up her home in Amuri to continue teaching her students while fellow SDA parishioner John Vano opened his home
for the older students.
The small school of 77 students in the village of Ureia was left in a pile of rubble by cyclone Pat on February 10 and on Monday 15 the students
were back into full on learning – albeit at two separate homes.
Preschool and grade one students have their lessons at Henry’s home while the older students in grade one to six hold their lessons at John
Vano’s home in Arutanga.
With just a small roll of students and no classrooms, suggestions were made that the school should be closed down for good.
But a defiant Henry said that she will never close the school.
She said that meetings with the SDA mission have been held on future plans for the school and the decision has been made that the school will be
rebuilt.
“But I don’t know when this will happen,” said Henry.
“But we will continue schooling for the sake of our children.”
New plants already sprouting
Sat
27 Feb
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Aitutaki and Rarotonga agriculture staff show off the germinated vegetables which were sown on Monday 15 and will be ready to plant in a
week’s time.
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Aitutaki agriculture staff Tiraa Arere (left) and Pepe Raela in the middle of planting avocado seeds.
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Agriculture staff on Aitutaki were the only people glad to see the rain this week as they continued to sow thousands of vegetable and fruit
seeds.
Head of agriculture on Aitutaki, Fred Charlie, said that their planting project is well on the way and in a week’s time they will divvy out
the germinated vegetable plants to known growers on the island.
The cabbage, bok choi, tomato and lettuce seeds sown on Monday February 15 have already germinated and in a week’s time they will be given
to local growers on the island to propagate.
Charlie said that each month they will sow another batch of vegetable seeds to keep a continuous flow of vegetables on the island.
This week the team of around 10 agriculture staff from Rarotonga and Aitutaki were busy planting paw paw and avocado seeds.
Charlie said that once the fruit trees are ready to be planted, they will be given to each household on the island to plant on their property.
The agriculture nursery in Arutanga was spared by cyclone Pat which houses1800 young mango seedlings and 1000 citrus plants plus a range of
ornamental plants.
According to Charlie, it will take up to four years before the avocado trees bear fruit and up to six years until the mango seedlings will yield
their first fruit.
These too will be given to families on the island to grow.
Propagating root crops is the second stage of agricultural programme and this will begin when what remains of root crops on the island have been
used.
Rarotonga agriculture staff have already begun returning to Rarotonga with the four Aitutaki agriculture staff to continue the planting project on
the island.
Tent living the last resort
Sat
27 Feb
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Homes in Penrhyn were damaged in strong winds last Sunday caused by a tropical depression. P/2010/February/penrhyn 23feb2010/P1121061 or
62/75
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A badly damaged home in Vaitau with a Red Cross tent next to it for the family.
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Around 20 dome tents have been erected on the island of Aitutaki for families who lost their homes during cyclone Pat on February 10.
The tents, part of the Red Cross emergency kit, were erected by the New Zealand Army who’ve been stationed on the island for nearly two
weeks.
While a handful of families have made themselves very comfortable in their temporary homes, others and especially those still dealing with the
trauma of the devastating cyclone, are reluctant to sleep in the tents.
In the village of Vaitau, a family of 14 is adjusting to living between their new tent and family home with half a roof.
Sally Pukenga told Cook Islands News that when cyclone Pat struck, she and 13 other family members, including her 11-month-old granddaughter and
86-year-old father, watched in horror as their roof was ripped of their house taking with it the front portion of their home.
Since then the family has been trying to keep what’s left of their possessions dry in their home using tarpaulins where the roof used to
be.
The Red Cross tent was a welcomed relief for the family who moved their belongings into the tent and set up beds for the kids.
But strong winds on Tuesday morning ripped the tarpaulin off the family home putting the family back on edge.
“We were lucky this time because we had already put our stuff in the tent on Monday night,” said Sally.
“The things inside the house got a bit wet but not the stuff in the tent.”
Sally’s 13-year-old son Robby said sleeping in the tent was fine, adding that it was a bit like camping.
“I’m glad we have this tent here, but some people don’t want to sleep in it,” said Sally.
Most people are using the tents to store their belongings and are living with other family members.
Southern Phoenix still waiting to offload
Sat
27 Feb
The Aitutaki Ports Authority hopes to offload the remaining cargo from the Southern Phoenix today if sea conditions are favourable.
The Southern Phoenix has been sitting in Aitutaki since Monday with just 15 of the 30 containers for the island offloaded on Monday.
Several attempts have been made to unload the ship and if this cannot be done today, island leaders will have to discuss the hot topic of working
on Sunday.
Aitutaki mayor Tai Herman said yesterday that urgent supplies are on the ship including fuel, food stock and building materials.
Herman also reported that the island was on full alert yesterday for the affects of cyclone Sarah but reports of the cyclone weakening brought
relief to the island still recovering from cyclone Pat which struck on February 10.
Herman said that people were urged to make contingency plans on where they would shelter from the storm with many families pulling down their
tents in preparation for bad weather.
“All the things we need are on that ship and we want to offload that as soon as possible,” said Herman.
- Matariki Wilson
Composers comp delayed
Sat
27 Feb
Te Mire Atu 2010 composer’s competition night has been pushed back to the end of March with many of the island’s songwriters getting
in behind the Aitutaki relief effort.
The competition was originally scheduled for Thursday March 4 and will now be held at the National Auditorium on Wednesday March 31.
Te Mire Atu coordinator Rutera Taripo told Cook Islands News that many of the Ministry of Culture staff are on Aitutaki helping with the clean up
and recovery on the island.
He adds that the 11 composers writing new songs for this year’s competition are pleased with the change as it will give them more time to
help their families on Aitutaki and to polish up their compositions.
The confirmed 11 composers working on new songs for the composer’s competition are Curly George, Tuaine Unuia, Glassie Matata, Teariki Adam,
Tuakeu Harry Papai, Tuakana Makara, Upokoina Teiotu, Travel Moeara, Poti Maeva, Tuwunga Mataora and last year’s winning composer Pastor Eliu
Eliu.
Of the list of confirmed composers, seven are newcomers to the annual composer’s competition while four are accomplished song writers.
Te Mire Atu is shaping up to be a fantastic event and those wanting to know more about the event can contact Rutera Taripo at the Ministry of
Culture.
- Matariki Wilson
Hercules pick-up
Sat
27 Feb
The Air Force C-130 Hercules is scheduled to land in Aitutaki today to pick up the defence force team that has been stationed on the island for
the past two weeks.
Air Force squadron leader Kaveriri Tamariki told Cook Islands News yesterday that the contingency plan was for the Hercules to make one more trip
to storm damaged Penrhyn and on its flight back to Rarotonga it would stop over in Aitutaki to pick up the team of 12 there.
The Hercules will return to New Zealand tomorrow.
The Hercules arrived in the Cooks on February 14 and made two trips to Aitutaki delivering emergency supplies and a team of 12 soldiers who have
been working with the Aitutaki community since their arrival.
- Matariki Wilson
Aitutaki
baby not called Pat!
Sat
27 Feb
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Amuri resident Melelino Vaevae with her beautiful new baby girl – the first baby born on Aitutaki since cyclone Pat.
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Aitutaki island’s newest arrival – a beautiful baby girl – will definitely not be called Pat, Patricia or Patty!
Amuri village residents Melelino Vaevae and Quinton Schofield delivered their third child together on Tuesday morning in the car park of the
Aitutaki hospital.
News of first baby born on Aitutaki since the island was devastated by cyclone Pat spread all over the community bringing joy to the people who
were delighted by the good news.
In fact, the yet to be named baby girl was the talk and pride of the island.
Cook Islands News visited Melelino in Aitutaki hospital on Wednesday as she and her new baby were getting ready to head home.
“We are definitely not going to call baby Pat or Patrica,” said Melelino.
“Everybody is asking us if we are going to name her after the cyclone! I don’t think so!”
Melelino said she went into labour in the early hours of Tuesday morning and by 6am there was a mad panic to get her to the hospital.
As she gingerly got into the passenger’s seat of the family truck, she realised her baby wasn’t going to wait for them to reach the
hospital.
But Melelino’s partner Quinton didn’t know what else to do except drive as quickly and safely as he could to the island’s
hospital in the next village of Arutanga.
Arriving at the hospital, Quinton said all he knew was that Melelino needed his help and once at her side he helped her deliver their baby girl
right there in the truck.
As soon as the doctor confirmed their baby had no complications – the couple were able to laugh at the dramatic style in which their
daughter arrived into the world.
The couple even had the New Zealand Army personnel stationed in the maternity ward of the hospital on their toes!
“I’ve shampooed the passenger’s seat of the truck and now it’s cleaner than the rest of the truck,” joked
Quinton.
The couple have two sons – Quinton Jnr (3) and Chakyl (1) who were equally excited about their new baby sister.
Melelino says that while they are still deciding on what name to call their baby – she reckons Allana sounds like a great name.
The family thanked their lucky stars for not sustaining any real damage during cyclone Pat and now they are counting their many blessings.
Recovery plan still coming
Sat
27 Feb
Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen says government should have a recovery plan for Aitutaki in place early next week.
“It’s the timing factor. Everyone wants it to happen yesterday but we have to be realistic,” he said yesterday.
He admits government has been under a lot of pressure to fast track the plan as it has already been two and a half weeks since Aitutaki was hit by
Cyclone Pat which left widespread devastation to homes and infrastructure.
The minister had hoped the plan would be finalised this week, but as of yesterday work was continuing on the plan.
A government assessment team returned from Aitutaki on Thursday and its findings, including those of United Nations Development Programme disaster
risk management advisor Moortaza Jiwanji, were being included in the recovery plan.
Rasmussen has already stated he believes the cost of reconstruction of homes will exceed the initial government estimate of $12 million.
The minister’s CEO and member of the secretariat working on the recovery plan, Vaine Teokotai, reiterated that the priority area of recovery
is housing.
Rasmussen chairs the committee which is made up of several government departments working on different aspects of the final plan including forms
of financial assistance for the community, and plans for infrastructure, agriculture, and the environment.
Teokotai said officials working on the plan under the committee are well aware of the urgency in completing it and admits it has been a daunting
task.
“We hope to have the housing component of the plan announced next week as we enter the reconstruction phase. We have been looking at the
different categories of need, from the very vulnerable to those who may be able to use government assistance to help build their homes. It is a complex
issue and there have been different ideas put forward for housing.
“Possible house designs are being looked at so that the Aitutaki community can decide on what best suits them. They will get basic cyclone
proof homes,” says Teokotai.
He says the recovery plan secretariat is working hard to have the plan ready for cabinet if it chooses to meet on Monday.
Army relief team ready to depart
Fri
26 Feb
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Soldiers construct a soak pit to prevent the ground at the water station turning to sludge. In the background is the 5000 litre bladder of
clean water ready for Aitutaki islanders to collect.
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The Royal New Zealand Defence Force team stationed on Aitutaki is preparing to withdraw from the island this weekend.
Since arriving on the island on Monday February 15, the team of 12 led by Sergeant Glenn Abbot has been helping the community get back on its
feet.
The team’s first task was to erect tents for families who lost their homes and help other put up tarpaulins on their roofs.
The team has worked on the hospital and with general clean up duties while the two electricians and one plumber have been working overtime to
check wiring inside people’s homes.
The defence force has been able to make the water station in Arutanga more accessible to the community by building a bench for the 5000-litre
water bladder, a shelter for the water purifying machine and pump, connecting a series of taps to the water bladder and a soak pit to prevent the
ground turning to sludge. The set up allows people to fill up their containers with water at any time.
The defence force made an initial commitment to two weeks on the island and that time ends at the weekend.
However, Abbot says that while his team is now just doing minor work, they would really like to begin work on rebuilding Araura College.
Work on the college has been delayed due to bad weather and the fact that the cargo ship Southern Phoenix was unable to fully offload cargo, which
includes much needed building materials, due to rough seas.
Just 10 of the 25 containers on the ship were able to be offloaded on Monday.
While the majority of the wood and roofing iron was offloaded – fixtures needed for building remain on the ship.
Attempts were made again yesterday afternoon to offload the cargo but it looked unlikely with the island still experiencing rough seas and heavy
rain.
On board the ship are also fuel and food for the island.
Meanwhile the army continues to help families on the island and await confirmation of their departure.
Abbot and his team have been overwhelmed by the hospitality of people on the island – despite the challenging time they are facing.
“I’ve worked in disaster zones all over the world, but the hospitality on the island is second to none,” said Abbot.
“We would really like to get the school rebuilt before we leave.”
Abbot also added that if his team is needed to help the people on Penrhyn, the men were more than ready to go north.
Young mum recovers from Cyclone Pat
Fri
26 Feb
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Eteta Lockington was recovering from foot surgery at Rarotonga Hospital this week. She’s pictured here with her baby Laura and mum
Josephine.
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It may be months before 30-year-old Aitutakian Eteta Lockington can walk again after seriously injuring her foot during Cyclone Pat two weeks
ago.
She is due to be discharged from Rarotonga Hospital today after undergoing surgery on her foot on Tuesday.
“I’m just glad I’m still here and it’s all thanks to the Good Lord,” she says.
Tears still come to Eteta’s eyes when she recalls what happened to her rented three bedroom home in Amuri in the worst hours of the cyclone
on February 10.
Eteta lives with her partner, power station manager Oropai Rouru, and their two daughters, Nivar, 4 and Laura, 16 months.
She says even in the chaos of the cyclone – as the strong winds ripped off the roof of the old limestone house, the walls began to cave in
and household possessions were blown away – her children were her only concern.
“I was just afraid for my kids.”
Eteta says thinking of her daughter Nivar during the cyclone when debris was flying toward her was the hardest moment of the ordeal.
“I’d nearly lost her once when she was almost two. She was swimming with her cousins and almost drowned. I couldn’t let anything
happen to her now.”
From her hospital bed yesterday, Eteta described what her family experienced during the cyclone.
“It was about 2am and the girls and I were in the bedroom when my partner called out that he needed help with the (front) door. The door was
coming off and he was trying to nail it shut. I went to help him. The power had already gone out about half an hour before, so Nivar held a torch while
we worked on the door. We had just finished that and were on our way back to the room where Laura was sleeping when the roof just blew off.
“My first instinct was to run to my daughter (Nivar) who was about two metres away from me. As I headed towards her the fridge blew past me
– my partner said it just missed me – I still have the scratches and bruises where it hit me in the back.”
Eteta says she must have been knocked down because the next thing she remembers is getting up again.
“My foot was numb. I knew I had cut it but I didn’t care, I ran. I grabbed my daughter, ran to the room and picked up Laura too. Me
and my partner got out of the house and the walls collapsed on the bed as we left,” she recalls.
With only the clothes on their back, Eteta and Oropai raced to the closest pick up truck parked outside – its windscreen was smashed and a
large piece of limestone wall had fallen on it.
“We got into the second pick up. Our neighbours from next door had run over to see if they could shelter at our house – theirs had
been damaged like ours. We all got in the pick up and my partner drove us to Amuri Hall.”
She says on the way they could see power lines whipping around and roofing iron flying across their path.
Eteta looked down at the gash in her foot for the first time as they pulled up to the hall where another family had also come to shelter.
“I thought ‘I just hope we can get to hospital soon’ because there was a lot of blood.”
Tying a pareu around the foot and later a ripped up sheet, the family waited until the sun came up to drive to the hospital. Eteta, who has worked
at the Aitutaki hospital pharmacy and lab for the last ten years, says she never expected to end up in hospital as the first injured patient following
the cyclone.
Six stitches and several bandages later, she left hospital and had been staying at her parent’s home until last Friday when she was sent to
Rarotonga for further treatment.
Last Friday health minister Apii Piho and health secretary Tupou Faireka saw Eteta during their visit to Aitutaki.
Piho told CI News she was in obvious pain and needed to get the foot looked at in Rarotonga.
The ministry of health paid for her and baby Laura to fly over for the surgery.
“They repaired three of my tendons because I had cut them – this was why I couldn’t feel or move my toes.”
She will likely stay in Rarotonga for another week before going back to Aitutaki, and for at least the next month she will have to use
crutches.
Eteta says she has been warned she may not be able to walk as well as she used to in future.
A keen sportswoman, Eteta enjoys netball and volleyball, so she is worried that her injury may prevent her from playing again.
Her mum Josephine, who has been by her side this week, suggests Eteta could always take up golf or paddling.
“She could go paddling and maybe get a tan then,” says Josephine nudging her daughter with a smile.
Eteta is determined she will not only play sports again, but that she and Oropai will build their own home as planned this year. And she is
confident that over time she and the island she’s lived on all her life will make a full recovery.
Red Cross appeals for food supplies
Fri
26 Feb
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Red Cross volunteers Julieanne Westrupp (left) and Oropai Mataroa prepare to head out and deliver food parcels to families on Aitutaki.
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Cook Islands Red Cross volunteers continue to work hard to make sure struggling families on Aitutaki have food.
The Red Cross food bank is currently set up in the Aitutaki High Court in Arutanga where dry goods are sorted and packed into parcels for
families.
Red Cross is now concentrating on delivering food parcels to the elderly and destitute on Aitutaki and while they’ve received around two
tonnes of dry goods – they still need more food.
Red Cross is very appreciative of the donations of food made by CITC Supermarket, Super Brown and bakeries on Rarotonga and ask more businesses to
help out.
Celebration on the Rock church has donated boxes of water and Tua Nicholas and family from Tupapa managed to send over 10 big bunches of bananas
which were given to the schools on the island.
Food parcels include one roll of toilet paper, one 1kg bag or rice and sugar, 1 packet of cabin bread, 2 cans of tinned fish, 2 cans of tinned
meat and a mosquito coil.
Red Cross volunteers say the food stuff they need right now are tea bags, rice, cabin bread, noodles and canned goods.
Please show your support for the people on Aitutaki with donations of food to the Red Cross headquarters in Tupapa.
Hot local bread back
Fri
26 Feb
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Mama Rima Mata showing off locally baked bread.
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Mama Rima Mata (right) shows off the freshly baked bread ‘fingers’ she will take home to her family in the village of Amuri.
The popular Aquila Bakery on Aitutaki lost its roof during cyclone Pat on February 10 and had to stop baking while the building was repaired.
Bakeries on Rarotonga stepped up and showed their support for the outer island by sending fresh bread to the island every day since the
cyclone.
The local bakery, situated in Amuri, began baking bread again on Sunday night and its first batch of hot bread sold out quickly on Monday morning
before the sun even rose above the horizon.
Aquila Bakery is selling its popular bread fingers at the lower price $4 for six fingers as a way of helping reduce strain on families during this
time of recovery. The bread is normally $5.
NZ approves Penrhyn relief flight
Fri
26 Feb
A RNZAF C-130 Hercules was set to return to the Cook Islands last night to make a relief flight to Penrhyn today.
The Hercules will deliver chainsaws, tarpaulins, construction material, emergency food supplies, fuel and telecommunication equipment.
Government requested the relief flight on Tuesday after tropical depression 11F caused damage to homes and buildings on Sunday night.
Penrhyn has been affected by bad weather for almost a month. Since Cyclone Nisha, the island has also been affected by Cyclones Oli, Pat and
Rene.
Nicola Ngawati, acting head of mission at the NZ High Commission, said an assessment of available places for a government delegation on the plane
would be carried out before it departs for Penrhyn.
Finance minister and Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen is hoping to be on the relief flight along with a team of officials to assess the damage on the
island. He put the initial plan for a $20,000 government charter flight, which was to depart Tuesday, on hold following the request to the NZ
government for assistance.
The Hercules is likely to overnight in Penrhyn before returning to pick up the 12-person NZ Defence Force field engineering team and their
equipment in Aitutaki. The defence team has been based in Aitutaki since Monday last week to assist with relief efforts following Cyclone Pat.
The team includes electricians, a builder, heavy plant operators, a plumber and field engineers. These wide ranging skills have been used to
assist the island administration restore power, provide drinking clean water, construct emergency shelters and make repairs to the schools and
hospital.
The Hercules will also replenish emergency relief supplies on Rarotonga used in the response to Cyclone Pat.
Call for extra food supplies
Fri
26 Feb
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Red Cross volunteers Anne Tierney and Mata Hetland sort through the dry goods at the Red Cross food bank set up inside the Aitutaki
High Court. Reports and photos, page 8.
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Red Cross volunteers Anne Tierney and Mata Hetland sort through the dry goods at the Red Cross food bank set up inside the Aitutaki High Court.
Reports and photos, page 8. 10022523
Threat from depression
Fri
26 Feb
Met services said late yesterday that the tropical depression located to the northwest of Palmerston is “still just a depression” but
that it does have the potential to develop into a tropical cyclone in 12 hours.
The depression is located at 16.6 south and 163.6 west, or about 260 nautical miles west-northwest of Aitutaki and 90 nautical miles north-
northwest of Palmerston. It is moving south-southeast at 5 knots and creating clockwise winds of up to 40 knots.
“It’s slow-moving, so the chances of it intensifying are pretty good,” police commissioner Maara Tetava said.
He said that if the depression does become a cyclone, it will likely impact Palmerston, Aitutaki and Rarotonga.
Palmerston and Aitutaki experienced strong winds gusting up to 40 knots, heavy rain and rough seas last night.
Tetava also said that police are considering sending a patrol boat to Nassau this afternoon to evacuate a person in need of medical attention.
“It’s a risky operation because we’ll be heading sideways of the depression,” he said “We’re going to try to
outrun it, pick up the patient and get out of the way. It’s a high risk but it’s one that my people are trained for and willing to
undertake.”
Police are monitoring the weather situation round-the-clock at the Emergency Operations Centre and have alerted the islands that are expected to
be affected.
Welfare needs for Aitutaki being considered
Thu
25 Feb
Extra welfare assistance for Aitutaki households following Cyclone Pat will be included in government’s yet-to-be-announced reconstruction
and recovery programme, says internal affairs secretary Bredina Drollet.
Drollet spent last Thursday in Aitutaki as part of health and internal affairs minister Apii Piho’s delegation visiting the island to assess
health and welfare needs.
She says her ministry has not been able to provide any immediate extra assistance for people who have found themselves destitute overnight because
this has to be assessed further and will likely form part of the government package for reconstruction and recovery.
Some form of welfare benefit and food assistance is being considered but the package may not be announced until next week.
There are almost 800 welfare benefit recipients in Aitutaki – 500 of them are children, another 200 are on the old age pension and the
remainder are mostly the infirm.
Drollet says there is an internal affairs office and officer in Aitutaki but that person has had to be given leave to deal with the effects of
losing their own home in the cyclone.
She says this made her visit to the island even more important to make sure an assessment of social welfare needs got underway.
Drollet says internal affairs has been working closely with Red Cross who has carried out the initial damage assessments of households.
Welfare officer Mii Daniels who went with the delegation has a background in counselling and remained on the island to work with Red Cross to
assist the Aitutaki people.
Yesterday two internal affairs staff were sent to Aitutaki to continue working on the overall assessment.
Drollet said director of social welfare John Henry was tasked with following the infrastructure team doing an in-depth assessment of the damage to
homes this week to also capture what the social needs of each household are.
Senior disability officer Nooroa Numanga was also sent to accompany the United Nations Development Programme’s disaster risk management
advisor Moortaza Jiwanji and emergency management’s Charles Carlson on a two to three day assessment of households and their welfare needs.
Drollet says this assessment will focus more on the results of interviews with the people either in their homes, or in focus groups.
“The aim of all this is to give government better information to make decisions on where assistance will go. We need more information before
the government agencies can go to cabinet and recommend the best ways of targeting assistance.”
Drollet says internal affairs is contributing to recommendations from key ministries on forms of assistance likely to be in the reconstruction and
recovery package.
Housing will be the priority form of assistance but economic recovery, livelihoods, and community and environmental needs are being considered.
Drollet says the package will focus on longer term recovery too, but for now they are aware that they need to consider ways to provide extra assistance
to those who have become homeless.
Squadron leader to speak at schools
Thu
25 Feb
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Kaveriri Tamariki.
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The Cook Islands’ own Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron leader, Kaveriri Tamariki, is visiting local schools this week to talk about the
Cyclone Pat relief effort and careers in the military.
Tamariki, who is based at defence headquarters in Wellington, has a long history of working on disaster response teams. He was in Samoa to provide
essential services to those displaced by the tsunami and said he ‘regularly responds to disasters across the South Pacific’.
Tamariki flew with the C130 Hercules to Aitutaki four times in two days to shuttle 80,000 pounds of freight to the cyclone-stricken island.
“It’s always great to come home to help our people,” he said.
His team, he said, was responsible for emergency response on Aitutaki and will hand the rebuilding project over to government.
On Tuesday, he spoke to a full Princess Anne Hall at Tereora College. He showed a slideshow of photos snapped during the response phase and
encouraged students to look into joining the NZ military.
“A lot of Pacific Islanders don’t [realise] they can join the military for some reason,” he said. “It’s a bit of a
stereotype and it’s not true.”
He told students that if they perform well on their NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 exams, they have the option of joining the military.
“As long as you study hard, they’ll open their doors for you,” he said.
He said that it’s important to start thinking about careers in the military as early as year 10, and told students that the military offers
careers ranging from physical training instructor all the way up to pilot.
“It’s up to you how far you want to go in the service,” he said.
He said that joining the service has a number of benefits – both financial and personal.
“My 21-year-old son [is in the air force and] making $65,000 a year, just to give you an idea,” he said. “But you don’t
join for the money. It’s a career and a lifestyle... it’s a great life, and you make lots of friends.”
Tamariki will be speaking at Nukutere College today at 11.40am, at Avatea Primary tomorrow at 9am and at Titikaveka College tomorrow at 10am.
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