Our GIBTK team were "first responders" for those most affected by typhoon Nari and relief has begun. So far there hasn't been huge flooding but the rains are not over and I expect over the next few days to hear more and more families in distress.
Before I get to the email GIBTK staffer wrote about the first distribution in Danang area I want to share another of our team's writings about her night living through the initial typhoon.
Here is a note from Nhung, (AKA Lily!)
"Although my family members are safe after the typhoon, my feeling about it was unforgettable in my mind:
Our family decided to move in my parents in law's home to shelter. Although it was 2A.M, it was windy and raining heavily. When my husband drove me to across the dragon bridge. I imaged that the wind will blow us over, it was very frightening. Many people fell down and they could not manage their motorbikes. Luckily, we came home safely.
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| Dragon bridge "yellow tail" seen in this photo |
The power was cut off before typhoon. I felt very worried and scared during the typhoon, I heard the wind loud as thunder. The trees in front of our home were blown over. We could not sleep that night. My father in law and my husband watched over us and the effects of the typhoon. I was so worried about my parents' and all of Da Nang people's homes. I prayed everyone was safe.
This typhoon lasted for many hours and its' wind was terrible. This made us much more nervous and damaged Da Nang city slowly.
The typhoon has gone but we still feel concerned. The most happiness is that everyone is safe.
P/s: On the way to our own home, I saw many big trees and iron roofs had been blown over all down in the street.
Nhung
The following is Thao writings after they spent the day serving those in need
We were ecstatic to be able to reach out to a commune in Quang Nam province that badly affected by the Nari typhoon and its subsequent flooding. It took us two hours to get there. Because the road conditions were was so bad, most of the ten passengers including the staff, government officials and volunteers in the car vomited continuously along the way. The rain was coming down heavily and mud covered the road.
This is the same community that we supplied after a major flooding in 2009. Now in 2013, a cement road has replaced a former mud road. When we travelled narrow roads, we had to switch to motorbikes which were frightening because the road was so slippery. I prayed that we would not crash. After we got off our motorbikes and were carrying the supplies, one of our teammates unfortunately did slip and fall down.
There were around 200 people waiting for supplies as we arrived. Looking at them, it was easy to see the hardship they were enduring. They had so little, but they survived. The supplies we brought included water, noodle and canned fish, just the minimum for survival.
The water just receded last night and we were the first group to bring them supplies. The residents were grateful for our timely arrivals. Coincidently, one woman shared with me that her 10 year old daughter has a congenital heart condition but the family can't afford her surgery. I asked her to arrange a good time when she can take her daughter to Da Nang hospital for a checkup. If her daughter needs surgeries, we will see if we can help her. There had been a discernible sadness on her face but now there was a glimmer of hope. This natural disaster is just one more tragedy for her family life.
According to the commune committee, 265 houses have parts of their roofs missing and 7 houses whose roofs are completely gone. Pham Thi Xuan, 57 years old, has been living in a compassion house built by the government two years ago. Her home was damaged badly that she had to move in with her neighbors. Her roof was gone and everything in the house had been flooded which included rice, clothing and furniture. So now she completely depends on the kindness of others.
Women in their 60s, 70s, and 80s surrounded us and shared with us their difficulties and losses after the initial disaster of typhoon Nari.
It is especially hard on these women as each of them live alone with no family to help them. Everyone we met pleaded that we would return to give them additional help...
www.gibtk.org
Robert Kalatschan
Giving It Back To Kids
