follow the wave
The recent devastating tsunami which struck the south coast of Samoa had shattering impacts for Plumbing World staff with links to that area. Lalomanu village, worst hit by the tsunami, is the home of CDF Warehouse Manager Robert Lefale whose family and community have been absolutely shattered.
Plumbing World and it’s wider family believe we have an opportunity to roll up our sleeves and actually make a difference to people’s lives, especially when our own colleagues have been impacted. So what can we do to help?... lots of things, and here is how Plumbing World is doing so.
urgent needs
Many everyday household goods were swept out to sea. Food and water storage containers, water tanks, hurricane lamps, mosquito nets, building materials, plumbing supplies, gardening tools, cooking utensils (pots and teapots), kerosene cooking stoves, transistor radios, batteries, dining tables and chairs, desks and chairs for schools, bedding... the list is endless and all the bare necessities are gone.
Plumbing World have arranged urgent collection from our nationwide branch network of critical items required for the relief effort. Te Kauwhata Transport have graciously agreed to provide transport free of charge so these items can be forwarded on to Samoa of which we are extremely greatful.
plumbing supplies
As an industry we have made big strides with the collection of goods. A thorough search through our obsolete stock lists has unearthed many items that will be sent to help in restoring sanitary and water supply systems to the village and surrounding area. A number of our wonderful key supply partners have also made some significant donations with quantities of goods that will be a lot of use in Lalomanu.
the relief effort has begun...
The weekends are scenes of great activity at the Plumbing World CDF with an industrious team of volunteer’s spending their personal time sorting through the items received. This outstanding team recently loaded the first 40’ container, a milestone for all. With goods still coming in, a second 40’ container has been ordered and will also be filled. This will give them time to sort and label the items and have the containers packed and ready to go to the wharf. These goods will be on their way to Samoa shortly so the Lalomanu people can start to benefit from this generosity.
Support from our NZPM Shareholder Plumbers has also been over whelming. Some have donated their time and expertise to go to Samoa and assist with the re-establishment of vital services to public buildings.
In addition we had a positive response from Air New Zealand and Polynesian Blue to assist with flying our volunteers to Apia which is another major contribution. Everyone’s support and generosity has been quite moving and there will easily be enough skilled volunteers to do what is planned for the village.
our next step
Our advanced team of Robert Lefale and Ross Ward (NZPM shareholder) returned from Upolu where they have been very busy in “project planning” – confirming what work needs to be undertaken and what contributions we will need to make to get the people of Lalomanu back on their feet. To ensure a smooth flow of work a schedule has been drawn up to maximise the time our plumbers are contributing to the relief effort.
The team is working very hard on a final product list required for this effort and our first container of household goods and plumbing materials was dispatched mid November 2009. We are working hard on filling the next container which will be delivered before the arrival of our volunteer plumbers.
We are also liaising with Habitat for Humanity, our own shareholders and the Auckland Master Plumbers to make sure that when our volunteers arrive on the island, they can get to work immediately and attack the impressive list of work required.
In addition we are starting to recieve donations which will help us 'buy in' any materials which cannot be sourced otherwise, and pay for additional airfares to Samoa if required.
So far the response has been fantastic, and we are excited by the knowledge that we CAN make a difference. However there is no limit to how much more can we achieve. We are delighted with progress to date and the generosity of so many people is truly humbling.
get involved
If you would like to make a contribution please contact your local Plumbing World branch by clicking here
Please feel free to join up as a “member” of our Facebook group and pass this on. You will be able to keep up with the latest progress reports and developments. The more people focused on this effort the better. To follow the wave click here