Samoan Tsunami: Tragedy, Loss and Heroism

Samoan tsunami: Tragedy, loss and extraordinary heroism

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Saleaaumea village's Piliilagi Leuluaialii ... she lost her sister and one of her five sons. Photo: Jane Ussher/Oxfam

Pacific.Scoop
By Janna Hamilton in Apia

When I first arrived in Apia, there were no signs of the devastation. The Samoan capital was buzzing as usual.

Driving south the road was full of cars and pick-ups laden with bags of clothing, bread and bottled water. Family members and friends, or those just wanting to help, were all heading down to the southern coastline where entire villages have been wiped out.

We travelled with our Samoan partner organisation, Women in Business Development (WIBDI), to make an initial assessment of the urgent needs, to identify the most vulnerable people and to determine the most effective way Oxfam’s humanitarian expertise can support the relief effort.

Clearly, the supply of safe water and sanitation is critical in the immediate aftermath of disaster and our engineers, Dave Neru and Nick Hewer-Hewitt, have swung into action.

Already, since the morning of the tsunami, WIBDI have been delivering drinking water, shoes, clothes, fala lilii (mats), sleeping bags and boxes of tinned fish to the families who lost their homes.

Oxfam has already sent through funds to replenish these relief items and coordination of the distribution is now being managed through the National Disaster Management Office here in Apia.

To make sure no one misses out, it’s essential that the delivery of aid is now managed from this one distribution point, and details of who received what are recorded.

Stories of tragedy
I’ve been along this devastated south coast several times now, delivering supplies – and hearing the stories of tragedy, loss and extraordinary heroism.

Standing beside the foundations of what was her home in Saleaaumea village, Piliilagi Leuluaialii, 57, tells me her story.

Pili lost her sister and one of her five sons. Her sister had had a stroke and when they saw the wave coming, her son tried to carry his aunt to safety, but both of them were killed.

“Water just came in so quickly and they weren’t able to take my sister out of the house,” she says.

Villagers, friends and family from Apia are now busy, cleaning up and burning debris.

“When I could see the wave coming, I was just so scared and started running up behind the village – I don’t know what happened once the wave hit me.”

Pili wants to build in the same place again, but doesn’t know how she’ll find the money.

Where once stood fales, traditional Samoan houses, only the rectangular foundations are left.

Twisted corrugated roofs are strewn for hundreds of metres, beaten cars are upturned and filled with mud and debris, a truck is twisted up in the coconut plantation and a child’s schoolbag lies beside the road.

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Cleaning up in the wake of the tsunami. Photo: Jane Ussher/Oxfam

Rotting fish
The smell of fish rotting in the heat, 300 metres inland from the shoreline is overwhelming. Helicopters are flying overhead, searching for people who remain missing.

People tell us the rocks that were once the sea walls built along the coastline did a lot of the damage to people. They are now scattered all across properties.

Women in Business Development have strong ties to these local families.

They operate in 150 rural villages across Samoa, supporting a range of community-based projects aimed at creating sustainable village economies and revitalising the agricultural sector.

Here on the south coast of Upolu, WIBDI has provided agricultural training and business skills support to farmers who earlier this year secured a valuable contract – the exclusive supply of organic coconut oil to the Body Shop International.

These farmers also grow organic bananas and taro sold at an organics market in Apia that WIBDI established two years ago.

Along this coastline are other small family businesses that got off the ground through WIBDI’s successful micro-finance loan scheme. For many, they will need to start again from scratch.

“They are too scared to come back at the moment,” Visor Auvele, WIBDI staff member tells me.

“Some say they will never rebuild by the sea, they wouldn’t be able to sleep listening to the rumble of the crashing waves.”

Farming network
We visit the Fuamatuseti family in Poutasi village. Meleisea Fuamatuseti, 80, looks down over his devastated village.

Only days ago, 23 families lived in this lush cove. Some worked in the neighbouring tourist resorts, others lived a semi-subsistence lifestyle, growing taro and bananas, and selling produce to market.

Fuamatuseti had recently joined WIBDI’s farming network, growing vegetables to sell at the organic market.

On Wednesday morning Fuamatuseti was resting in a fale on the hill looking down over his devastated village. He recalls when it was all destroyed:

“Straight after the earthquake, I told the children to get in the car and drive away. I looked out to sea and saw the wave forming.

“I ran up the hill towards the pigs, but the wave caught me. The pigs were all washed up the hill, but they survived.

“My son had driven away with my four grandchildren, but the road was jammed with other cars, and when the wave came they were smacked like pancakes by the other cars. I lost three of my grandchildren. My son survived.”

The children’s mother Salaeualu Meleisea, 32, was at the local shop when the earthquake struck. She started to head back and could see her children aged one, two and three being driven away. Then she saw the wave hit.

She says the tears won’t stop. She has one child who survived.

We give drinking water, blankets and food to Fuamatuseti and his family.

“We’re very appreciative of everyone’s help. Thank you.”

Devastation at the Taufua beach fales. Photo: Jane Ussher/Oxfam

Everyone affected
Everyone in Samoa has been affected by this disaster. WIBDI staff member Fuimaono Rose Tipasa, whose family owned the Taufua beach fales, buried 14 members of her family the day following the tsunami.

The family half-built a new home on high ground one kilometre from the coast.

Rose’s uncle, 98, who died in the disaster, had wanted to move the family to higher ground eventually. They were too late.

Oxfam’s rapid assessment team is working closely with the Samoan authorities, UN agencies and other non-government organisations to ensure a coordinated relief effort – one that has a complete picture of people’s needs, and that makes sure every person is accounted for.

Samoans have always had a strong sense of community, which comes from their strong sense of culture, and traditions of collective support. The local matai/chiefs are providing leadership at the village level and I can feel the incredible spirit here.

For those with family to take them in, they are being well supported. Oxfam is working with all agencies involved to make sure the most vulnerable people are able to recover and begin to rebuild their lives.

In between delivering relief items, I attend coordination meetings in Apia with all the agencies working on the ground. At this early stage of the response, it appears coordination, decision-making and goodwill is strong.

Once the initial urgent needs have been met, it is clear people will require long-term support for reconstruction of their homes and livelihoods.

Being here, in Samoa, heightens my sense of family – and my connection, not just with New Zealand but with all Pacific communities.

Please help our efforts to support these people overcome their grief and rebuild their lives.

Oxfam aid worker Janna Hamilton arrived in Samoa 48 hours after the devastating tsunami struck. Here she writes for Pacific.Scoop about her first days. Photographer Jane Ussher has volunteered her time to document the aid effort.

Oxfam’s Samoa Tsunami Appeal:
Donations can be made online at www.oxfam.org.nz; by calling 0800 600 700; or to make an automatic $20 donation, call 0900 600 20. Donations can also be made at the Body Shop, Levis and Baby Factory stores nationwide.

ENDS

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