On 20 February a category 5 cyclone tore through the island nation of Fiji. Cyclone Winston has cut a path of destruction to the largely rural nation. Homes have been destroyed, rivers have flooded, power lines have snapped, trees have been uprooted and access to safe drinking water has been compromised. Fiji needs our help.
At its peak, Cyclone Winston was estimated to have sustained winds of around 230km/h, gusting to 325 km/h. It is one of the most severe cyclones to hit the South Pacific. A destructive force of this strength brings devastation to any country. However, the heavy reliance rural Fijian communities, such as our partners in Dawasamu, have on their land makes the challenges they face even more dire. Most have lost food and income sources, as well as their homes and most of their personal belongings.
As we have learnt from Fijian communities, goals are achieved through a large amount of people completing small tasks for a bigger picture. It doesn't matter what contribution you make, every effort accumulates into raising the funds we need for the people of Dawasamu District to rebuild their lives. The Fijian people are some of the most resilient, generous and happy go lucky people anyone could be lucky enough to meet, let's borrow some Fijian spirit and help them get through this.
Our GVI Fiji team will be assessing the needs of the communities, in conjunction with our partners and local connections, in the Dawasamu District and distributing aid where it is needed most.
