(Newswire.net — March 5, 2016) — Cyclone Winston struck Fiji on a week ago with winds gusting up to 325 Kilometers (202 miles) per hour, and waves rising up to 39.37 ft. Over 240 schools were destroyed or damaged as a result of Cyclone Winston slashing through Fiji, causing an estimated $19.4 million damage to schools throughout the country. The schools and buildings that withstood the gale force winds became the emergency shelters for tens of thousands across the country.
Project Bula! Fiji Foundation® Educational Foundation for the Children of Fiji (501c3) is seeking $15 Million for the Fiji cyclone disaster.
The funds will give immediate aid to the Ministry of Education for water filtration systems for hundreds of schools. Plus temporary housing for students, as well as help replacing lost and damaged school supplies, paper, pens, pencils, library books and more.
The Fiji government has asked organizations like ours for “School in a Box” kits, each holding a tent, mosquito netting for the residents or homeless students, and materials for a class of 40.
There is an unprecedented need for building materials, hand and electrical tools necessary for repairs and building new schools. The schools in Fiji have a huge residential community of live-in students; plus volunteers and instructors are needed in these areas: tradesmen, electrical engineers, vocational training programs, and more.
Mr. Reddy, Minister of the Fiji Ministry of Education Fiji, and the dedicated teachers and staff have done a remarkable job, but the children will need ongoing support. It is vital to get them straight back into routines.
More than 60,000 people live in areas that were hit by destructive winds near the eye of the storm. A further 400,000 people, out of a total population of about 900,000, were in areas affected by the strong winds and rain.
Aid groups and government authorities are now racing to deal with a critical need for clean water, health supplies and emergency accommodations after power lines, roads, jetties and homes were destroyed and damaged across huge areas of Fiji’s main islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu.
A 30-day state of emergency has been declared in Fiji and the country’s Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, has ordered emergency management officials to respond to the crisis. “There are Fijians out there who are without water, without a roof over their heads, without food and without essential services,” Bainimarama said.
“It really is a race against time to get immediate relief to those who have lost everything and ensure families can stay safe and healthy,” said Care Australia spokeswoman, Sarah Boxall.
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