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FIJI FLOODINGLions bring relief to stricken villagesBy PDG Carl PerrinFiji has suffered more than its fair share of flooding in the first three months of this year.Many thousands of people in theareas of Lautoka, Ba, Tavua andRakiraki were affected with housesand belongings washed away. Somedeaths were recorded. 3211 schoolchildren were among those affectedwith their school supplies destroyedby the floods.I personally went west to look at thedisaster areas and found houses with tinwalls ripped apart by the flood waters, mudin some cases up to three feet above thedoor line, which means that the housespossibly cannot be lived in again. A twostoreyhouse shown on TV had been sobadly damaged it had sunk one whole storyinto the ground.A request was made to 202K DG EricCarter for assistance and within ashort period a grant of $10,000 wasforwarded to the Lions Club of Suvafrom the Lloyd Morgan Lions ClubsCharitable Trust.Because of the damage and heartachethat had been caused to many families ofthe area a request was further made foran emergency grant of $US10,000 fromLCIF. This was also forthcoming and sentto the Lions Club of Suva.Quotes were received from severalsupermarkets situated in Fiji andespecially in the affected areas wherethe food could be uplifted. Lautoka, Baand Tavua-Vatukoula, the three clubs inthe Western Division where the floodshad occurred, sent members out to theDelivering a food parcel by four-wheel drive as many roads were impassable.various areas to survey where help was before the LMLCCT and was granted.most required.A total of 1192 food parcels wereFour hundred and fifty food parcels were delivered to families desperately indistributed by Lions, with all members need and forgotten by a lot of people.assisting with the distribution.Ten water tanks were also purchasedOn 30 March a further tropical depressionfrom the LMLCCT grant and will bepassed over Viti Levu and caused thedelivered to the very badly hit villages.worst floods in eight decades. We were inThese will have the Lions decal attachedthe process of trying to help those affectedto the tank.from the January/February floods and Many families were overwhelmed bythis episode caused more havoc to those the support shown from the Lions ofalready suffering.Fiji and in some cases fell at the feet ofTowns like Ba and Tavua were badly the club members in appreciation, withdamaged, with flooding in Ba three to four tears running down their faces. A lot ofmetres deep in the main street. Nadi, the families had been forgotten by otherstourist area of Fiji was almost destroyed and the Lions had been first on the sceneand was not opened for shopping until 10 in some cases.April - some shops still have not opened A lot of misery has been caused by an "Actand may not.of God" to a country where the people areDG Eric offered more help if required; a fairly poor. The crops and sugar cane thatfurther application for $10,000 was placed has been destroyed is unbelievable.LION, South Pacific Edition | May/June 2012 23