NZ/AUST army help install water tanks at Saleapaga. Photo courtesy of the NZ Defence Force.
“We couldn’t have done it without international assistance – those people that came in and worked on the ground. Never mind about the ‘big wigs’ who say ‘we helped, we did this and that.’ Im talking about those who worked with us. Their careers are moving from one country to another in response to disasters. The people who helped us here – they’re now in Haiti helping with the earthquake response, that’s all they do. From here some had to leave quickly to go to the Indonesia earthquake disaster. That gave me strength that there is this international support. So when the Haiti thing happened, I felt for the Public Health director of the country, you’re thinking about all your counterparts and all these kinds of people when you watch TV and you see what’s happening over there. You know exactly who those people are and what they’re doing. For me, it was really amazing, I’m very grateful for their strength.”
Andrew Peteru, Asst. CEO Health, Samoa.
No comments:
Post a Comment