Donation drives for disaster victims

Children having fun during high floods in the Sepik River, East Sepik, recently. Governor Allan Bird who visited affected villages, returned to the Samaritan Aviation-owned plane to find them swimming around it and keeping the pilot company. “Children are amazingly resilient and seem to be enjoying the floodwaters. A bit of a light moment in the emergency situation,” Bird said. – Picture supplied

DONATION drives are being held in various parts of the nation to assist families affect by a magnitude-6.9 earthquake and high floods in East Sepik.
One such appeal was recently hosted in Lae by University of Technology staff and students from the province.
Spokesperson Ephraim Ausalak said 50 students of the East Sepik Students and Staff Association were stationed at Eriku bus stop and Lae toptown.
Ausalak said apart from the stall set up for public donations, they also gave out letters to businesses.
He said the East Sepik community, business houses and the public assisted with cash and emergency needs such as clothes, canned goods and beddings, among others.
He said the items collected would soon be sent to Wewak for distribution.
Governor Allan Bird thanked the Government, saying funds for the disaster reached the districts’ accounts yesterday.
He said Angoram received K2 million, Ambunti Dreikikier K1 million; Wosera-Gawi K1 million; Yangoru-Saussia K1 million, Wewak K1 million and East Sepik Government K2 million.
The Local Level Governments that received assistance were Gawi (K1 million), Maprik Urban (K500,000), Maprik Wora (K500,000), Yamil Tamawi (K500,000), Albiges Mamblep (K500,000) and Bumbita Muihang (K500,000).
Bird said: “Each entity will spend their own funds independently of the East Sepik government and will account for the expenditure directly to the Department of Finance.
“The provincial government will account for the use of the K2 mill once expended. On behalf of the Sepik people, I thank the Government for this assistance.”