Islanders get help from Aitape-Lumi

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
IN a heartfelt humanitarian gesture, a team from the Aitape district in West Sepik recently donated more than K200,000 in cash and kind to the volcano-affected people of Kadovar Island in East Sepik.
The West Sepik people arrived in Wewak on Friday, March 16 with a 15-vehicle convoy bringing with them food items, clothes and other basic necessities like tools as well as money.
The team was led by the Aitape-Lumi district chief executive officer John Ainep, members of the Aitape-Lumi for Kadovar Disaster Appeal Committee and the West Sepik Governor Tony Wouwou and his delegates.
“The people of Aitape assisted by their member and Opposition Leader Patrick Pruaitch have donated K100,000 towards assisting the victims that are currently settled at the Dandan care centre in Turubu,” Wouwou said.
He said his people have had a similar but devastating experience in the past when the province was hit by tsunami on July 17, 1998.
The team also presented 238 raw sago packages valued at K20,000 as well as clothes and other donated items worth K25, 000 to East Sepik Governor Allan Bird and his team comprising Angoram MP SalioWaipo and former Ambunti-Drekikier MP Tony Aimo at the East Sepik provincial assembly.
Wouwou said his office donated a cheque of K20,000 including another K100,000 to buy building materials like corrugated iron and water tanks for the victims to assist in rebuilding their lives. A representative of East Sepik government Chris Bais acknowledged the assistance from the people of West Sepik towards the Kadovar volcano victims.
He said after the formal presentation ceremony, the 15 vehicles from Aitape travelled all the way to the care centre and delivered the food and other relief supplies.
The Kadovar volcano emitted lava earlier this year prompting more than 600 villagers on the island including those on the nearby islands to relocate to the mainland Turubu area east of Wewak town.
The people are now settled at the Dandan care centre and organisations including appeal groups around the country have been contributing relief supplies to help them rebuild their lives.