Am I Missing Something?

[ZGT Mummy]

So Samoa has been devestated by the recent earthquake and tsunami and everywhere they're asking for donations to help pay to rebuild, get food and medical supplies to the affected etc etc.

We can't afford to donate money, but hubby has decided to donate himself to go over there as a skilled tradesperson to help for a couple of weeks. We are yet to approach his boss to see if he can stay on full pay while he is gone. We figure it's the boss's way of contributing!

All over the news they are asking for skilled tradespeople and we figure that we can do our bit by doing this.

So he rang Habitat for Humanity, who are the organisation referred to on the news as being the ones to donate services to.

In his words, all he got was some dumb teenager who didn't know what on earth was going on, um'd and ah'd when he said he wanted to find out how he could help, told him she wasn't sure and took his name and number.

We still haven't heard back.

What am I missing here? I know that the Samoan government still have to do an evaluation to figure out what exactly needs to be done, but surely aid agencies are geared towards mobilising immediately and should have the ability to co-ordinate the offers of help that surely are flooding in?

So why on earth are they not getting him over there? He could have gone today if they'd needed him. He could go tomorrow. There are people over there who desperately need help. Hubby can help. Where are the people to organise it all?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

First of all, lots of extra flights have been arranged because it would seem that half of the 200,000 samoans who live here, want to go back home in the next week. Theoretically, this means that they will have willing hands, at the very least to help clean up. Theoretically....

Second, too many cooks too fast, spoils the mix.

I think there needs to be a lot more basic thinking about this, before anyone proceeds beyond clean up and stacking anything that can be recycled. The first thing that needs to be done, is to clean up the mess, and that doesn't require skilled tradesmen. When ground can then be seen, the second thing that needs to be decided is whether or not Samoans are going to continue to live on the edge of beaches, and regularly be asking the international community to bail them out from cyclones or whatever it is that hits them next time.

If communities are to be relocated, that needs to be planned.

The last thing that needs to be done is what happened in Sri Lanka, where well meaning people from overseas went in and started random programmes which frankly, have resulted in a nightmare which goes on to this day.

There is relief work and relief work, and personally, I think that Samoa actually needs to put together a few brains, and some workeable plans during the time they are cleaning up, decide what is the best way for the FUTURE, not just the present, and THEN ask for the specialist help they need.