The Rotorua Youth Centre is collecting items to donate to families in Vanuatu. 24 people have been confirmed dead and over 3000 are homeless following the devastation caused by Cyclone Pam.
Donations for families in Vanuatu have been coming in to the Rotorua Youth Centre.
Alan Solomon from the Rotorua Youth Centre says, “We are going to go hard out this week here at the youth centre and get as many items as we can and then on Saturday get them up to Hamilton and we are going to meet a pastor from New Life Church there. He's going to take them up to the ship and the container in Auckland on Sunday.”
The initiative to donate to families in Vanuatu following Cyclone Pam began last night.
Corinne Manuake has been helping Alan Solomon with donations. Her husband is from Vanuatu but lives in Rotorua, however his parents live near Port Vila.
Manuake says, “We just finally got through to his family yesterday morning and contacted him. They are fine, it's just the damages left.”
The New Zealand Government has pledged $2.5 million to help Vanuatu and over 80
New Zealanders returned home from the pacific island.
John Key says, “We don't have good information on the outer islands and we are working very hard on that and trying to restore those communications as quickly as we can.”
But in Rotorua, more donations are still needed and can be dropped off at the Rotorua Youth Centre.
The first load of donations will be shipped off on Sunday from Auckland.