Fiji has recently been hit hard by the tropical cyclone Winston, one of the strongest cyclones to hit the South Pacific in a very long time. It left at least 21 dead and over 8,000 people displaced. However, Fijians are decided not to give up. They are encouraging voyagers to continue with their holiday plans in the country.
The Fijian authorities have already begun to recover their land, helped by New Zealand and Australia which are delivering supplies and assist. Fijian are also receiving assistance from all over the world, including Fijians living abroad who come back to their country to help friends and family in any possible way.
Assistance is always welcomed and appreciated, but sometimes it can be a little problematic too. Recommendations say that a better way to help Fijians is to go to the island and spend vacations there.
Would you like to help?
“The best way to help Fiji recover is for visitors to come over, spend their holiday dollars and help the local people keep their jobs and feed their families,” Peter Duncan, Awesome Adventures Fiji CEO said, as reported by The Fiji Times Online.
He added that backpackers travelling in Fiji are helping with the cleanup, as volunteering holidaymakers will visit the island to help at resorts. His company will ensure everyone who goes to the island will be accommodated and will have a “wonderful Fiji experience”.
Also, Fiji’s Prime Minister, Rear-Admiral Hon. Josaia Vorqe Bainimarama said via Twitter that a vast majority of hotels and tourism services are still working and fully operational.
An article in the Huffington Post recommends not to do several things to help Fijians, that otherwise would probably add more to the problem.
What not to do
First, they recommend not to send clothes since they become the least of the worries in the kind of situation after a cyclone has devastated your country. Instead of sending those items, it would be better to send non-perishable food, water storage devices, shelter kits, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and medicines.
They also say it is extremely important to be careful of the food you are sending. Sometimes the foods sent are expired or are food that islanders would never consume. A better way to avoid this problem is to donate money to the organisms in charge to address the feeding problem, o simply buying it at online Fiji stores and mailing them to Fijian charities
The second option would not only help Fijians get fed but also means that you are investing in the local economy and ensuring that the food will not be expired and will arrive faster.
There are many other things anyone can do to help Fiji. But remember, the best one will always be purchasing a plane ticket and going to Fiji while spending your holidays there.
Source: NZ Herald