Satitoa Diary

Wanganui Chronicle reporter Anne-Marie Emerson is part of the Wanganui District Council-led reconstruction team currently in Samoa. The team is helping the village of Satitoa rebuild after the devastating tsunami in September. Anne-Marie is reporting daily from Satitoa.

12 December 2009

Today the Wanganui team prepares to leave Samoa.

As you read this, the crew will be preparing to board the plane back to New Zealand. Right now, we're spending our last night in Samoa in a motel in Apia where we're enjoying the sort of luxuries that are unknown in Satitoa, like beds and constant running water. I think it will be some time before we take such things for granted again.

Yesterday the church-cum-preschool was formally opened and there were many tears shed. It was a colourful ceremony with lots of singing and dancing and we received many gifts by way of thanks. This morning we had the pleasure of going to the first ever service held at the church. It was standing room only and at least 50 children had parked up on the floor at the front of the church.

Reverend Afaese Falanaitupu was lost for words when I asked him what he thought of the new church and preschool. "It's just fantastic" was all he managed to say.

Yesterday, quite by chance, we met a Wanganui couple. John Luff and his wife Karen have a business in Samoa and divide their time between Wanganui and Apia. John was so impressed with the work we'd done he shouted all of us a trip to Apia and back last night for a wonderful dinner at Apia's best restaurant. It was just another example of the incredible goodwill we have experienced on this trip.

The team members have mixed feelings about leaving Samoa. On the one hand, we're pleased we finished what we set out to do - but there's so much more that needs to be done in Satitoa. We're looking forward to seeing our loved ones again - but we're sad to be leaving our new friends in Satitoa. All 11 team members hope the relationship between Wanganui and Satitoa will continue and most of us want to return to Satitoa in some capacity.

The team would like to thank everyone in New Zealand and Samoa who made this trip possible. Our Samoan friends in both Wanganui and Samoa, who helped smooth things for us in Satitoa and who overwhelmed us with their resilience, hospitality and cheerfulness. The New Zealand sponsors who gave so much in so many ways, and the Wanganui community for donating generously to the Samoan people in their time of need. Thanks must also go to our loved ones, who have been so supportive of our involvement in this project.

*This is Anne-Marie's last report from Samoa.

Read Anne-Marie's earlier diary entries

11 December 2009
10 December 2009
9 December 2009
8 December 2009
7 December 2009
6 December 2009
5 December 2009