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.

9 December 2009

Today more villagers share their experiences of the tsunami.

Sleep seems to be a scarce commodity in our fale on the beach; hardly a night goes by when something momentous doesn't happen. The night before last it was a giant crab, last night we had cats and dogs in the fale (most Samoan houses don't have windows or doors or even proper walls) then a water pipe burst leaving our precious supply of water gushing out over the ground. It doesn't help that we have two world champion snorers in the team either.

Earlier in the evening we hosted our neighbours the Chief Te'o and his numerous family for dinner as well as some relatives of Tumema Leafa, the only Samoan member of our team. One of her relatives was Letiu, a bright and lively woman who runs a massage business a few villages up the coast from Satitoa. Letiu and the other women began talking about the tsunami. Letiu's story was quite remarkable - but then so many of the narrow escapes we've heard of are almost beyond belief.

"It was a huge blue wall coming straight towards me and all I could do was stand and watch."

Letiu was thrown a considerable distance by the tsunami and was crushed against a tree. Fortunately, she landed high in the branches and was able to cling to them and so survive. A lot of the villagers have told us they were transfixed by the tsunami and were unable to move until the last minute. Te'o's family escaped the water by the narrowest of margins because as Te'o put it, his wife "held us up" by watching the wave. She had to be forcibly pushed into the car so the family could escape.

This morning at the construction site I met an old man who came and sat next to me while I was taking a break. In broken English the man began to tell me his experience of the tsunami. Every member of his family was injured trying to rescue the matriarch, his 106 year-old mother. Despite their efforts the matriarch died; her tomb is near our fale and there is always someone sitting next to it. The man himself spent time in hospital in Apia and his son was evacuated to New Zealand. He showed me large healing wounds on his ankles, head and shoulders made by flying corrugated iron.

As well as the practical help we're giving, I think the greatest benefit to us being here is to simply listen to people's stories. Most people we meet want to tell us their experience of the tsunami and they seem pleased we want to listen. It's the least we can do.

Speaking of practical help, progress on the building is ripping along. It's hot work and is frequently disrupted by torrential rain but everyone's still keen. Today the walls, steps and most of the roof went on and it's all on track to be finished by Friday. Apparently a big opening ceremony followed by an enormous feast is planned for Saturday and we're all really looking forward to that.