Aid Agencies Developing a Disaster Relief Program

Peter Hocking – Promoting Solomons Magazine

The recent 8.5 earthquake and generated tsunami to hit the Solomon Islands Western, and Isabel Provinces and Choiseul, was felt 150 miles away in the Nations Capital City, Honiara.  Honiara experienced the earthquake not as a sharp spasmodic jolting quake but more as an increasing sideways rocking that went on for over two minutes, with aftershocks long after that. It certainly was enough to get a lot of people out of buildings. Unfortunately the three other provinces mentioned above were not so lucky with a 40 ft wall of water hitting several major Islands and the Capital of Western Province, Gizo. Gizo in fact had three waves come in, doing just as much damage on their way out again. Over 50 lives were lost. Hundreds of houses both bush material and permanent buildings, churches and medicalfacilities were either lost or damaged in some way.

Wharfs and jetties, important structures in a country most reliant on shipping and canoe travel were badly affected, and most of the shopping area and hotel and resort facilities in Gizo where also badly affected. It is reported some Islands rose in places some five to eight meters, devastating water supplies and coastal reefs.

One of the main Aid Agencies working within Solomon Islands to find themselves adversely affected was the European Union Schools project. Approximately 126 schools were reported damaged in some way or other. Initial reports coming in were that the entire area of the disaster Zone was flattened and devastated.

This was found consequently not to be the case over the entire area; some pockets were hit badly while others were left almost untouched. In one instance where two waves collided outside a reef they came inland as a narrow sideways force that wiped out the middle section of one village leaving the two ends wet but otherwise unharmed. In most disasters it is perceived and correctly so, speed is the essence in getting initial relief to devastated peoples and areas. Health care, food and water, temporary shelter, in most cases are the critical first things to be considered. In this case many outside agencies specializing in relief work were quickly on the ground doing what they do best, tending to the personal immediate needs of those caught up in the disaster. Medical care, temporary housing, food, water were the main immediate priorities. However soon after, when the initial shock has settled a little, someone has to think of other things such as interrupted education, exams, school building etc.

Particularly the higher level students need to get back as quickly as possible to normal studies if more long lasting disadvantages are not to take hold of their futures. Solomon Island parents are willing to pay a very high price to get education for their children. To add the total loss or major disruption to that education, to the already loss of the lives of relatives, loss of family and community property, gardens and livelihoods, would have long term and possibly irreversible consequences to the individual student, family and community.

The task of sorting out from the devastation, what was destroyed and what could be restored of the education infrastructure fell squarely on the MEHRD, NZ Aid, EU Stabex 99 Project Implementation Unit, UNICEF, Ministry of Youth, Women Affairs, World Vision, EU Micro Programme, & Western & Choiseul Provincial Governments.

After their own inspection of the disaster zone the teams classified the damage to schools as:

- 21 Totally destroyed,

- 53 Partially destroyed,

- 52 Minor damage,

- 44 Not affected.

Rightfully, Aid donors and relief agencies in times of disaster each tend to their own areas of expertise but come together as a joint unit wherever possible and prudent, for the overall welfare of the affected population. Quite often relief team leaders are imported to a disaster area from other nations, other cultures which mean many of these leaders bring with them a wealth of experience and resources geared along lines learned along the way of dealing with differing disasters. It takes a very experienced leader to come to a new area and culture without bringing an overriding inbuilt system of beliefs based on their own culture and thinking.

How does this sometimes stayed thinking either help or hinder their work in developing countries of very different culture and thinking?

Fortunately many aid leaders are now adding to their experience and knowledge, very important aspects of their learning, flexibility in their approach to a culture they have not had experience with before. In the case of situations like Solomon Islands where culture and community cohesion are so important to that culture and community, it can in many cases be far better for any aid agency to step aside as much as possible and let this ‘local system’ take its course and make its own decisions. The aid given by outsiders can be more in the facilitating roll more than direct hands on assistance. Local knowledge will suggest when the community has decided, in what ever way within their community culture they have arrived at their conclusions. Then and only then should help in the implementation of these plans be offered. This has to be done without imposing any outside influence on community decisions making.

‘Traumatized’ is a word most common to ‘white mans’ vocabulary and comes with white man's expectations of what constitutes Trauma and set response or reaction to it. The English sentiment connected with it makes the word ‘Traumatized’ a word full of feeling, strength and emotion. There is no such comparative word or set of words in any Solomon Island language.

'Grief’ would be a word closest associated with trauma. It is interesting, when asked to write down words that have the closest meaning to trauma; Solomon Islanders came up with, affected, fearful, upset, scared, homeless, hopelessness. None of these really have the same connotation as the English interpretation of Trauma. The last two, Homeless and Helpless however for the Solomon Islander, are starting to get to the root cause of why they might feel ‘trauma’.

Family life in the village is based around Father having his roll and Mother having hers and aunt and uncles and grand parents all having their much defined roll. Each family in each village has its roll to play in the overall organisation of the village or expanded community. Each community can be a very tightly connected family affair. The experience of  ‘trauma’ comes into village or community living when this binding closeness, this set of organised expectations from each member is broken or interrupted or interfered with. Disasters on their own to Island communities, do not bring trauma to village life. Villages, Island communities live with disaster of many kinds almost on a daily basis. What white man thinks as disaster, in many cases is just a fact of life for islanders and they cope with it if left to it, far better and more quickly than their white neighbours.

What constitutes trauma to an Island community is if that community’s life and system is somehow shattered or separated or disrupted or interfered with. Destroyed belongings do not bring with it the same level of grief as in more affluent societies. The importance of family, relations and community far, far outweighs those of material possessions and even houses which can be replaced usually by combined community effort. To break or interfere in this community ownership, unit and stability even by well meaning outsiders can bring with it a type of trauma to that community, more so than a few broken houses.

Gifts or donations to a community in need, if done through the correct procedures, usually are the basis of the formation for a lasting friendship. Taking control of and dictating or pressing a project onto a community can leave that community out in the cold where they feel they have no real ownership of it. The a project onto a community can leave that community out in the cold where they feel they have no real ownership of it. The community needs to feel above all, theyare in control of what is affecting them and how they approach any corrective measures. For outsiders just to push relief such as food and temporary shelter onto a community without going through the established community system, takes away that control from the community. Medical relief is viewed differently as most medical facilities are away from the community anyway, but even that is an extended part of the accepted system.

Anyone who looses life or limb through trying to save material goods is usually looked upon with suspicion and as someone who has lost the values of what is important. The loss of a distant relative no matter how old or removed is far more devastating to the community and individual, compared to loosing a house or other material things.

Having said all that it now comes to the aid giver depending on what the aid is for, to juggle a few issues. In the case of schools such as is the main issue for the European Union Project Management Unit (PIU) headed by Mr. Harry Luahiti, time, especially for the higher grades is of the essence. Students doing higher exams cannot be left entirely to a time frame a community can usually work at in restoring school infrastructure. This is where Churches can play a vital roll. One village or sections of that one village usually follow one specific denomination therefore the community of that denomination takes ownership of works done in the community even if it has had outside assistance because that outside assistance is deemed and is indeed, an outreach of the denomination of that community.

To use a local term, ‘money walks further’ if a community has ownership of the task and is happy to put in labour or bush materials towards their part of ownership of the task in hand. If aid comes in without offering the community the ownership, the aid donors money will have to pay for all the work both labour and materials, therefore it won’t go as far.

Some individuals within the community put in labour, timber from trees owned and milled. Others, bush materials from surrounding areas or garden produce for those doing the manual work. Because this manual work takes time away from their own garden or fishing, those supplying such things are still playing an equal part in the effort. In this way the community have put in a combined effort and own the completed project therefore the community is“bound”by sense of ownership to maintain that project.

If an outside agency comes in and does the lot then by Solomon Island thinking, they the outside agency are the owners and are responsible to care and maintain the project. This of course is impractical as the aid donor has long since gone when the project should be needing maintenance etc.

However it is always realised by all parties some money will have to go into the project and this is best provided by the agency in areas that are hard for the community. Simple these areas are in the way of materials needed but which the community cannot supply themselves. Roofing iron, plumbing fittings etc, door hardware, cement, water tanks are all things a community do not have a ready supply of and transporting of such materials in the quantity needed in times of disasters. It is better to get the right mix between local participation and outside donor at the start of the project then everyone will be happy with the final outcome. And right mix is so important to distinguish issues that local can deal with especially sensitive issue like labour. Aid Donors can participate more in procurement of hardware materials, technical assistance, monitoring & evaluation. The European Schools Project rebuilding efforts led by project manager Harry Luahiti a Solomon Island man from Sikaiana is leading the way in assisting local communities make ‘funds walk further’ using infrastructure grants to start rebuilding temporary infrastructures and maintenance of damaged buildings. With his approach of helping communities who help themselves first, therefore owning their own rebuilding work, it is amazing just how far some communities have made their initial $30 thousand Solomon Islands dollars, rebuilding grant, ;Walk’.

An excellent example of just how far a community can make a Dollar ‘walk’ is this classroom at a Western Province village called Eleotive. The community provided all the timber and labour while aid money covered just those items such as roofing iron, window louvers, hardware and all the small things that cannot be sourced locally. This class room was built for SBD$30 thousand. Because the community built it so it is theirs. They own it so will maintain it and look after it. Using local and bush materials some communities have repaired their school buildings and rebuilt two substantial staff houses. Remember 30 thousand Solomon Dollars translate into some US$4 thousand.

How far would US$ thousand go (walk) in a developed nation? Once a community have proved it’s capable of handling initial grants, additional infrastructure grants are given to continue the schools infrastructure developments based on School Development Plans (SDP) priorities. With the obvious success of Harry’s approach and potential to explore use of local knowledge of custom and community thinking and organisation,some experts have conducted two meetings to ultimately set up a ‘Capacity DevelopmentNetwork’ using local expertise and advisors both Solomon Islanders and resident Expatriates.

Many indigenous Solomon Islanders and long term expatriate residents have over many years put their hands up to be used in this type of capacity only to be passed over in preference for imported expertise. Many expatriates live in countries such as Solomon Islands, they have married and raised families within local village communities and know well the culture they have been adopted into. It only makes a lot of sense for aid and relief agencies to use this local knowledge.

With the high cost of travel and accommodation for this imported expertise eating into budgets before it gets to the grass roots, such an initiative as a locally owned and bred ‘Capacity Development Network’ has the stamp of something already proving successful and just may be a model for other nations who face similar disasters and problems, to adopt.