While sailing around the world, we connected with a small village in Vanuatu and decided to help them after Cyclone Pam caused great destruction in Vanuatu.

1. And Why Your Help Was Priceless
Presented by:
Sherry & Dennis Day, S/V Trillium

4. Living Conditions Today
This is a kitchen now.
This baking oven was destroyed.
Rain water cisterns are
contaminated so we took
water ashore every trip.
This had been
the village
market where
they bought and
sold extra food
from the
gardens to each
other. Now
there are no tree
fruits and the
gardens are just
starting to yield.
This roof-less
building was
the community
building where
we had visited
last year. It was
a wonderful
structure then.
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5. Food and Household Goods Were First To Go
We purchased 300 kg
of rice and cans of
powdered milk. Each
family received 5 kg of
rice and a can of milk
powder plus a variety
of household items.
Everyone waited in anticipation for the
goods to come ashore. Items were divided
into 50 piles – one for each family. In the
end, they only received a few items each, but
everyone was happy with what we brought.
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6. Clothing Donations Going Ashore – At Last!
What a happy day when
the clothing bags went
ashore! There were many
trips in the dinghy.
It was like Christmas in
July for the grateful
people on Avokh Island!
We sorted, hauled and moved hundreds of pounds of
donated clothing more times than we care to remember!
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7. Clothing Created Excitement and Chaos!
The littlest children (who
don’t really care about
clothes) thought the
bubble wrap was the best!
Clothes for children were
spread on our old mainsail,
divided between boys and
girls and in size and age
range groups. Great plan,
but not to be executed!
Then the chaos began! They were
told the children should pick up
two things each, BUT everyone
started grabbing clothes!
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8. A New Dress and Underwear for Each Woman!
We had 100 Mother Hubbard Dresses made by women in Port
Vila. We also purchased bras and under panties for each woman.
Having learned from the children’s clothing
experience, we took a more orderly approach
with the women. And the men were to stay away! 8

9. Clothing For Men: Only One Item Each!
Although it seemed like we had
too many bags of clothing labeled for
men, we only had one item for each
one! We thought we had fewer men
and more clothes and were shocked
to see we might run out of clothing
when we had believed there would
be several items for each man.
Dennis and Chief Kaisa gave clear
instructions for each man to
select one item starting with the
older men first. Some of the
younger ones complained, but
Dennis reminded them that
one should respect his elders.
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10. Then the Projects Began …
 We were planning to install solar lighting in the Community Building. When we
saw that it had been destroyed, it was time to rethink the plan!
 After touring the village, we worked with Chief Kaisa and Vincent to determine what they
saw as priority projects.
 Their concern was the cost of things: roofing materials, shipping,
nails and screws, water catchment systems, etc., and food was a great need as well.
 We told them we had 100,000 Vatu (or $1,000 USD) available for
them to spend on reconstruction and other related needs.
 They just needed to prioritize. They had a difficult time grasping
the amount and what it could do for the village.
 We had made a personal commitment to help them in whatever
way they felt would best benefit the whole community.
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11. Immediate Need: Water!
School Project Church Project
 The Namara Primary School rain water
collection system needed repair.
 Dennis showed the men how to repair it
and taught them to use various tools
including a power drill we left with them.
 Larger gutters were needed on the
church which had the largest metal roof
and collection cistern.
 With the donated tools, we established a
community tool box – a new concept,
instead of dispersing tools to individuals.
Church projectSchool project
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12. Next Project: Solar Lighting
 Since the solar lighting could not be used in the Community Building, it
was decided to put it in the church where 200+ people had sought shelter
during Cyclone Pam. And it is the religious center of this village.
 Later they held a special ceremony to bless the lighting system and the
computer we donated, and also to thank us.
The lovely gifts we
received from them.
Installing solar lights
in the church.
A moving Thank You
ceremony for us.
Chief Kaisa & Dennis
are now brothers.
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13. Sherry’s Project: Computer Training +
 The school’s 6-year plan was for a computer and they were completing
year 5. So we decided to buy the computer and necessary components.
 While Dennis worked with the men on various projects, Sherry taught Vincent and
Headmaster Bill how to use the computer with daily sessions on S/V Trillium.
 She set up a number of master forms and documents so they could easily fill in the
information and save as a new document. They had never used a computer!
 We also bought new student textbooks for the school.
 We were the Guests of Honor at the Children’s Day event at the school.
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14. Sailing with the Chief
 One of the highlights was spending a week on S/V Trillium with Chief
Kaisa and Vincent when we took them to Port Vila to buy building
materials for the projects and food.
 Once again we became a cargo ship. They called us
“Little Sista” because the local island ferry is called
“Big Sista!” It was a great way to get to know them.
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15. Shopping Until We Dropped
 How far does 100,000 Vatu go?
 Church guttering (very expensive)
 Community Building roofing shipment, roofing screws and nails
 Benzene (gasoline) for the generator to run power tools
 In addition to the donations, we invested $6,500 USD in this project.
 We purchased a variety of other items
 Repair parts for school gutters, locking tool box, household items
 Electric drill, cord and a variety of other tools, including yam shovels
 Solar lighting system and battery to make donated solar panel work
 The school computer, textbooks, cases of paper for the printer, power cords, surge protectors, etc.,
including a Pelican waterproof case for transporting the computer in the canoe.
 Food, milk, new clothing, filled fresh water containers
 Gifts for all of the children on Children’s Day
 School supplies, classroom aids, a globe
 The ROI was well worth it! Look at these smiles!
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16. An Experience of a Lifetime!
 Working with the villagers for two months has been a most rewarding
experience of a lifetime as we became part of their village family.
 Goodbyes were very hard for all of us. We hope some of you will visit
Avokh Island sometime and send us photos.
 Thank you for helping us in this mission that
evolved into much more than originally planned.
 We hope you find such a rewarding experience.
 If you are interested in the more in-depth story
behind this presentation, please visit our blog at:
sv-trillium.blogspot.com or search Skipperette’s Log. Chief Kaisa, Nella, Karina &
Vincent coming to say goodbye.
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17. Things we took to them:
 Used clothing for men and children
 100 Mother Hubbard dresses and
underwear
 Fish hooks and line
 Ropes, line and wire of all sizes
 7 used sails and materials to make sails
 Fabrics, threads, elastic
 Sewing machine needles
 Basic cooking utensils
 Knives, hatchets, axes
 Hand tools: hammers, saws, etc.
 Shovels, yam diggers, garden tools
 Solar panel, lights and outlets, battery
 Plastic plates, cups, bowls, glasses
 Silverware, paring knives, etc.
 Plastic dishpans and laundry tubs
 Pots and pans for open fire cooking
 Towels, soap for bathing and laundry
 Toothbrushes
 Sheets and blankets
 Seeds: tomato, beans, lettuce, squash,
pumpkin, melons, cucumbers, choko
 School supplies: exercise books, paper,
pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners,
notebooks, colored pencils, crayons, chalk,
computer and printer, etc.
 Wentworth College school uniforms
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18. Thank You for Donating
 While it sometimes feels like we have only done “a drop in the ocean” to help
Avokh Island in the Maskelyn Group, Vanuatu, it would not have been as
bountiful without the help of the Whangaparaoa Rotary Club and Wentworth
College in New Zealand and the many donations from friends and friends of
our friends in the USA. And a special thanks to the Old Mission San Diego, CA
Rotary Club for donations and connecting us with New Zealand Rotary Clubs.
Everything you helped buy, collect and
sent with us was most appreciated by
these people whom you may never meet,
but know you have helped in their
recovery and with ordinary needs.
Thank You All!
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