Red Cross helps affected families

SOLOMON Islands Red Cross Society has stepped in to assist families of an incident in Tuebala village in Guadalcanal Plains during last weekend.

This involves the Red Cross providing tarpaulins, shelter kits, hygiene kits, blankets, buckets and drinking containers to the families.

The incident occurred on Easter Monday which saw 58 families leave their homes to seek safety at Gorou Catholic Church Hall, following an intrusion into their settlement by people of a nearby village and torching homes and destroy fruit trees.

Speaking in relation to the incident, a village elder Bernard Chonigolo reflects on the effects of the incident and what they did.

“It was on Easter Monday; many of us has just woken up and preparing breakfast and go out for work,” Chonigolo said.

“We were taken by surprise when men of the other village began shouting in the bushes and coming towards us,” he added.

“We can sense that they are angry and are going to cause trouble. Many of us fled for our lives with only the clothes we wore.

“We were left with nothing and that we do not know where we could get assistance from.

“Luckily one of our females thought to try and seek help from anywhere possible, reaching Red Cross office and making a report on what has happened to us.

“It was sad situation for us as we have been living here for the past 16 years.”

Likewise, the affected families are now provided with shelter at the Gorou Catholic Church Hall, where Catholic Parish leaders there have been kind in taking them in for the moment.

“We are so thankful to the Catholic Church leaders here at Gorou for kindly accepting us and providing shelter for us here.

“It would have been very difficult for us if we were not being able to find anywhere to shelter just after the incident.

“We are also grateful to the Red Cross for stepping in to relief our situation too,” Chonigolo further stated.

—RED CROSS

Discover more from Theislandsun

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading