Below are some updates from Soroptimists in the affected areas – SI’s thoughts are with you. Please visit SISWP’s website for more information and up to date news.
Sheilah Downs, SI Lower Hutt, NZ
My nephew’s wife Alison, is a nurse and was on the 14th floor of the Grand Chancellor Hotel, at a nurse’s seminar on new treatments for resuscitation when the quake struck. The nurses had to break down a door to get out and then in darkness with aftershocks rumbling around, they stumbled down the emergency stairs of 14 flights into the street where there were injured and dying people. The nurses were immediately rushed to a nearby park to help in the assessment of injured people as they arrived. Alison did that for a number of hours and finally walked across the city through rivers, where the bridges had collapsed, to her family at their badly damaged home. Six days later they still have no water, electricity, or sewerage. Not even a portable toilet in their street. She is working long hours at the hospital every day. Dealing with horrendous injuries. I am proud of gutsy Kiwis like her.
Maureen Lough, President. SI Christchurch, NZ
It is a great irony that as I sit here emailing you my day is entirely different to what was originally planned. Today SI Christchurch members had volunteered to assist Rotary in packing Emergency Response Kits for the Pacific Region as part of our Saturday of Service. I understand some kits are now coming back into Christchurch. At our Business Meeting the night before the Quake it had been unanimously decided how the funds received following the September Quake would be utilised. It is just great to know we are in your thoughts during this horrendous time for our poor sad town. This is so much more powerful than the September Quake and communication is much more difficult. The committee has managed to establish contact with most members and will meet in the next few days to determine overall needs. At this stage we have heard some members’ houses have been badly damaged but have been unable to ascertain if there has been any serious injury. We have not heard of any member being in the Central Business District where a great deal of the damage has occurred. We await, with much trepidation, the knowing of the names of those who have died as we are all likely to know someone or someone who knows someone. Once again the rescue exercise has swung into action and is so impressive. We are humbled with the offers of help from so many countries but it will be a massive exercise to get Christchurch up and running again as it is more damaged than post September. Our house is on the edge of the CBD and it is surreal (well-used word at the moment) to watch the helicopters coming and going from their new landing ground in Hagley Park. We have a larger army than I ever imagined and it takes some adjusting to see tanks and unimogs driving around the city streets. The student army has once again swung into action via Facebook to remove the sand from liquefaction in the suburbs as the schools and universities are closed until further notice. The community spirit is amazing to behold. We will get through this. Keep thinking positive thoughts for us.
Lesley Fursdon, Publicity Officer, SI Christchurch, NZ
Betty (Betty Loughhead Turland, Past President) has just phoned me to say she has gone to Akaroa with her stepson and wife and is ok. They have a holiday house over there. I spoke to Betty the day after the earthquake and she had stayed the night with the family in town here. Has now left town, so please put the message out. Betty says she will answer e-mail later and will let me know when she is back in town. We are grateful for the messages and prayers of so many Soroptimist friends around the world. Many I have hosted and know have been in phone or e-mail communication. Damage in many members places but all alive. Betty was about to eat her lunch with a friend in Strawberry Fare near Colombo St north of Square when it struck and they had to scramble over fallen bricks to get out with help from the restaurant.