Building back from TC Lola in Vanuatu
Above: Anita and her two boys, Fredrick and John, stand outside the wreckage of the house they used to sleep in, which they have temporarily covered with a tarp for protection from the elements. Photo: James Hinge/Save the Children Vanuatu
Anita* is a young mother of two beautiful boys aged three and two. The family hails from a spread-out village in the upper mountains of Central Pentecost called Tanbok. During Tropical Cyclone Lola, which struck Vanuatu in October 2023, Anita was home alone with her sons — her husband was in Port Vila working to provide for the children.
As quickly as possible after the destructive cyclone passed, the Save the Children team arrived on Pentecost Island. Save the Children is one of the AHP partners responding on the ground to TC Lola, with support from the Australian Government.
Soon after arriving in Tanbok, just two days after the storm, the team met Anita and her two boys Fredrick* and John* at a distribution of non-food items. The family received tarps, a shelter toolkit, and hygiene essentials. Anita shared some of her family’s experience during the cyclone with the response team.
"We were completely unaware that the cyclone would hit with such force,” Anita said.
“I was at home with my two children while their father was in Port Vila. The strength of the cyclone frightened us, so we hurried to the evacuation centre. I wasn't equipped to handle such a powerful event, and it was a nerve-wracking five-minute walk to the nearest center, about 1-2 kilometers down the valley,” Anita told Save the Children staff.
Above: Save the Children Volunteers supporting communities in Tanbok Village to remove damaged house materials and to clear space for them to set up temporary shelters. Photo: James Hinge/Save the Children Vanuatu
“When we arrived, numerous other families had sought shelter, and many children, including mine, were visibly scared as the winds intensified. Thankfully, the evacuation centre happened to be Tanbok school, one of the nearby primary schools.”
After approximately seven hours of total darkness, the cyclone passed and things became calmer outside the evacuation centre. With the danger behind them, Anita and her family went back home, not knowing what they would find.
“After the cyclone passed, we returned to find our house had been destroyed. I was deeply concerned, feeling lost about where to go or who could help with the rebuilding process, especially since [the children’s] father was still in Port Vila. We had to stay with my in-laws, which was a cultural adjustment, as our house was in ruins,” Anita said.
Above: The community of Tanbok Village posing for a final photo and thanking Save the Children for their support. Photo: James Hinge/Save the Children Vanuatu
It was at this time that Anita met with the Save the Children team, who provided some essentials to help the family get through this difficult period.
“Thankfully, I received tarps, a shelter toolkit, and hygiene essentials. It's a modest beginning towards rebuilding our lives, and I'm sincerely grateful to Save the Children for their support.”
“During the cyclone, one of my children, Fredrick was inconsolable. Once it passed, he gazed at the remnants of our home, bewildered and questioning why it had happened. He asked a poignant question: who would undertake the daunting task of rebuilding our shattered lives? I sought to comfort him by assuring him that his father would eventually return to aid in reconstruction. For now, I suggested we make the best of what little we had left."
AHP partners are continuing to support communities and families who lost their homes in the disaster, through ongoing non-food item distribution, and other initiatives to help communities recover and rebuild.
*Names changed