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The Salvation Army completed the first shelter in its ongoing response to Cyclone Pam on Vanuatu—one of 45 shelters to be constructed on three remote villages on Tanna Island—in partnership with Liberty for the Nations, a Christian relief agency that has been working on Tanna Island since the early 1990s.
Salvation Army International Emergency Services team member Captain Dale Murray, from the Australia Eastern Territory, visited Tanna Island to monitor the progress of the project. He saw the first shelter completed and met its new occupants—David, his wife and three children.
“’This project has been a team effort with a number of logistical challenges due to the remoteness of Tanna Island and the three villages,” Murray said, “but the joy on the faces of David and his family was priceless—something I will remember for many years.”
Through a translator, David said: “Our home was completely blown away by Cyclone Pam [in March 2015]. We did not know what we were going to do and we lost hope. Now we have hope thanks to The Salvation Army and Liberty for the Nations. We give all glory to God.”
It is anticipated the remaining shelters will be built by Christmas 2015.
