There is a bit of a festival atmosphere in Luganville at the moment. I’ve only been here a few weeks, but it seems in the last 10 days there has been a noticeable increase in the hive of activity down main street, people hanging from cranes (see photo), kind of like the feel you get in a small kiwi bach town in the lead up to new years eve. Sadly, this increased hum in not a cause for celebration, and is in fact due to the evacuation of 11,000 people from the island of Ambae because of falling volcanic ash.
While the government has officially supported for the evacuees to relocate to the island of Maewo, it is gradually becoming obvious that the majority are choosing to relocate to Santo. The reasons for this are many and vary depending on who you speak to, but Santo may provide more opportunities, and it seems many have more support here. Many are staying with family in the mid-term until they can establish new communities on land they have purchased. The lynch-pin to these plans of course being, access to water.
The influx of people is also adding pressure to the already stretched capacity of the urban water supply in Luganville, so it’s fair to say that I’ve been injected into a busy in at the Department of Water Resources.
But in reality, I’m sure things are always changing here, being so exposed to elements and changes in the natural environment that they draw their livelihood from. From the people I have spoken to so far, they are still laughing and smiling and pretty at peace to just get on with it and carve out a new life. Pretty admirable and made me wonder how the reaction would be back home, say if the population of Waiheke had to pack whatever they could fit onto small ferry’s and leave without a clear indication of ever being able to return.
So, it seems this will be quite a defining part of my work here in the first wee while, who knows how long. I’m still very much just taking in the new environment and getting to know my team, who are passionate about finding ways to help out. I’m still just sponging it all up to try and find ways I can be support as well. Smiling seems to work for starters.
