Ben, pictured above with CJ, updates readers about disaster relief efforts in Samoa.

From Samoa, Ben tells of a clean up and rescue process sometimes thwarted by lacking transportation and minimal material resources.  While many folks—like Ben—have traveled to the island to donate their time and energy in the wake of the disaster, few cars and destroyed roads make it difficult to get willing volunteers to the places in need of aid.  Ben writes first hand: “The clean up effort is going great.  Debris is well under way and the rebuild is not far off.  The challenge with [the rebuild] is huge though.  New building codes will certainly have to be implemented.  Most homes did not employ rebar so all that is left [of them] are slab foundations.  The engineering and geologic process will take time. 

[However,] there are not enough materials here to begin any work.  We are talking about rebuilding 60 to 80 homes in some villages.  It will be months until that effort will be under way.”

Ben and a group of volunteers enjoyed giving a group of locals some donations.  Ben writes, “The people here are so unbelievably grateful and happy…truly a lesson in thankfulness and in taking only what you need.  The people here don't have much but they also don't want much.”

While a large scale operation may not be possible in the near future, there may be a need  for some skilled volunteers in Samoa in the coming months.  Keep checking back to this site for up-to-date information. 

Though Ben has left Samoa because the relief and rebuild efforts have slowed, he continues to work on a variety of permaculture based solutions that are still being explored there.

Update:

Neesh, a BWB volunteer representative in Sumatra, continues to investigate the possibilities of setting up volunteer operations there.

        Below: The submarine Samoan earthquake, which occurred on September 29,

       2009 and measured 8.0 on the Richter Scale, wreaked visible havoc in Samoa.