Vanimo says “Thank You” to Victoria

Do you remember that Sunday-School story in the Bible about the poor widow tithing two very small copper coins compared to the larger donations of rich people, and then Jesus saying that the rich people had given out of their wealth yet the widow had put in everything – all she had to live on?

Well, when I read ABC’s report on how cash-strapped Vanimo Hospital donated AU$ 5,500 to the Victorian Bush Fire Appeal when compared to PNG’s AU$ 2 Million, that story was the first thing that popped into my mind. The second thing that came to mind, and by far the more important, is the saying, “what goes around, comes around”:

On the evening of 17 July 1998, on the Aitape coast of Papua New Guinea, a strongly felt earthquake was followed some 10-25 minutes later by a destructive tsunami. More than 2000 people died. One of the first groups to arrive to help was a medical unit from Monash Medical Centre. So, at the time of Victoria’s need, the village of Vanimo remembered those who had come to their need and donated $5,500 to the Victorian bushfire appeal.

NOTE:

To read more about the 1998 Aitape Tsunami in PNG, click here.

~ by Tavurvur on February 22, 2009.