Samoans rally

By Kelly Yates
CASEY’S Samoan community has united in grief after the devastation from last week’s South Pacific tsunami.
Villages were wiped out during the disaster and as the death toll rose, Samoans across the municipality banded together for support.
The Redeemer Samoan Revival Christian Church in Narre Warren is holding an event on Sunday to mark White Sunday, which is a cultural church service run by Samoan children held on the second Sunday of October every year.
The special ceremony is open to all Casey residents wishing to show their support and will run from 8.30am at the Hallam Senior College.
Church member Ben Sua said some of the Samoan children would be performing cultural dances and plays, and singing songs during the service.
“It will also be a time for reflection and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives,” Mr Sua said.
He said there was a large population of Samoans in Casey mourning the tragedy, with around eight families at the church being directly affected.
“My dad’s family were hit in one of the villages,” he said.
“They survived the disaster. We’ve been receiving calls from them in desperate need of clothes and the bare essentials.”
Mr Sua said it was an overwhelming feeling when he first heard the news.
“You never think it would happen to anyone, but these things really do happen,” he said.
The Jennifer Court church has been collecting cash donations and clothes from the community all week.
“Everyone wants to lend a helping hand. The response locally has been really great,” he said.
The church will be teaming up with the Red Cross in an effort to get the goods shipped overseas.
Berwick resident Janine Jefferys touched base with her daughter Jayde Leota, who is living in Samoa, last Wednesday night.
Ms Jefferys said the 24-year-old had been in Samoa since June last year working as a driving instructor.
“Initially she went over there on a holiday as her father is Samoan but then she got offered a job and decided to stay there,” Ms Jefferys said.
Ms Jefferys said she felt better after hearing from her daughter via a text message.
“It was quite a day. She sent me a message saying there had been a big earthquake and a tsunami warning on the other side of the island,” Ms Jefferys said.
“She described it as devastating and dreadful on the south side of the island.”
Ms Leota is now doing some voluntary work for the Red Cross in Samoa.
Victoria police was set to join with members of the Samoan and Tongan communities for a prayer gathering at Betula Park Reserve in Doveton last night (Wednesday) to show their support in the wake of the tsunami tragedy.