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Tonga Volcano Relief: Latu

Seafood


This mother’s name is Latu. Latu is a 58 year old widow with six grown children. She lives at her son’s house after the January tsunami badly affected her house. Latu’s business is selling seafood, and she is able to run her business with help from her son and daughter-in-law. Her son fishes and also collects seafood, and Latu spends her time selling the seafood to customers. From Monday to Friday, it is her daily routine to spend time at the market stall and sell her seafood.


All was well until the January event that changed their lives. “I will never forget that frightful day,” said Latu. “When the waves start washing ashore, we only have one small car. So we loaded the grandkids and their mother (my daughter-in-law) into the car, and they evacuated to a safer place, leaving me, my son and grown-up grandchildren behind. That moment the second wave came, and it was stronger and bigger than the first. We climbed onto a higher place, and watched as the waves destroyed everything — our furniture, house and everything. After the event, we faced food and water shortages, but luckily aid was sent and we found some relief. SPBD also provided a relief kit and a rehabilitation loan.”


Latu applied for a rehab loan of TOP $3000, and it is for the re-building of a new house for them, rather than renovating the old house. “My old house was in a bad shape and still in a bad shape, and it requires a lot of work. So my son has started building us a new house that will be stronger and better. I took the rehabilitation loan to help him with the building of our new little house. This loan really helps a lot. It was made available for us when we needed it.”


My son has started building us a new house that will be stronger and better. I took the rehabilitation loan to help him with the building of our new little house. This loan really helps a lot. It was made available for us when we needed it.


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