One
of the 'shelter boxes' that has provided emergency supplies for nearly
750,000 disaster victims is on display at the Ideal Home Show, as
Palmerston North's Rotary Club works to raise $4500 to buy three more.
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| Kitted out: Rotary members Philip Boulton, left, and David Jopson, with a temporary disaster shelter. Photo: LEILANI HATCH |
The
boxes – made of sturdy plastic and a little over 80cm wide – contain
enough essentials to support 10 people. A standard kit can include a
tent, sleeping bags, mosquito nets, clean water
and water purification tablets, tools, utensils, cooking supplies,
wet-weather gear, children's school supplies and a burner capable of
running off unleaded gasoline.
New Zealand
has a stock of more than 300 shelter boxes. One shelter was used as a
temporary
classroom in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake and others
served as emergency health centres for earthquake refugees in
Japan .
Rotary Club president David Jopson said the $1500 pricetag for each box included the cost to transport it anywhere in the world.
The box was usually dropped into the disaster area by helicopter.
More
than $2000 has already been raised towards the cost of the three new
shelter boxes, and Mr Jopson was confident people would support the
cause.
"New Zealanders are often the first to put up their hand."
The Shelter Box project was launched in 2000, and since 2007 shelter boxes have been deployed in
Afghanistan ,
China , Pakistan ,
Myanmar ,
Sudan , and Sumatra , he said.
Donations can be made at the Ideal Home Show at Arena Manawatu this weekend or to the Rotary Charitable Trust,
PO Box 1454 , Palmerston North.
- The Manawatu Standard
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