Going to Acheh/Sri Lanka.


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mich_2103

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Jul 26, 2003
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Hey folks!
My friend has asked me if I am interested to fly down either to Acheh or Sri Lanka to help the quake-cum-tsunami victims. I am still considering, although my mother is strongly against the decision as there is a possibility of an outbreak of a plague in both locations.

The highest possibility as mentioned in the news will be water-borne diseases.

I am still waiting for more details from my friend.

Should I made the decision to help the victims, any advice from the public on what kind of things I definitely must bring along, or whether I need any kind of injections before going, etc etc. :dunno:

I will love all sorts of relevant advise from the public! :bsmilie:

Cheers,
-Michelle- :D
 

I think the most important question that u must ask yourself before making a final decision to fly there to help out the victims.

"how can u help ? In what way ? "
 

It's better to consult your family GP for the various injections you must get..
 

if you got any medical illness or allegies, go write it down in a piece of paper, put in your wallet or something...

bring some medication that you have tried & not allegic to so when you have any illness, you can still cope.

go make a dog tag, in case of 'complications' at least ppl know who are you...
 

wong_se said:
I think the most important question that u must ask yourself before making a final decision to fly there to help out the victims.

"how can u help ? In what way ? "

Exactly, unless you're trained or experienced in disaster relief, you might be more of a hindrance than a help. Wanting to help is admirable, but you need to know exactly how you can contribute :)

Do let me know, either here or in PM on what your plans are, or are you part of a larger organization. I might consider going also if its well organized. Thanks
 

Del_CtrlnoAlt said:
if you got any medical illness or allegies, go write it down in a piece of paper, put in your wallet or something...

bring some medication that you have tried & not allegic to so when you have any illness, you can still cope.

go make a dog tag, in case of 'complications' at least ppl know who are you...
Hahaha...

I like the way you used the word 'complications'... But you do make a point there and thanks, I will keep that in mind.

Keep the comments coming!

Regards,
-Michelle- :D
 

Good on you!

Diseases and such can be avoided to a certain extent, but you should also be prepared for permanent emotional scarring.

I too would like to go, but honestly speaking, I don't think I will be able to handle the depression I would be facing shortly after.
 

you Can help in various ways without going to the places as well...
 

donate all the travelling expenses to Red Cross and let the Professional handle it.

u must ask urself,wad is the purpose of going there ?
to take photographs?
Do u know 1st aid ?
will u go there and end up getting help from the medical team?
 

Hi Michelle
Please consider carefully before you embark on this trip because the problems they are having now are so unreal and pathetic. Hygience, languages, manpower, logistic, etc... Unless you are attached to an organised International group, don't even think that you can offer any help like what we have in Singapore now. .
The first problem you are going to face is yourself .... you WILL be traumatised. Tell yourself whether you dare to face or touch a corpse (in Singapore)? How about a decomposed one? How about the smell of not 1, not 50, but 500 corpses, all decomposed and disfigured in a room? What if you are hungry or thirsty or tired? Are you sure you can console or render any help to the victims?
As for me, though i wish to, but i dont think i will have the gut to be there now ... but if i happened to be there and survived, then probably if possible i would stay behind and help in any way possible.
But if you think you are physically and mentally very strong, by all means go ahead and check out the group that you are going with coz this will be your once-in-a-lifetime experience you and your next generations would be very proud of.
 

Think there are some good points being raised by others. Here's more...
1) Consider if you are physically fit for the place. Aceh and Sri Lanka have bad infrastructure. So there is a possibility that you will spend a lot of time walking and carrying heavy loads.
2) Be prepared to encounter sights that will leave you with some scaring. The pictures you see on TV and newspaper here are censored. The actual dead are decomposing and maimed. SO much so that some are being left in the streets with not enough workers to bury them. By the time you reach there, you can be sure to see the worst.
3) Consider the type of help you are offering. How can you help and in what ways? Are you trained for diseaster relief.
4) Get vaccination. Know that the place you go to will have zero sanitation, water supply and medication.

Just some points to consider. I admire your spirit very much. But you do need to be mentally prepared for the carnage you will see there.
 

kex said:
donate all the travelling expenses to Red Cross and let the Professional handle it.

u must ask urself,wad is the purpose of going there ?
to take photographs?
Do u know 1st aid ?
will u go there and end up getting help from the medical team?
True true, you do make a point there.

However, as I have mentioned, I am still waiting for more details from my friend and last heard from her that they need humanitarian assistance e.g., personnel to distribute the rations.

My friend is currently stationed in Jakarta and word has that most of the rations (food, drinkable water and clothes) is "stuck" at the airpots. Because bodies are practically being discovered by the truckloads everyday and most of the humanitarian assistance are stationed there (recovering bodies, searching for survivors, making coffins, digging mass graves) for the fear of an outbreak that may happen within the next few days.

I think they need people to help distribute rations to the survivors and perhaps admin duties to help the affected families find their family members back.

Please, keep the comments coming in.

Regards,
-Michelle- :D
 

maybe can help the Local red cross or other charity to pack the ration and stuff?

Donating the travelling expenses while staying here and help will put ur family mind at ease and feed another person over there.

Going over without any form of training is asking for trouble IMO.
 

wong_se said:
I think the most important question that u must ask yourself before making a final decision to fly there to help out the victims.

"how can u help ? In what way ? "


This is a very short minded thinking :thumbsd:
Wait till disaster struct your family and see what you feel when people doing nothing but asking "how can we help ? In what way ? "

There's always things you can do there!!!

Distributing supplies, burrying dead bodies, serving food to the patients, consoling the victims, etc etc

I myself have been sending out emails to organizing parties if they need volunteer. Hopefully can depart soon.
 

Hello, you can help from Singapore, send a email to Mercy Relief izuan@mercyrelief.org . Tell him you want to volunteer for their street collection on the 16th of January.

The Sri Lankan Airlines is also looking for volunteers to help pack all the clothings and food that they received.
 

popeye said:
This is a very short minded thinking :thumbsd:
Wait till disaster struct your family and see what you feel when people doing nothing but asking "how can we help ? In what way ? "

There's always things you can do there!!!

Distributing supplies, burrying dead bodies, serving food to the patients, consoling the victims, etc etc

I myself have been sending out emails to organizing parties if they need volunteer. Hopefully can depart soon.

i have been to some camps with ppl, and i have been rather disgusted by some who really rely on others for everything and is totally useless when they are there... and not being a help, they become a deficit...

thats y i think wong is rite, cos if everybody without assessing themselves just treat as a holiday camp there, and become sick or deficit, i think it would be an hindrance to the entire unit. if you are not sure you can help, just help out locally, if you think you are up to it, by all means go & dun whine... :thumbsup:
 

popeye said:
This is a very short minded thinking :thumbsd:
Wait till disaster struct your family and see what you feel when people doing nothing but asking "how can we help ? In what way ? "

There's always things you can do there!!!

Distributing supplies, burrying dead bodies, serving food to the patients, consoling the victims, etc etc

I myself have been sending out emails to organizing parties if they need volunteer. Hopefully can depart soon.

I don't think you being fair or justice to wong_se. He asked a very VALID question. Most of us have the "hot or warm heart" of helping, but end up needed help from others if we don't justified our own capability first.
 

popeye said:
This is a very short minded thinking :thumbsd:
Wait till disaster struct your family and see what you feel when people doing nothing but asking "how can we help ? In what way ? "

There's always things you can do there!!!

Distributing supplies, burrying dead bodies, serving food to the patients, consoling the victims, etc etc

I myself have been sending out emails to organizing parties if they need volunteer. Hopefully can depart soon.

This is not short minded thinking! Before embarking on such project, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE ANSWER THIS QUESTION. Its not a walk in the park my friend. They need professional help there, not amature that might otherwise hinder them process.

One can alway extend thier helping hand form their current location. Volunteer your service to local red-cross. They need as many hand as possible to help organise, pack the donations.
 

popeye said:
This is a very short minded thinking :thumbsd:
Wait till disaster struct your family and see what you feel when people doing nothing but asking "how can we help ? In what way ? "

There's always things you can do there!!!

dun get me wrong..i am sure everyone can help. but whether the help is helpful and effective in an organised manner..like Singapore force being sent over there.

U can fly there...going down to the street..and clean up the street.
U can go there alone by yourself..with a torchlight..walking everywhere aimlessly to look for body and hope to find survivor. This is also considered some sort of "help".

but...it is not efficient and effective or really helpful. It may be even more chaotic.

If u are following Red cross and well organised body...with a proper way to approach the local in more logical + system to provide assistance..then u migh consider and make your decision from there onwards.

but if u are totally no idea how to help (like I just mentioned before) then there is not any point or really helpful at all to go there.

For example..Muslim must be buried under the ground.. and most of them are now busy making casket.. u have not hammered a nail before...how can u help ??

Kho Khing, my friend, and few others here had spoken fairy and done me justification..

popeye...dun just read the sentence on its surface and jump into conclusion..
 

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