Tsunami cash thrills Caritas

Caritas Director Mike Smith said the Catholic aid agency was thrilled with the generosity shown by so many.

"We are continuing to work through our sister organisations Caritas Samoa and Caritas Tonga in the places most severely affected," Mr Smith said.

Caritas Samoa has strong links with priests and church workers at the community level. It has been working at individual family level in providing aid and assistance, not village level.

Caritas Samoa is focusing on three of the most affected villages of Satitoa, Salea-Aumua and Poutasi on the south side of Upolu island. As arranged with the Samoan government, Caritas Samoa is leading shelter provision and it has also been working at the provision of food and water, supporting children back into school, and counselling.

Caritas Tonga has focused on trauma counselling for affected families in Niua Toputapu, where nearly 500 people were affected by the tsunami. Lead counsellor Fr Seluini 'Akau'ola recently took to sea a number of youths who were afraid of the ocean as a result of the tsunami. There, he had them beat the sea with a stick, then shake hands with it, in a make-up gesture.