Volunteering in tsunami devastated Thailand
By Lisa Saremel

When Steven Yates set off to participate in an International Volunteers for Peace (IVP) eco-tourism project in Thailand on Boxing Day 2004, he had no idea of the experience he was about to have.

The devastating Asian tsunami struck Thailand's coast while Steven was in the air, and by the time he arrived in the province of Ranong 10 hours south of Bangkok, the IVP volunteers and Thai group leaders suddenly had more urgent work to attend to.

"I didn't see near the devastation that occurred in Phuket, but people had died in the area, whole villages had been washed away, people were left with nothing," Steven says.

As part of a team of volunteers coming from such countries as South Korea and Germany, Steven, from Sydney, was met by Thai team leaders who were themselves coming to terms with the impact of the tsunami. He began by helping the locals clean their houses, finding very little left to salvage.

"On a personal level, seeing what had occurred there was quite confronting," Steven says.

But while helping to clean a local school, he was heartened by the appreciation shown by the local Thais.

"People would stop at the side of the road and give us food. We couldn't communicate at all except for non-verbal communication, so they'd hand us some fruit and just smile," Steven says, "It was pretty amazing to see."

Food became a problem for the villagers in the days ahead as their fishing boats had been washed away or destroyed. It became harder to work out what the team could do next to help.

"Lack of resources was a challenge," Steven says, "There were limited numbers of us and a whole array of people who'd been affected by the tsunami."

By chance, the group stumbled upon two American men who had flown over to help, with money to contribute but unsure of what to do next. Using their funds to buy two tonnes of rice, the IVP volunteers and locals bagged it up and then distributed it to communities in need.

As well as food, Steven helped distribute clothes that were donated from across the country.

"I think we really did help. We only helped a very limited number of people but I think we did make a genuine difference to them," he says.

The warmth of the Thai people left Steven inspired and was one of the main benefits he gained from the experience.

"Even though it was a pretty devastating time for them, they all seemed so friendly and welcoming and I think they genuinely appreciated people from a Western culture coming over and helping in their time of need," he says.

"It makes you stop and think about the type of things we worry about."

Find out how you can make a difference by volunteering with International Peace Volunteers. Visit the IVP website, email info@ivp.org.au or call (02) 9699 1129.

Return to Volunteer Life.

The Centre for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Ph 02 9261 3600 | Fax 02 9261 4033 | info@volunteering.com.au