PNG village repays Victoria's generosity

20 Feb 2009 12:00 AM

A remote Papua New Guinea village has donated money to the Victorian bushfire appeal almost a decade after Victorians came to their aid

PNG village repays Victoria's generosity

A remote Papua New Guinea village has donated money to the Victorian
bushfire appeal almost a decade after Victorians came to their aid when
a devastating tsunami killed thousands of locals.

The small hospital town of Vanimo, in PNG's northwestern Sandaun
province, gave 10,000 kina ($A5,567) to the Red Cross Victorian Bush
Fire Appeal in a touching gesture of bonds forged through tragedy.

The Aitape Tsunami in July 1998 killed more than 2,200 Sandaun villagers
and made 10,000 homeless. But it was a medical team from Victoria's
Monash Medical Centre, led by Dr Elizabeth Lewis, who were the first to
help Vanimo's overstretched hospital.

Vanimo Hospital chairman, Kevin Imba presented the cheque to Australia's
High Commissioner to PNG, Chris Moraitis on Thursday in a small ceremony
at the hospital.

"We want to pass on our deep thanks for what the people of Victoria have
done for the people of Sandaun," Imba said.

"When we think of Australia we think fondly of Victoria and Victorians,
so we offer our heartfelt condolences to those families affected in the
recent bushfires."
Moraitis said PNG's support of the Victorian Bushfire appeal was
"touching".

"This is an extraordinarily generous gesture by the board and staff of
Vanimo Hospital," he said

"You face significant logistical and operational challenges running this
hospital here, yet you have found it in your hearts to help the families
affected by the bushfires, so this donation is particularly touching,"
he said.

Last week the PNG government gave $2 million to bushfire and flood
relief, while locally PNG residents have been collecting money for the
Red Cross appeal.

More than 200 people died in what is Australia's worst bushfire disaster
in history.  The fires destroyed homes, towns and forest in southeastern Victoria.