A Wellington lawyer who set up an appeal to send goods to cyclone-devastated Fiji has been inundated with donations.
Kamil Lakshman had hoped to fill one shipping container by March 7, to send to Fiji on March 12. The hope was to help the many residents rebuild their lives after the devastation of Cyclone Winston.
On Thursday night she sealed up that container. It was jam-packed full of shoes, clothes, food, and books, and got ready to start filling a second. “The response has been overwhelming,” she said.
The appeal had been shared widely over social media. People set up collection points in their own neighbourhoods, making it easier for others to donate. Several schools had also gotten involved.
Local businesses had pitched in, too, with Hannahs donating 500 pairs of shoes of various sizes. Thrifty Car Rental loaning Lakshman a van to pick up donations from across the region.
A government department had also donated 150 computer monitors to be shipped to the battered country.
Lakshman said people often wanted to help those hit by disasters overseas, but didn’t always know where to start.
“You don’t know what to do; the task seems enormous … When an initiative like this is there, people can join in and feel like they’re doing something that will make a difference.
“All this makes one realise there’s still hope. There’s a lot of goodness out there, there really is.”
More about Cyclone Winston and appeal for relief
Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston was a catastrophic storm that struck Fiji on February 20, 2016. As a Category 5 system, it brought devastating winds of 280 km/h (170 mph), making it the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. The storm had a profound impact, killing 44 people and directly affecting 350,000—about 40% of Fiji’s population.
The destruction was immense, with approximately 40,000 homes either severely damaged or completely destroyed. Thousands of families were left without shelter, and many remote communities lost communication for days. In response to this unprecedented disaster, the Fijian government declared a state of emergency that lasted 60 days. Cyclone Winston caused an estimated FJ$2.98 billion (US$1.4 billion) in damages, making it the costliest storm in the nation’s history. An appeal for relief was needed.
Relief efforts were swift and coordinated. The appeal for international assistance, led by Australia and New Zealand, provided essential resources such as food, water, and shelter materials. Aid organisations worked closely with local authorities to restore basic services and begin rebuilding. This disaster emphasised the urgent need for stronger resilience against extreme weather events in Fiji and across the Pacific. Cyclone Winston remains a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters.