Thanks Eduardo. Very much appreciated mate. Hope to pay you back in kind some day.

Today it was raining so no cement works could proceed on house 2. Instead the boys just started bracing the timber framing on House 1.

"CK" (the little boy who appears in the picture) was following me around the building site. Rain had turned much of the ground soft. Just then, near CKs house out in the open I saw a little toy car in the dirt. I picked it up and low and behold look what I found! An old matchbox Porsche 928! It was a sign from above I tell you - I showed the building crew and told them the association with the generous donors who had made what they were building a reality (I told them these were people who love cars and driving that I knew all around the world). Here's a few pictures from today. You have to love chance and fate. How that little 928 toy got to the village and was lost on the building site I have no idea!!

 

Good work Macca!
Many have given very generously!
Who's going to push this over $30,000.00?

 

Goal met!

 

Lindsay. You are a gentleman & a scholar. We are forever grateful. Stretch target reached with less than 5 days left to go. Thanks to you and many other very generous souls on RL for making a real difference to peoples lives who are less fortunate. Joanna and I continue to work hard every day to make sure your $$$ are put to efficient and effective use. Joanna will continue to update all contributors through the fundraising site and I will do likewise on this thread.

Thanks again everyone!

P.S. If any of you are ever able to make it down to Vanuatu (formally New Hebrides and the second largest US base in the Pacific during WWII where many of your grandfathers or possibly fathers may have been stationed after the famous battle of Guadalcanal and the Santa Cruz islands) then you simply must get in touch and we will not only look after you like kings/queens but ensure you get to meet the folks who's lives you have benefited and see how your hard earned has helped them :-)

 

Macca, A little more over the top!

You are showing some great leadership and character helping others selflessly. We are all proud of you!

 

I'm a little slow but added a bit more. Keep up the good work and will keep you in our thought and prayers.

Tal

 

Keep posting, bud. Thanks for the depth you bring to and for us...

 

Contribution made! Really impressive effort, Macca

 

Sean. Thanks for helping out mate!!!

Apologies for the delay. Just a quick update to everyone before a more formal update later in the week.

We ended up closing the fundraiser with $31,270 USD! A heroic effort due largely to the generosity of folks on this board for which we will be forever indebted.

Work proceeds with pace now. Last week was mostly raining which prevented us pouring cement for the second house we are building. Thats now in the past and the pad for the second dwelling is being poured today and the roofing iron and metal cladding for the first house was delivered today. By the end of the week the first house will have a roof and wiring and by the end of next week will be finished! The second house will be around 10 days later (we are awaiting on a second shipment of roofing iron into the country).

We have elected to build the houses for those who lost their first and make repairs to oustide cooking areas and roofs of others once these are completed. We have stabilised other affected properties with tarpaulins in the meantime and people are sharing out door cooking "fares".

Joanna has been busy distributing donated items to the people of Mele village. Containers of pre loved clothes, food & tools started arriving around 7 days ago form Australia & NZ and we were quick to volunteer our services to help find these a good home. In total there are 17 container here or on their way all donated items from the good people of Australia & New Zealand. Infact one of our very own NZ Rennlisters was directly involved in coordinating a container from NZ and many other RL members donated goods.

Its great to see people in the village smiling again. Whenever our "lava orange" truck goes by there are big smiles and waves. I will endeavour to get some pictures up on here shortly for those who are interested and Joanna will update those who have donated through the fundraiser site distribution list.

Our original goal was 20K USD (which quite honestly was a bit light). We estimate the total cost of pour work at over double that. The money we have raised through the fund is being efficiently and directly applied to improve peoples lives and give around 10 folk who lost their homes a roof over their head. The effort has been exhausting for everyone involved. Jo & I are heading to NZ next week for supplies and pre cyclone planned events but on our return will be catering a BBQ for all our workers based in the village and those who have benefited from efforts by Rennlisters and others around the globe. We will get many pictures to share.

Thanks again to all those here and elsewhere that have helped us help our people. You have the goodwill of a small village and a whole nation thanking you!

 

phone app went kaput and work kept me away so I've been absent from forum for awhile. if I can still send a few bucks please let me know... I'll go back through the thread now to see where link is etc.

amazing the work you are doing down there. gonna catch up on this whole thread tonight.

when is phone app gonna work again?

 

Sorry this has been a long time coming. Final update #14 for those not receiving Indiegogo updates. Thanks again everyone for yur support - you have made a difference to many peoples lives...

https://life.indiegogo.com/fundraise...000?c=activity

 

Great work, Macca!