When the Category 5 Cyclone Winston slammed into the Fiji Island archipelago with 200 mph winds on February 20, 2016, the nation’s 322 islands experienced widespread damage, wiping out power for 80 percent of the population and leaving 131,000 people in need of immediate shelter assistance. The cyclone stimulated an international humanitarian response, including relief efforts by the Scientology VMs, as well as the governments of Australia, France and New Zealand. An example of Fiji’s VM response is Pastor Alfred Waqa and his squad of Fiji VMs who helped their own village of Nalalawa recover. Just prior to Cyclone Winston, Pastor Waqa served as a Volunteer Minister in Vanuatu and Nepal. To make the most impact possible in helping the villagers recover from these disasters, Pastor Waqa and his VMs have trained villagers to deliver assist techniques to one another.
