On April 6, 2020, TC Harold made landfall on the island of Espiritu Santo as an intense Category 5 system with sustained winds of over 200km/h. Harold cut across the southern end of Santo, home to Vanuatu’s second largest town, Luganville, and continued eastwards impacting a further six islands and around one-third of the country’s population. Preliminary reports from Luganville show that 70% of structures are damaged, agricultural land ruined, roads blocked, and water systems destroyed. Harold comes at a time when Vanuatu has closed its borders to keep the threat of COVID-19 from its shores.
The Marist Brothers are present at the St Michel Technical College. There are around 320 students enrolled in grades 7 to 12, and a further 80 enrolled in the vocational stream of the school. Located on the western outskirts of Luganville, St Michel bore the brunt of Harold and suffered crippling damage.
St Michel Technical College is seen as a beacon of hope on Espiritu Santo as it was one of the first schools on the island.
Watch this video from their Principal who speaks about the heartbreaking damage and how your donation can assist.
