In the trenches for tsunami victims

NetworkWorld.com
August 30, 2005 05:23 PM ET

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What follows are dispatches from K.C. Tomsheck, senior director of IT at CDW, during his summer visit to Thailand as part of a Habitat for Humanity effort to help tsunami victims.

Day 1: July 11

Click to see: A fishing boat sits more than a mile inland, where it demolished a church

We made it to Khao Lak on the western coast of Thailand — about 40 miles north of Phuket — around noon today local time with almost no issues. Due to daylight-saving time, we’re exactly 12 hours ahead of Chicago.

The airport hotel in Bangkok was very nice. A hot shower felt great. We all got about three hours sleep. Despite the long trip, significant language barrier and sweltering hot weather, it still doesn’t feel like we’re on the other side of the planet.

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The majority of our hotel here in Khao Lak survived the tsunami because it’s set on a hill. The buildings down near sea level were demolished and are under reconstruction.

I talked to our host, Ruthann, this evening. She’s meeting our CDW team at the hotel at 8 a.m. tomorrow for the safety briefing and we’ll be on our way to the work site by 9:30 a.m.

The Internet connectivity situation is not good. There doesn’t appear to be any broadband access in the area. The hotel has one very old computer with unreliable and slow dial-up access that cost 300 Baht, which is about $7.50 per hour.

Day 2: July 12

We’re off to the work site on our second day. On Day 1 we toured several areas devastated by the tsunami. Our CDW team has been assigned to a Habitat for Humanity work site building a new house from scratch next to the old house which is damaged beyond repair.

Click to see: CDW workers and others who are building a house

We’re working with the family who will live in the house, led by 23-year-old mother Khwanruthai (Khwan). Khwan’s husband, Aumpon, is away doing construction work for the King. They have a 3-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

Khwan and Aumpon used to sell food from a small shop in front of their house. Before the tsunami badly damaged it, the couple lived in a big house with extended family members. Khwan didn’t want to stay in the same house anymore because she was scared that another tsunami would come. The new house is being built well inland and uphill, just at the edge of the area impacted by the tsunami.

When the tsunami hit on Dec. 26, Khwan was selling food at the shop. She saw many people running, yelling out “The big wave is coming. Move to the hills.” It was very dark outside as she ran with her family to the hills. She saw the wave approaching but was able to make it out of harm’s way. Aumpon was at the beach when the tsunami hit. He seriously injured his leg when he was hit by some steel, but has since made a full recovery. They are grateful no one from their family died in the tsunami. So many others weren’t as fortunate.

Khwan and Aumpon now live in temporary housing in nearby Ban Ngang. The house currently under construction next to theirs is going to be the home of her father and other relatives.

In addition to family help and our CDW team, there are also a few paid Thai and Burmese laborers helping us build the new house. Holes for the footings were already dug when we got there. We were able to pour all 12 footings in about three hours mixing and hauling the concrete by hand.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was here yesterday touring the area and we saw her motorcade drive by several times. Sorry my e-mails are so short, but Internet access is painfully slow and unreliable. Back to work.