Jonah and Phoebe are year eight students who have been selected to travel to Wellington to receive a gift of funds raised by Evans Bay Intermediate School. Jonah prepared this speech:
Good Morning
My name is Jonah Drye and I am in Year 8 at Shirley Intermediate School in Christchurch.
On behalf of our school we would like to thank you for all the support and donations you have given us firstly for the TV after the September quake and now for the donations after the February quake. It encourages and cheers us to know that people we have never met care for us and are willing to make an effort for us.
When the February quake hit Christchurch, our school had just finished eating lunch and were outside. Firstly we heard a rumble and then the ground started shaking. It shook so hard my friend and I could not even lie on the ground and all we could hear was people screaming. The teachers shouted for us all to get together on the field but then the liquefaction started to come out of the ground covering the field so we had to move again. Most people were crying especially as we saw part of a church across the road fall down and we could see cracks appearing on some of our school buildings. Everyone was pretty scared but we felt a bit better once we found our families.
I live in one of the eastern suburbs which you may have seen on TV but our house has not been too badly damaged which is good as another family is now living with us. I know lots of people whose houses are going to be demolished. Most of the roads on our side of town look like an obstacle course with cracks, bumps, liquefaction and road cones.
This may all sound and look bad but there are actually lots of good things we have seen and experienced. For starters, we have got to know our neighbours much better as we check on each other and help each other. We have been amazed at how many people came to Christchurch to help us including the Farmy Army and the student army, the rescue workers from other countries and then people from around New Zealand including those from a town near us who came every day with free groceries, water and sausage sizzles to cheer us up! And then, of course, there are the fundraisers like you guys.
This experience is pretty stressful for us all but everyone I know says that it is comforting and encouraging to know that people like you think of us, care for us and are willing to help us. So thanks again and know that we would do the same for you if you ever needed it.