A cricket team made up of workers from Vanuatu has played through their grief after a devastating earthquake in their homeland to raise money for their communities.
At least 14 people were killed when the island nation was rocked by a magnitude-7.3 earthquake on Tuesday and further earthquakes continue to affect the region.
Valerie Kalkoa, who had been working in Queensland’s Burdekin and Stanthorpe regions returned home just days before the tragedy, died in the earthquake.
Former co-workers said she had spent two seasons in Australia to help create a better life for her three-year-old son.
Valerie Kalkoa had just returned to Vanuatu after working in Queensland. (Supplied: Facebook)
The tragedies have devastated the Vanuatu community working on Queensland farms.
The undefeated Vanuatu team, known as Vanthorpe, beat the Valleys Stanthorpe cricket club by 71 runs in the grand final of the Granite Belt town’s T20 competition.
The team had considered forfeiting the match but with $3,000 prize money on the line, team captain Andrew Mansale said they decided to play for something special.
“We are more focused this weekend,” he said.
Mr Mansale, a professional cricketer, was Ms Kalkoa’s team leader at work and had been under his guidance for the past two years.
He today boarded an Australian government organised charter plane to deliver the prize money to Ms Kalkoa’s family.
“The prize money will go to Valerie’s young son that is back home,” he said.
The captain scored 59 runs off 20 balls before he was caught out.
Vanthorpe defeated the Stanthorpe side in a tougher than expected final. (Supplied: Andrew Johnson, Golden Lab Creative)
Labour and agricultural compliance company I Comply chief executive Rodney Prestia created the so-called Vanthorpe Vanuatu/Stanthorpe cricket team.
He said he was hopeful the community would be able to raise up to $10,000 for Mr Kalkoa’s son and other families in need in a powerful show of community spirit.
Other cricket clubs, umpires, canteen money and the local bakery have all donated, in addition to online fundraising efforts.
The Salvation Army organised four buses to bring stranded seasonal workers to the match.
The Salvation Army organised coaches to take workers to the cricket match. (Supplied: Andrew Johnson, Golden Lab Creative)
Would light up a room
Mr Prestia said Ms Kalkoa was a beautiful person and was in Australia for the sole purpose of supporting her son.
“The fact that she was away eight months and only got to spend three days with him before she tragically passed, has hit the team so hard because she was just so loved,” he said.
He said she was a “giver” recalling a beautiful island dress she made for his three-year-old daughter.
At the time it was a bit big but last Sunday he put that island dress on his daughter, who had since grown into it, and I took a photo and put it on Facebook.
Within five minutes, Ms Kalkoa had messaged him.
“She goes ‘the dress finally fits, it looks fantastic, do me a favour and give little Julia a kiss and tell her Auntie Val loves her’ and that was the last time I heard from her,” he said.
Community support
He said he hoped Australians would continue to rally around the Vanuatu community, given the work they contribute.
“Probably there’s a fair chance that anything you eat on Christmas Day is being picked and packed by a Vanuatu worker,” he said.
Mr Mansale said it had been a difficult time but was comforted by the support of locals.
“It’s a tough place to be … it is what it is,” he said.
“We’re just going to have to keep our heads down and try and do good for the others back home.”
The match included touching tributes to Valerie Kalkoa. (Supplied: Andrew Johnson, Golden Lab Creative)
He said communications had been difficult and were still proving challenging for some workers in Australia trying to contact their families.
“The only time we could get in touch is when most of them are going into main town, the capital of Vanuatu [Port Villa],” he said.
“We are so privileged that now that the network is back on but still, some of us in remote areas, they still haven’t got in touch with their families.
“That’s really put a big worry and panic for the guys who are here, because they’re still searching for people.”
