Kiwi Engineers ‘heartbroken’ over Fiji devastation

Kiwi Engineers ‘heartbroken’ over Fiji devastation

MWH Global Contributes US$50,000 to Relief for Fiji Communities impacted by Tropical Cyclone Winston

Fijian Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Fund to Receive Contribution

Auckland, New Zealand, 25 February 2016 – As their employer hands over a US$50,000 donation to the Fiji Cyclone relief, New Zealand-based engineers working for MWH Global are pitching in at a personal level.

MWH Global yesterday announced the donation to the Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston Fund. The money has come from the MWH Caring Foundation.

Auckland based engineer Chris Grainger is one of a number of New Zealand and Australian based MWH Global staff who has been working out of the firm’s Fiji office permanently and for short periods over the past three years. The engineers, road safety advisors and others have been applying their expertise to help the Fiji Roads Authority upgrade the country’s roads, bridges and jetties.

“From working up there and seeing people so appreciative for all that has been done to date, watching the destruction and devastation has been heart breaking,” says MWH Global, Alliance Manager Chris Grainger, who yesterday made his own substantial donation at a personal level.

“The MWH Caring Foundation donation is extremely generous, and I also wanted to give back personally. The damage is unbelievable, the destruction almost incomprehensible. The people we work with are safe, but many of their friends and immediate family have lost houses.”

Mr Grainger says the MWH Donation will “go a long way toward helping,” but he hopes other Kiwis will also dig deep.

Geotechnical Discipline Leader for the Asia Pacific, Grant Maxwell, is based at the MWH Global Office in Nelson. He has spent a great deal of time working in Fiji over the past three years, and says that while the country is used to extreme weather events, this one is different.

“The Fiji people are incredibly resilient and well used to cyclone cleanup, however this is a big event with widespread impact. There extend of the damage, especially in relation to village and family life, can’t be underestimated. It’s such a valuable cause – foreign and personal investment is money well spent.”

Christchurch engineer Mark Ridge spent a great deal of time in Fiji when MWH Global started work on the infrastructure project in 2012.

“People most certainly need assistance, and they just don’t have the personal wealth to get back on their feet themselves. Often people are not personally insured. Any help New Zealand or Australia can give is extremely helpful.”

MWH Global leaders say Fiji is front of mind at this time.

“Our thoughts are with the people in Fiji following this terrible storm,” said Alan Krause, Chairman and CEO of MWH Global. “We have contributed to the Fiji Prime Minister’s National Disaster Fund to assist the Fijian government to provide services where they are needed most.”

“The heavily damaged areas are hometowns for many of our colleagues,” said Marshall Davert, President of Government and Infrastructure for MWH in Americas and Asia Pacific. “Right now, we’re working to provide immediate assistance, food and clothing to our team members who have lost their homes or whose homes have been heavily damaged. We will be here working side-by-side with the Fijian Government to assist in rebuilding these communities.”

MWH has more than 150 employees working in Fiji.

About the MWH Caring Foundation

The MWH Caring Foundation was established in 2002 to fund charitable and educational causes that align with our purpose of Building a Better World. To date, the Foundation has donated more than $1M to charitable organizations. Previous donations following natural disasters were made to GIVIT in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia following Tropical Cyclone Marcia in 2015; the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal in Australia in 2011; Fundación Un Techo Para Chile following the Chilean Earthquake in 2010; the President’s Relief Fund for Earthquake victims in Pakistan in 2006 and the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief fund in New Orleans in 2005.

About the Prime Minister’s National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston Fund

Tropical Cyclone Winston is one of the most devastating storms on record in the Southern Hemisphere. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and the Fijian Government established the fund in response to the crisis to help reestablish much needed services and to assist with the rebuilding process. These funds will be used to directly benefit those Fijians who have been left homeless, without adequate food, water and essential services – especially those in rural and maritime communities.

About MWH Global

MWH Global is dedicated to Building a Better World. As specialists in water, natural resources and transportation, MWH employees use innovative ideas and technology to help solve complex infrastructure and environmental challenges. This work is built on a nearly 200-year history during which MWH has delivered services from initial planning and design through construction, start-up and operations. Today, MWH employs approximately 7,000 experts including engineers, consultants and construction professionals in 35 countries on six continents. Each of these experts is committed to serving global communities through sustainable development and project delivery. MWH is a private, employee-owned company headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, U.S.A. For more information, visit mwhglobal.com or connect via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ENDS

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