A WESTCOUNTRY woman has returned from humanitarian work helping provide temporary schools and homes for the victims of the Moroccan earthquake.

Kirsten Edmonds Bailey, of Tavistock, has told how moved she was by the gratitude of the poor villagers of the mountains who offered them mint tea, when they had nothing else to give — no home or possessions after the quake devastated their communities.

Kirsten, a former Army officer, used her military leadership skills and readiness to adapt to a challenging situation to deploy fast to Morocco’s Atlas Mountains as among the first organised rescuers on the ground shortly after the quake struck in early September.

She went with a rapid response charity called REACT which specialises in getting into crisis-hit areas where others find it hard to access, to help the most vulnerable.

Kirsten said: “REACT comprises a lot of military people because they have the mindset need to be ready to reply to a crisis quickly — my kit is already washed and packed ready for the next emergency I’m summoned to.

“It’s not just skills, it’s about assessing quickly what’s needed and what can be done and how to do it fast. Although the military are good at working out solutions and getting stuff done, we also work well with people from many backgrounds, 

“You do need to be prepared to live uncomfortably and be out of your comfort zone in many ways for a week or more. I was out there for two weeks and couldn’t have a shower for all that time. But the reward stays with you forever. Helping vulnerable people, like the elderly, women and children, in their hour of need. The people were so grateful. I was so overwhelmed by the villagers’ resilience and kindness.

“We built latrines and shelters as a priority because locals came and gave clothes and babies’ nappies. The families were especially traumatised because they had no homes. So we worked with a local man who one of us knew as a guide and he sourced materials to set up tents to make the women and children feel more secure.” They built a temporary pre-school, replacing the old one destroyed by the earthquake and fellow volunteer Lawrie Tawse, from Okehampton bought lots of materials and designed a bamboo version. Kirsten said: “Rebuilding the kindergarten was a big thing for the families and gave them more of a sense of nomality. It also meant we could leave on a high. I helped a little girl called Mier who was about 11, and her family and when I went to see them to check how they were getting on, she ran and leapt into my arms. It was a special moment for me.”

Anyone interested in volunteering in a crisis can find out more from the REACT website: https://www.re-act.org.uk