Clarkson Magazine

Alumni join international relief efforts inThailand

Edward Valenta (left) and Andres
Garcia (right) in Thailand.

For Clarkson alumni and veteran world travelers Edward Valenta '02 (ChE) and Andres Garcia '00 (iE&M), a two-week vacation to Thailand last January turned into a humanitarian mission as the two joined a group of international volunteers rebuilding coastal villages devastated by last December's tsunami.

Ed Valenta, vice president for the Valenta Corporation, a family-owned janitorial supply and real estate business, was shocked along with the rest of the world by news of the devastating and deadly earthquake and tsunami that hit many parts of Asia and east Africa. He and Andres Garcia, an old friend from his days on the Clarkson soccer team, had planned a vacation in Thailand for the end of January.

"At first we thought about canceling the trip," Ed recalls. "But the more we discussed it the more we realized that not going to the region would hurt it even further as tourism is such a huge part of their economy. The next thought we had was what can we do to help."

Ed and Andres contacted a number of large relief organizations before stumbling upon a smaller, international group called Hands On Thailand. The two made arrangements to cut their vacation short and join the Hands On Thailand team as short-term volunteers in Bang Tao, on the island of Phuket.

"A beach and town would be almost completely untouched and then you would walk over to the next town and it would be utterly destroyed, wiped out," recalls Ed. "It seemed almost surreal."

"We were a little apprehensive when we arrived," says Andres, a Long Island-based business consultant for Accenture. "Remember this was only three or four weeks after the tsunami hit. There were still a lot of people in need. The village water had only been turned back on the day before. The roads were a mess and difficult to navigate. All the storefronts were washed out except one small convenience store that was open for business. This was all that was left of what had recently been a bustling village."

"One of our first tasks was to hang doors on those houses still standing, though these were really just shells. Everything inside had been washed away," he adds.

Ed and Andres worked with about 80 international volunteers removing debris from roads and helping to rebuild houses. The group worked alongside local villagers who were paid wages from government funds and also provided money to fishermen to purchase boats to replace ones that had been destroyed or lost. "This is a region entirely dependent on fishing and tourism," says Ed. "Our goal was to help residents get their local economy up and running as quickly as possible."

Collapsed and damaged houses along
the streets and beach fronts of Bang
Tao.

"The Thai people we met had suffered terrible personal losses," adds Andres. "But they were trying to make the most of what they had left. They were ecstatic to have people come and help them. They spoke through interpreters and would offer us food and water while we worked. When Ed and I were clearing debris from a field near the beach one day, a Thai woman told us how she had been stranded there, hanging from a tree for about four hours following the tsunami's impact. There she hung, suspended over the swirling water, watching people, animals and family belongings being carried away by the current."

Both Andres and Ed agree that this experience has had a lasting affect on their outlook and their lives. "It was a great feeling to be part of a group representing dozens of countries throughout the world, everyone pitching in and working together to help people in need," says Ed. "Some of the volunteers we worked with had quit very good jobs to help out for three or four months. More than once it crossed my mind that I should stay longer. I would encourage others to get involved in something like this. You don't have to have a lot of experience or special skills. You just have to be willing to lend a hand."