SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A 16-year-old San Diego teen is on the island of Saipan distributing supplies — many of them donated by ABC 10News viewers — a month after a super typhoon devastated islands near Guam.
Devi Balachandra, a junior at High Tech High International, spoke via Zoom from central Saipan, part of the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall a month ago, destroying and damaging thousands of homes across the islands.
Balachandra, who was born in Saipan, was first interviewed in late April as she helped launch an online fundraiser and donation drive.
"This is a way for us to make some sort of difference," said Balachandra, whose family has many family friends still living on Saipan.
After the first story aired, donations poured into the GoFundMe campaign, with supplies — including solar-powered fans, food, hygiene products, and cleaning products — filling up the garage of Balachandra's family.
Balachandra had originally been scheduled to travel to Saipan for an internship studying coral reefs, but turned the trip into a relief mission. She and two family members arrived a week and a half ago, bringing 7 large suitcases of donated supplies.
Larger supplies, including tents, were included in donations collected by a nonprofit to be sent by ship.
In the first few days in Saipan, they borrowed a car and drove 15 minutes to a rural area where aid from FEMA and nonprofits had been slow to reach, and where power remains out.
"Nobody had come to see them since the typhoon. They were just so happy, and grateful, and they didn't want to take too much," Balachandra said. “Instead, they pointed to neighbors in need.”
Many of the people they met had no vehicles and were staying in homes barely standing, with their roofs torn off. Balachandra described many of the scenes as emotionally difficult, including an encounter with a Thai native.
"After we gave her some items, after we gave her a hug, she just broke down," Balachandra said.
Despite the widespread need, Balachandra said there has been no shortage of smiles — especially when it comes to certain food items like ramen and cold drinks.
"We have a cooler. Cold drinks make people so happy, because nothing is cold," Balachandra said.
After distributing all the supplies they brought, Balachandra's group used money raised through the GoFundMe campaign to purchase more items for additional relief trips.
"The community is definitely strong. They're hurting but want to move forward and continue their lives," Balachandra said.
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