The Hindu : International : They come on their own

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 06, 2005

International

International

They come on their own

By Jonathan Watts

PHUKET (THAILAND), JAN. 5. Hot, sweaty, pink-skinned and carrying a large green holdall, you can tell that Ian Archer has just stepped off the plane when he arrives at the volunteer centre in Phuket town hall.

And as soon as he opens his mouth, you cannot help but be impressed by the good intentions of a man on a mission to help people he has never met in a land he is visiting for the first time.

``I've only been here an hour. I have flown in direct so that I can muck in,'' said the builder from Swanley in Kent. ``I've never done anything like this before in my life.''

Direct action

Mr Archer, a father of four, is a sudden convert to direct action, inspired by the contrast between the TV images of suffering he saw in South Asia and the comfort of his British home.

``We were sitting watching TV on Boxing Day when we saw what happened here. We'd had such a lovely Christmas — presents and turkey and all the rest — that it just broke our hearts. So we decided we should do something.''

That something was to collect donations and buy a £650-ticket into the disaster zone.

``I don't have any work on for the next three or four weeks so I thought that, as I'm a builder, I might as well come over here and offer to help with the reconstruction work.''

He has no accommodation or connections in Phuket, cannot speak the language and has few possessions.

In some respects people like Mr Archer are a consulate's nightmare.

Even though many European countries have flown their citizens home and advised others not to enter the area, such volunteers feel compelled to make a contribution.

Although few have gone to the same lengths as Mr Archer, the volunteer centre in Phuket is filled with people who have gone out of their way to offer assistance.

There have also been reports of volunteer ``tourists'' pitching up in the worst-hit areas of Sri Lanka, including the devastated town of Galle on the south coast.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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