HURRICANE and tornado season is always a worrying time in the United States, as some of the worst natural disasters have happened when Mother Nature comes barreling down. The hurricanes and tornados cause deaths, destruction and damages worth billions of dollars. It was 10 years ago when Hurricane Katrina struck the state of Louisiana, causing property damages of over $108 billion. Then just two years ago in 2013, Hurricane Sandy made landfall with winds estimated at 340 km/h killing over 24 people and injuring over 370 others. That same year, a tornado touched down in the middle of the United States in Moore, Oklahoma. Moore is home to over 55,000 people, and commonly referred to by residents living there as being located in “Tornado Alley.” When Tornado Monroe hit in 2013 it caught the attention of eight students from Saudi Arabia who were studying at the University of Oklahoma. Experiencing winds of over 300 km/h for the first time, and seeing the aftermath the storm left behind, the eight Saudi students knew they had to help rebuild this shattered town. Striking in the middle of the day, and more than two kilometers wide and 30 kilometers long, Tornado Monroe devastated the town's two elementary schools, killing 10 children and injuring over 70. The tornado also completely wiped out several residential areas. The damages to houses and public facilities were estimated at $2 billion. Shortly afterwards, the media began to report volunteers were needed to help with clean up and reconstruction programs. One of the Saudi students who volunteered was Mahmoud Bu Huliga, who is taking a degree in mechanical engineering. In an interview with Saudi Gazette, he said: “When the tornado hit Moore two years ago, I volunteered with a church to collect donations for the Moore community. Also, in the same month I went with a group to Moore to clean some of the houses and collect personal items. This year a group of Saudi students worked with Habitat for Humanity on some construction works like painting, wall base fitting, and closet sliding doors installation.” Habitat for Humanity International is one of the largest organizations contributing in reconstructing lost homes in the world. It has helped more than 4 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve more than 800,000 homes since its founding in 1976, making it the largest not-for-profit builder in the world. It has also addressed the issues of poverty housing all over the globe. Once students heard about these housing reconstruction programs, the Saudi Student Association (SSA) at the University of Oklahoma contacted Habitat for Humanity to volunteer their time to build a new home for a family who lost their house during the tornado. Their offer to volunteer for those who had lost everything was quickly embraced, and the eight members the Saudi Student Association, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
When the homeowner, Janet Hodson, heard the group helping rebuild her home was from Saudi Arabia she was really surprised. Particularly as two members of the group were females. Mahmoud Bu Huliga told Saudi Gazette, “She was actually taking pictures and talking to the girls.” The Saudi student team was split into three groups, with each group responsible for a different job in building Janet's new home. Mahmoud Bu Huliga, who's currently head of the SSA at the University of Oklahoma told Saudi Gazette that volunteering had only improved his life, “I volunteer because each volunteering opportunity I participate in gives me the chance to make a difference to the people and the community. This way I can improve my skills as well as meet new people. Through volunteering, I can send a positive message about my religion and country, and correct any distorted aspect mistakenly delivered by the media. To me it feels good when I help someone to get something done and at the end I see them happy.” Speaking about reconstruction efforts in Oklahoma, Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity said, “Habitat has a long history in this area, and we're committed to being there over the long term to help low-income families repair and rebuild their homes and to support communities as they make a new start.” Helping someone who lost their home and entire belongings rebuild their life has had a big impact on Mahmoud Bu Huliga. In recalling the experience he said: “Sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you lose it or you meet someone who has gone through such unfortunate circumstances.” It goes to show you that out of a tragic circumstance and a devastating tornado, a truly good deed evolved, and one which one American lady will never forget thanks to the help of the Saudi Students Association at the University of Oklahoma.
