For more than six weeks, a group of Vanuatuans have agonised in Otago while their families back home struggle with the destruction caused by Cyclone Pam.
Finally, orchard workers Menas Kansen, George Pel, Philip Habe and Johnson Baekon will travel home this week to assess the damage and start the rebuild.
Three of the men have wives and children and all live on small outer islands in the Malampa province.
Mr Pel said it was hard to be in New Zealand when he knew his family was struggling back home on the island of Paama, but he needed to keep earning money to rebuild when he got back.
''There are no leaves on the trees; crops have been destroyed; there are no roofs on houses.''
He had been sending money home to his family to help them through, but it was ''very hard'' being away from them for several months.
The men have been working for Cromwell grower Rosie Sidney for several seasons.
All four men said they could earn more money in Otago than they could doing the same sort of orchard work back home, so they needed to stay in Otago for the whole season.
Ms Sidney and grower Lindsay Moore took the workers on a tour of Dunedin over the weekend, as a respite.
They went to the Highlanders game on Friday night, and on Saturday visited the Cadbury Factory, the Otago Farmers Market and Larnach Castle.
All activities were provided free of charge by the organisations involved.
Ms Sidney said the weekend activities were the ''least they could do'' to help the men.
She had been to Vanuatu recently and witnessed the damage from the March 13 cyclone at first hand.
''It's so hard for them; their livelihoods have been destroyed.''
Mr Pel said things were ''slowly getting back to normal'' after the initial mayhem of the cyclone but his wife and three children were still living in a makeshift shelter.
The men said aid agencies could help with many practical things.
Their villages needed more generators and items such as washing machines and spare clothing.
They would need help buying timber and nails to rebuild their homes.
