By Maritoni L. Saberon | Project Officer
A mother of 13 children, Lorena, found life most difficult after Typhoon Haiyan devastated everything they had. She did not expect that the natural calamity would bring so much damage to their properties and to people’s lives as typhoons, according to her, are just ordinary in Leyte.
“That was the time that I feared most for my family. It was the strongest and deadliest typhoon that ever hit our place. Everybody evacuated to the Central Elementary School in the poblacion area in Dulag. Later, the monstrous wind stripped off the roofs from the school building that we ripped the wooden floor open and jumped into the hole. There was water in it and worms crawled on our legs but we still chose to stay underneath than to be killed by falling debris. I got hold of my three younger children only and thought that I would not see the rest. I was so helpless. I was relieved when I saw all of my other children when the storm ceased. I was thankful that my husband and children were safe," Lorena said in the dialect.
“On the third day, we went back to where our house used to stand. It was gone. At that moment, all hope was lost and fear of the unknown gripped my heart. I did not know what to do. After the typhoon, my children would be so afraid even with the slight thunder and drizzle.”
The family sought refuge in a roofless chapel in Sabang with many other families who lost their properties to the deluge. Lorena said that somehow they felt safer in the house of God. They made makeshift tents where they stayed for two weeks.
“Food and potable water were scarce. The water was salty after the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan that coffee granules would just float and not mix well with it. We were just lucky that my husband, Alex, was able to get cases of soda from the warehouse where other victims also had their share of the loot. So we had soda as our water. We also did not have much of a choice when it came to food. We survived on rotten or unripe bananas. Nevertheless, I was thankful that we were alive.”
Life after Haiyan
Lorena used to earn P200, barely US$ 5, a day from doing other’s laundry. But after Haiyan, her family became one of the beneficiaries of a local government program that earns her P2,800 or around US$ 64 in two months for the education and health of her three elementary children who are covered in the program. She was forced to give up washing clothes because the program requires mothers to take care of their children under 14 years old. Alex, on the other hand, is a pedicab driver who takes home a meager amount of P160 (less than US$ 4) a day. Their income is not really enough to feed and send all their children to school.
Restoring lives
In 2014, Barangay Sabang was chosen to be one of the recipients of a day care center in Region 8. The Children's Joy Foundation, Inc. (CJFI) and Global Giving turned over the building to the barangay officials with the presence of all the children and the parents. Everyone was really happy. Lorena’s four-year old daughter, Nova Jane, is one of the pioneering children who enjoy the free day care program that prepares them for formal education.
“When you came, you provided us a nice and complete day care center. My gratefulness reaches the heavens as I can now send Nova Jane to school for free. The school supplies that you provided also saved me a lot of money which I can use to buy for food instead. You have helped my family in ways I do not know how to repay.”
“After that, you came back in September last year. You always remember us. You have stayed and you have continued to help us.”
This year, CJFI initiated the Powering the Youth Learning Program in all the seven barangays where the 60 day care centers and the Tacloban action center are located. Free computer lessons were given to the children and the youths who have not been given the chance to even touch a computer. This was made possible with the mobile computer laboratory that was sponsored by Dell Philippines. With the program, the beneficiaries are given the chance to discover their potentials which they are so happy about.
Lorena also mentioned how grateful they were when Global Giving visited them last year despite the long travel to Leyte. “It’s a big act of pure kindness that they came. They have not forgotten us amidst the bitter circumstances that we’ve been through.”
With tears looming in her eyes, Lorena, continued: “Sa tanan nga nagatabang sa Children’s Joy ug Global Giving, biskan tuod na nia me sa Pilipinas ug wala mi ninyo ilhi pero nitabang gihapon mo. Dakong pasalamat namo ninyo. May tana ang Ginoo mana- langin sa inyuha, hatagan mo ug maayong pangla- was, pauswagon ang inyong panginabuhian para mas mutabang pa mo sa among mga kabus na nagapa- ningkamot pud sa kinabuhi. Ang Ginoo mu-reward sa inyuhang pagkamaayo, ni biskan unsang baha- ndi ning kalibutana, dili gyud masuklian. Damo nga salamat sa inyo (To all who have been helping Children’s Joy and Global Giving, thank you for helping us despite the distance and the fact that you do not even know us. I pray that God will continue to bless you, give you good health, and bless what you are doing that you can help more poor people like us who also strive harder to live. God will reward you for your goodness that is beyond compare. Thank you so much)."
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