Aid to the Philippines after Typhoon Yolanda

Using Expressive Arts to Support Mental Health

IsraAID has been conducting mental health and psycho-social support activities in the Philippines since Typhoon Yolanda hit in November 2013, killing over 6,000 people, injuring more than 27,000 and displacing approximately 4 million. Since then, IsraAID has been helping women, men and, particularly, children affected by the disaster to cope with the stress, trauma and shock they have experienced as they recover and rebuild their lives.

In the past year, IsraAID Philippines has brought its program using the expressive arts - visual art, movement, drama and music - in training for mental health support workers to Maasin City. This both provides new tools for working with people suffering trauma and helps caregivers themselves better express and understand their own feelings. These techniques can then have a huge impact on the capacity of the community as a whole to overcome trauma and, ultimately, build a better future. So far, after training a core team of 25 teachers, the program has been brought to 4 schools in Maasin City, reaching 160 students.

The Impact of IsraAID’s Preventing Gender-Based Violence and Human Trafficking program

Jelove teaches social work at Maasin City College in the Philippines. After training with IsraAID on how to identify and intervene in cases of Gender-Based Violence and Human Trafficking, she has become passionate about applying the new tools she has learnt to improve the lives and welfare of clients in the field.

“I used to think it was enough to simply teach my students theory in the classroom. Using the compassionate listening and forensic interviewing skills from IsraAID’s training, I’ve been able to reach out to my students. They said themselves: we always talk about empathy in class, but we had never experienced being listened to and able to express ourselves freely before during our studies.

Thanks to IsraAID’s training, my students and I can do more fieldwork this summer, going into the community and handling cases with confidentiality and empathy.”

Look out for future updates from IsraAID Philippines. Thank you for your ongoing support!

It has been a busy few months for IsraAID Philippines! The team has facilitated various trainings, given relief during the recent Typhoons Kai Tak and Tembin, and visited with our beneficiaries. 

Typhoons Kai-Tak and Tembin Response

Between the 15th and 23rd of December, Typhoons Kai-Tak (Urduja) and Tembin (Vinta) swept through the Eastern Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Philippines.

There were approximately 200 reported fatalities, with some still missing. The heavy downpours and flash flooding caused considerable destruction to the regions' infrastructure, including immediate damage to roads, bridges and houses. The most affected communities are now dealing with poor housing conditions, shortages of safe water, damage to their livelihoods and sanitation issues.

In Ormoc, there are already 20,000 people at the city's evacuation centers whose homes were destroyed – most of these had still been living in temporary accommodation since Typhoon Yolanda hit in 2013.

IsraAID's team in the Philippines immediately distributed 200 hygiene kits to families with babies and young children, nursing mothers and the elderly. This emergency distribution was facilitated in conjunction with the Youth Development Office, Department of Disaster Risk Reduction Management and the Philippine Red Cross.

In the following weeks we ran activities for over 100 children affected by the disaster to relieve some tension and stress. Our team was joined by 20 local youth volunteers who helped facilitate the sessions.

Building classrooms for a better future

On the 13 December the IsraAID Philippines team attended a grant contract signing ceremony at the Embassy of Japan, in Manila. IsraAID Philippines was chosen to receive a grant for the GGP project to construct classrooms at Bagong Buhay elementary school in Ormoc City, Leyte.

The classrooms will replace the temporary classrooms that have been in use since Tyhoon Yolanda destroyed the original structures.  We are looking forward to the successful implementation of the project, and a strong collaboration and partnership with the Embassy of Japan through its GGP team!

The impact of Mental Health and Psycho-social training:

This month, the team visited long-time IsraAID Mental Health and Psycho-social facilitator and school guidance counselor from the Department of Education in Ormoc City, Marimel.

"I really owe everything to IsraAID, really. I was a participant in the very first psycho-social training they conducted after Typhoon Yolanda, and have been active ever since. I grew tremendously, both personally and professionally.

In the past, children used to be afraid of the Guidance Counselor, there was the perception that only those who get in trouble are referred to me.

A little while ago, a child who was experiencing some trouble in class was referred to me, we had a few meetings and I applied all the psycho-social tools I've learnt. On our last session I asked her to draw her safe place, a place that she feels most comfortable in. I was surprised to see that she drew my office.

The children of Ormoc now have access to psychosocial care at the school level. They are comfortable to share their challenges and the entire environment in the class has changed.

At the same time, I also experienced difficult situations in my personal life. I realized that I could also apply the tools to myself. I feel that I am a stronger person now. I can cope, and am ready to be there for the school children when needed."

Preventing Gender-based Violence training in Maasin

25 November was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Leading up to this, IsraAID Philippines held a two-day training in Maasin City regarding gender-based violence.

The participants were from the Maasin police, social workers and the coast guard.  Following this, the group took part in raising awareness about gender-based violence in the city.  The training was a collaboration between IsraAID Philippines and the Bidlisiw Foundation, Inc.

 Thank you for your ongoing support!