By Andy Chaggar | IDV Chief Executive
Thanks to your incredible generosity we recently provided our tenth flood rescue boat!
Because of your support this latest boat is now protecting vulnerable families living in the “Extension” area of Banaba, just outside Manila.
As we explained in a project report in 2015 these families are incredibly vulnerable for a number of reasons.
Firstly they’re nearly fully encircled by the Nangka river, and its banks are naturally steep and lined with concrete. This means the river is basically a very narrow and deep canal in places. In dry season you can stand on the Nangka’s edge and look almost vertically down onto the water twenty feet below.
When it rains the Nangka’s waters rise quickly, and have nowhere to go but up and into Banaba Extension itself.
This is dangerous in itself but the families who live there are poor, informal settlers. Many of the area's 2,500 residents arrived looking for work, and can’t afford to live anywhere else.
There are some concrete houses but many others are made of lightweight materials, like plywood, that are easily washed away during floods.
It was for these reasons that we previously provided the community with the “Helen Thompson” rescue boat back in 2015.
Since then the Helen Thompson has rescued hundreds of people during typhoons and floods. For example, in August last year the Helen Thompson was used to evacuate 40 families trapped during Tropical Storm Karding.
However, as the photos from the Helen Thompson’s delivery show much of Banaba Extension is made up of a maze of narrow alleyways. This can make it hard for the large Helen Thompson boat to quickly reach everyone who needs help during floods.
So, our latest boat is a smaller 7ft x 4ft design that can more easily navigate the narrow passageways.
The new boat is called “The Bukluran”, which means “Bonding Together”, and during future floods will work alongside the “Helen Thompson” to ensure everyone can be reached quickly and safely.
Thanks so much for making all this possible.
More boats are always needed, so if you are able to help further then we’d be incredibly grateful as always. If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.
By Andy Chaggar | IDV Chief Executive
By Andy Chaggar | IDV Chief Executive
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