Food and Shelter for Philippine Typhoon Survivors

As a result of tragedy caused by Super Typhoon in 2013, during the past five years we have learned much about how community can not only survive but realize confidence for success on their own initiatives. We want to share with you a success story about the students of rural Catig Lacadon ES in the Visayas region of the Philippines, which had been devastated by 200 mph typhoon winds. Almost all children who attend this school are children of seasonal agriculture workers who seldom own the mountainous land they labor.  AAI continues to support Catig Lacadon and other schools who we met when they were in shock and uncertain of their future. Today, students of Principal Rowena are achieving numerous district and regional honors in academics, journalism and the arts. 

When a community is able to be stabilized after a natural or man-made crisis, their ability to get back on their feet via neighbors helping each other, greatly improves. "By bringing the community together through the schools doing repair and rebuilding classrooms, students, teachers and their families begin to heal and reenergize," Principal Rowena reflects. "By providing daily meals at school cooked by Moms, when food and water are limited and expensive, the children begin to feel stronger and become healthier. They can concentrate on their studies and begin to get back to normal."  AAI in Virginia and our local staff are with them on a daily basis. We want them to know they are not alone in this world trying to recover from such devastation.  Thanks to our Global Giving donors, we are able to be there.

The Philippines is continuously battered by tropical storms. In September 2018, major typhoon Mangkhut delivered destruction to the northern Philippines causing 105,000 homeless. These areas were heavily damaged in 2013 by Super Typhoon Haiyan and in 2017 Typhoon Vinta. Asia America Initiative with our local partners conduct long-term emergency relief and provide food and water to thousands of affected families. We provide medical and food support to disaster survivors, especially in remote villages that are difficult to reach. Today we sustain assistance to thousands of families, especially children, in desperate need. We extend a lifeline through partnerships with courageous volunteers and professionals. 

Our long term goal is self-sufficiency of storm survivors across the region.  The immediate impact is to keep people alive, healthy and in a positive frame of mind to be confident and enthusiastic about building a better future. The long term effect is for all involved to have a role in addressing the medical and social systems of impacted communities. AAI's strength is in partnerships with local, national and international donors and experts who show us how to help ourselves."

We thank you for your continued support. 

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website

Typhoon relief during 2018 has been challenging and rewarding.  Villages in the Visayas, Philippines region suffered heavy flooding, damaging winds and massive landslides throughout the year beginning last December with Typhoon Vinta and most recently Typhoon Mangkhut and heavy rains during this pre-Christmas Season. Asia America Initiative remains actively assisting communities affected by natural disasters.  We have chosen public schools as the centers of communities where we can focus on both nutritional support and psychological post-traumatic recovery.  A little love goes a long way.

AAI's Global Giving donors have been generous and supportive. Thanks to a Global Giving corporate grant and many heartfelt donations from every-day people, we have been able to help communities begin to rebuild and recover.  AAI structurally assists in rebuilding schools and repairing classrooms. We also provide food, hygiene supplies, clean drinking water and medical kits to impacted school populations. More than 12,000 individual school lunches per month are cooked on-site by caring Mothers and Grandmothers. Once again this Christmas, AAI has provided hundreds of children from impoverished families with toys, stuffed animals and artistic supplies that help to make their Holiday Season joyful.

Returning to relative normalcy is key to keeping communities together after a disaster. The longer recovery takes, the more likely families will become displaced and migrate to other regions due to poor living conditions and food insecurity.  "What AAI has done affects children in a positive manner on every level of their lives," says Principal Rowena at Catig Lacadon Elementary school in the highlands of Cuartero, Capiz.  "A gift as simple as a stuffed teddy bear or a coloring book with crayons, keeps the children active and replaces nightmares of tragedy with the joyful magic of Christmas. "

AAI believes in the dignity of the individual and keeping those impacted in a positive frame of mind. In order to keep children healthy, we continue to sponsor school lunch to some of the poorest areas in Visayas that were already below the poverty line.  We also wish to share with you in pictures some highlights of children receiving relief items from AAI staff during December 2018.  In January 2019, we will continue with new school supplies and to assure that every child in our schools receives a gift of Hope.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  We ask you to please feel that you are a part of this wonderful effort.  Your continued involvement is much appreciated.

Links:

• Asia America Initiative Website