Project Report
| Jan 16, 2019
Becoming the Change We Wish to See
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In providing emergency and long term relief in the aftermath of the September 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut/ Omphong in the Mindoro area of the Philippines, Asia America Initiative continues to provide programs that have addressed both short-term and long-term relief and recovery. We have listened carefully to our beneficiary communities and local NGO and community development sponsors to adapt our methods to make a difference in the midst of a major calamity. In essence, we have applied the wisdom expressed in the statement: "Be the change you wish to see."
With so many disasters and natural disasters and violence around the world, we have learned to prioritize tasks we could achieve and do much with limited funding. In addition to Global Giving donors' contributions, we pooled resources with local partner NGOs. In December 2019, we received a grant from GlobalGiving's Disaster Relief program of $5,000 to multiply our resources and capabilities with partners and local community groups, including local government agencies and the Philippine National Police who were tasked with search and rescue in remote mountainous areas.
Thanks to all of our extended Global Giving family, we have surpassed our target population in need by providing immediate food, water and plastic temporary shelter materials to more than 100 families in the remote tribal areas of Mindoro Province. These families are members of the indigenous Mangyan tribe who are among the most impoverished and underserved people in the Philippines. We have assisted mountain tribal people in numerous natural disasters since Typhoon Haiyan in 2013/14. Thus, we and our relief partners know the area well and the needs of the people who survive there.
In Typhoon Ompong calamity was built on natural disaster due to mudslides and rockslides that buried entire villages and destroyed one of our favorite elementary schools -- Mabini Elementary -- which serves some 350 children from surrounding villages. Due to the lack of roads and many streams and swollen creeks during the rainy season, the children must swim to school at times where not even rickety bridges exist. We have provided these children with clothing, rubber sandals, school bags and books and classroom supplies, as well as woven mats and light blankets for their families to sleep on, and mosquito nets to prevent diseases such as malaria and dengue. We have also provided vegetable seeds for small gardens to ensure their survival. When our advance team reached Mabini village area after the storm, many children were naked because all of their belongings were washed away or buried in mud slides.
"It is a blessing that Asia America Initiative, has always addressed the most essential issues in consultation with village elders and never makes promises they cannot keep, says Dr. Yolanda Stern, "director of the One World Institute. "The healing they provide is rooted in friendship and trust. The Manyan children and their families respond to their sincere outreach of our informal but experienced coalition."
AAI's general support funds and the funds from Global Giving donors were used quickly on food, water and shelter and some light clothes. AAI also sent some stuffed toys and story books donated as gifts-in-kind by a few churches in the US. In addition, we continue a daily feeding program for impoverished childen in highland elementary schools whose communities were battered by the storm.
We are using $3,500 to help build an all-weather school and shelter from the storms, to replace the destroyed Mabini Elementary School. We will use $500 to donate gift-in-kind textbooks for the school and, of course, additional stuffed toys to help with the children’s psychological recovery from the trauma caused by the wrath of Super Typhoon Ompong and the mudslides that followed. $1,000 is being used for much-needed hygiene soap, mosquito repellent to prevent malaria, and assorted seeds for small family gardens to help alleviate malnutrition.
We thank you all for your generous support.
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