PHILIPPINES
EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY PROGRAM (2014)
The 15th of October 2013, a severe earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 shook the earth of the island of Bohol in the Philippines. More than 200 people lost their lives, hundreds were wounded and thousands were displaced. The testimonies of the Boholanos with their unwavering smiles is more than touching, despite the harsh conditions they are living in.
Early January 2014, YuCha's members entered the humanitarian world volunteering for All Hands Volunteers (AHV), an American organization. After learning the rules of volunteering, they quickly become team leaders for small projects. Two and a half month after their first day of work, they are choosen to set up a Rebuilding Program in partnership with Habitat For Humanity.
This first experience volunteering after a natural disaster has been extremely rewarding and positive. The energy of the poeple, the force of the group and the resilience of the affected communities transmitted them a strong will to ge further and cary on our actions.
To end their experience in the Philippines, Yurena and Charles set up 2 projects apart from AHV.
The first one is the Priest House project.
Through AHV, they worked on a very interesting project: “The Rolling House”. Together with Bruce Jones, an experienced team leader, they repositioned a house that had fallen down a slope after the earthquake and rolled it back at its original place. In the very religious communities of the Philippines, priest houses are always a central and symbolic meeting place. After 5 days of hard works, the building was back in its place on wood struts but still depending on the whims of our disturbed climate. The rainy season, typhoons and landslides, could push the house back down the slope. So, through an effective fundraising campaign, they built new concrete foundations with 6 local paid laborers in about 10 days.
As the fundraising campaign has been a real success (goal almost doubled), they could afford to set up a second project : finish to construction of the house of Romelito and his family. During the earthquake, Romelito and his wife saved their 2 children but their house collapsed. Two weeks after, they received a basic emergency tent and another two weeks after, they were given a better tent (Shelter Box) in which they lived during more than 6 months. A couple of months after the disaster, they received aid from a local NGO for the reconstruction of their house but, unfortunately, not enough for the entire house. That's when YuCha came in : with a small team of 3 laborers, Romelito has been able to finish their house in two weeks, just before their wedding.
All together, the Philippine experience lasted for 4 and a half months and left an endelible mark engraved in their memory.
Early January 2014, YuCha's members entered the humanitarian world volunteering for All Hands Volunteers (AHV), an American organization. After learning the rules of volunteering, they quickly become team leaders for small projects. Two and a half month after their first day of work, they are choosen to set up a Rebuilding Program in partnership with Habitat For Humanity.
This first experience volunteering after a natural disaster has been extremely rewarding and positive. The energy of the poeple, the force of the group and the resilience of the affected communities transmitted them a strong will to ge further and cary on our actions.
To end their experience in the Philippines, Yurena and Charles set up 2 projects apart from AHV.
The first one is the Priest House project.
Through AHV, they worked on a very interesting project: “The Rolling House”. Together with Bruce Jones, an experienced team leader, they repositioned a house that had fallen down a slope after the earthquake and rolled it back at its original place. In the very religious communities of the Philippines, priest houses are always a central and symbolic meeting place. After 5 days of hard works, the building was back in its place on wood struts but still depending on the whims of our disturbed climate. The rainy season, typhoons and landslides, could push the house back down the slope. So, through an effective fundraising campaign, they built new concrete foundations with 6 local paid laborers in about 10 days.
As the fundraising campaign has been a real success (goal almost doubled), they could afford to set up a second project : finish to construction of the house of Romelito and his family. During the earthquake, Romelito and his wife saved their 2 children but their house collapsed. Two weeks after, they received a basic emergency tent and another two weeks after, they were given a better tent (Shelter Box) in which they lived during more than 6 months. A couple of months after the disaster, they received aid from a local NGO for the reconstruction of their house but, unfortunately, not enough for the entire house. That's when YuCha came in : with a small team of 3 laborers, Romelito has been able to finish their house in two weeks, just before their wedding.
All together, the Philippine experience lasted for 4 and a half months and left an endelible mark engraved in their memory.