For over 100 families living in one of the congested area of Tatalon, in Manilla, the unimaginable happened shortly before the distribution of 6,000 bedkits was scheduled to occur in their country. A raging fire broke out and, in an instant, makeshift homes and all belongings were lost. Incredibly, injuries were few and no lives were lost. Families are temporarily housed in two community halls with communal living and no privacy for anyone. Our able Overseas Volunteer Organization (OVO) responded to this emergency by directing over 100 bedkits to some of the most needy of these children. The children's smiles were overwhelming as the picture attests.
On day two, we entered the fishing community of Hagonoy that had been carefully selected for an early morning distribution as this area is virtually flooded once everyday and every two weeks as the tides reach their high point. As we worked against the encroaching water, it was obvious that while the bedkit distribution would be welcome by needy families, the community was working together to solve the problem of flooding im a permanent way. "Canals" are being built everywhere to ease the flood waters away from homes, roads and schools. Health issues from standing water will be greatly diminished through industrious management and the community will soon have a new school building which will not flood and quickly become uninhabitable. We raced against time to complete the 350 bedkit distribution and as the van drove through the ever incoming tide waters, we marvelled at the seaside home dwellers, their persistence to better their lives and the support of our OVO to work with them allowed us the privilege of meeting families, especially the children who will have the opportunity of a good night's rest under a treated mosquito net. We watched as tiny minnows who had been washed in on the last tide waters be returned to the sea so one day they might provide the staple meal in this area, the fish.
Resiliance and perseverance in the two "acts of nature," fire and flood, gave the Philippine Sleeping Children team pause to reflect on the purpose our founder Murray Dryden had in mind when he too visited the Philippines many years ago and worked hand in hand with the same OVO we have the honour of working in partnership with them to deliver the donor bedkits to with the full knowledge that the recipients were appropriate and their thanks to you, the donors, was clearly seen in the shining faces of the children as they received their precious gift of a bedkit.
Leslie Banner
for Team Philippines 2012
Click to leave a comment.
