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Preventing and Managing Risk in Communities that are Prone to Disaster and Strengthening Their Resilience to Future Shocks

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The Philippines is ranked as the 8th most disaster-prone country all over the world in 2018.
 
At Action Against Hunger, we work to prevent and manage risk in communities that are prone to disaster and strengthen their resilience to future shocks. We help bolster local economies, improve infrastructure, and plan for long-term development.
 
We have been implementing community-based DRR projects over the last 10 years in the Philippines. Working alongside with the national government’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) law and climate change action plan, Action Against Hunger supports the local government units and local communities to be prepared, to mitigate and response to possible disaster events.
Between 2012-2017, we have supported 98,300 Filipinos through our DRR programs. 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.
 
In the spirit of International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction, donate now. https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/
 
(Photo by EJ Villafranca for Action Against Hunger)

FROM ONE EMPOWERED YOUNG WOMAN, CHANGE SPREADS

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In our fight against hunger, we consider the different roles, needs and opportunities of men, women, boys and girls. Aside from conducting programs focused on life-saving humanitarian needs, we strive to improve these gaps, and make a lasting gender-responsive impact.
 
Part of this is acknowledging the roles of young girls as change-makers and future leaders, inspiring their peers to learn new skills and making an impact for their future endeavors.
 
However, we also recognize that in some communities, their voices are sometimes limited because of certain societal factors.
 
Help us implement gender transformative programs in the Philippines and expand the platforms for young girls all over the country to be the change they want to be.
 
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/
 
(Photo by EJ Villafranca for Action Against Hunger)

Real Life Heroes: Nora Landas

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Last week, we sat down with Nora Landas, one of our Real-Life Heroes from Barangay Ilomavis, Kidapawan City. Nora shares the struggles of living in an evacuation site and the anxiety and stress that came along with them.
 
“It is never easy to live in tents. You’re not able to do the things you used to do, and it’s really a different feeling comparted to being in the comfort of your own home,” says Nora.
“How long are we going to be like this?” is a usual sentiment of mothers, young adults, and even children who are living in evacuation and transitory sites. Not only have their lives have changed due to the Mindanao earthquakes, the pandemic has worsened the situation ever since social activities in the sites have been limited.

(Photo by Debbie Olivo for Action Against Hunger)

 

It wasn’t until Nora and her fellow volunteers applied mental health and psychosocial (MHPSS) care practices that insights in the community started becoming more positive. “The PSS sessions conducted in our respective assigned areas rekindled the social involvement between members of the community.” People appreciated the things they’ve learned from the sessions while at the same time enjoying the company of other parents and adults.

(Photo by Debbie Olivo for Action Against Hunger)

Together with our Earthquake Response Team, volunteers also provided the participants with education and information on nutrition & health.

Nora and her fellow volunteers were trained on a series of community-based PSS Sessions conducted last February by Action Against Hunger Philippines and funded by the European Union. The activity aimed to give equal importance to mental and social health among internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Life-saving Humanitarian Assistance to People Affected by the Mindanao Earthquake is funded by the European Union, and implemented by Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, and ACCORD Incorporated.

Written by Debbie Olivo.

Providing Shelter Kits to 76 Households in Sayaban Transitory Sites, Barangay Ilomawis, Kidapawan City, North Cotobato

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Written by Joayra Gem Balagtas for Action Against Hunger
“I remember, we had to sleep on the floor with just sacks during our first nights in the tent. You will feel the cold mud beneath it, but it’s all we had at that time,” recalls 56 year-old evacuee, Josephine Barila.
 
To say that life in the evacuation site is not the most comfortable, is truly an understatement. Evacuees try their best to survive daily through the aid they receive, and whatever is left or saved from their properties.
 
Access to shelter is not only a basic need but also a human right, and because of the pandemic, having an adequate home that guarantees safety is more important now than ever. In order to address this, our Emergency Response Team provided shelter kits to 76 households in Sayaban Transitory Sites, Barangay Ilomawis, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato last September 11. The kits include materials that evacuees can use to build beds or platforms inside their evacuation tents. ‘Build Back Safer’ awareness sessions were also conducted.
 
Through this assistance, we hope to provide some comfort to the evacuees who have been displaced since the #MindanaoEarthquakes late last year.
 
This was made possible through the funding of the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO and support from our consortium partners from CARE Philippines and ACCORD Incorporated.
 
(Photos by Joayra Gem Balagtas for Action Against Hunger)

Strengthening our Risk Communication and Community Engagement Efforts to Prevent Spread of the Coronavirus

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Part of our initiatives in preventing the spread of the coronavirus is by strengthening our risk communication and community engagement efforts which have reached more than 200,000 people.

Wherever we work, we motivate families and communities to uphold proper hygiene and sanitation practices through our hygiene promotion sessions, allowing them to understand the value of hygiene in fighting infectious diseases, as well as hunger and malnutrition.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/

Life After The Mindanao Earthquake: 82 Year Old Man Living By Himself

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Written by Joayra Gem Balagtas for Action Against Hunger

 

82-year old Pedro Sanchez has been living alone in the evacuation site in Perez, Kidapawan ever since the Mindanao earthquakes last year. All three of his children now have families of their own. They would sometimes send him financial help, but it is usually not enough to support Pedro since their families have needs as well.

More than a year ago, Pedro was diagnosed with diabetes and suffered a stroke, and he hasn’t been able to walk ever since. He can hardly hear as well, which he says could probably be because of his old age.

Pedro relies on his good neighbors for assistance in taking care of himself. Whenever he has money, he asks his neighbors to buy him supplies and food. They also volunteer to do his laundry and other chores that he has trouble doing by himself. However, there are days where his neighbors aren’t around to help him, so no matter how challenging, he does these tasks on his own.

Last September 21, our 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 provided Pedro a wheelchair, to help him go through his daily activities with more ease. Teary-eyed, Pedro expressed his gratitude as he saw the wheelchair being pulled towards his tent.

Pedro is one of the 200 target beneficiaries to receive health and protection assistance as part of our 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 #𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 which is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO.

To find out more on our Emergency Responses in the Philippines, go to:
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/what-we-do/…

Real Life Heroes – Aldin Beta-a

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Aldin Beta-A is more than a DRR Supervisor for our MOVE UP 3 Project, he is one of our Real-Life Heroes.

After spearheading the Resilient Livelihood Support turnover for 50 families in Marikina last September 18, he shares his experience as a humanitarian worker and working tirelessly to help others amidst the pandemic.

When did you start being involved in development work?
My initial employment was focused on ancestral domain management after I graduated back in 2000. After that, I was mostly involved in the agricultural field and was also part of an earthquake rehabilitation program. In 2006, I was deployed in Southern Luzon, in Aurora, for a community disaster risk reduction program. Thereafter, I was more involved on humanitarian responses during in 2013 until now.

What were your struggles as a humanitarian worker, especially now during the pandemic?
Well, the normal struggle is how to expedite the process given that time is limited, and especially now that transportation between areas have become challenging. The common way we communicate now is through non-face-to-face interactions which can be challenging when it comes to decision-making.

What motivates you to continue a career in humanitarian work?
As a humanitarian worker, it is common in our DNA to help others and doing no harm, so that motivates me to help others even if it needs more patience or innovative ways of getting things done.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
My hope for the future is for us to continuously adapt. I see that we constantly change as a society, even though we experience many hazards or risks. I see that as we can adapt to these different disasters and emergencies, and cope as human beings.

Moving Urban Poor Communities Toward Resilience (MOVE UP 3) is an urban disaster risk reduction (DRR) project which aims to build resilience among urban poor communities in Mindanao. With funding from the European Union, MOVE UP 3 is implemented by a consortium of partners consisting of Action Against Hunger Philippines, Plan International Philippines, CARE Philippines, and ACCORD Incorporated.

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Ensuring the Health and Safety of the Communities We Work with Through Nutrition-sensitization Trainings

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Prior to the pandemic, the Philippines was already one of the top 10 countries worldwide with the highest number of stunted children. This is alarming since the risk of mortality among undernourished children, increases 15-fold if they develop pneumonia.

Because of this, we rolled out nutrition-sensitization trainings for our local government partners and health volunteers who are our allies in ensuring the health and safety of the communities we work with.

Learn more about our programs on nutrition & health: https://actionagainsthunger.ph/what-we-do/#nutrition-and-health

#TogetherAgainstCOVID19, #COVID19PH, #COVID19, #EndHungerPH,
#nutrition, #health, #malnutrition, #childhunger, #filipinochildren, #philippines, #developmentwork, #humanitarianwork, #frontliners