British donor visits Yolanda survivors in Bantayan Island
Yolanda victims in Bantayan Island received a visit from Saleh Saeed, CEO of the British Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which has so far raised £90million ($150million / 6.6Billion peso) from the British public.
The DEC is an umbrella organization for 14 leading British humanitarian aid agencies that unite in times of a major disaster to immediately respond and rapidly channel funds to meet immediate disaster needs.
When the DEC makes an appeal, the UK television, radio, newspapers, websites, and even London’s tube stations and buses carry a united message to call for support for disaster victims, with celebrities offering their support to raise awareness. The amount raised for Yolanda is the third highest total for an appeal in the DEC’s 50 year history, with fundraising scheduled to continue until May 2014.
Emergency aid provided through the DEC appeal included clean water, food, health care, tents, heavy plastic sheeting, latrines, blankets and cooking sets, and shelter construction and repair kits.
During their 10 day trip from London the DEC team visited Tacloban and Northern Cebu, to see first-hand how the funds it has raised have been spent. DEC CEO, Mr Saleh Saeed, was keen to spend as much time as possible talking to people whose lives have been affected by the devastating storm, and discussing needs that still exist with the municipal and provincial authorities.
The visit to Bantayan Island was hosted and facilitated by Islamic Relief Worldwide who, as a DEC member agency, has used funds to provide tents and plastic sheeting to people across northern Cebu, including Bantayan and Camotes islands, and is now building stronger houses for vulnerable families using funds received from the DEC.
Mr Saeed also met with Mayor Ian Christopher Gonzaga Escario and Mayor Jose ‘ Titing’ Esgana of Bantayan and Santa Fe municipalities respectively to discuss the major needs of the area.
Sitting under these very same Islamic Relief tents, Mr Saeed asked families about their experiences and if they felt the aid they had received was what they needed and tried to understand about their situation now. There were some emotional moments as families shared their terrifying experiences, and he showed a special concern for children and their safety and any issues that may have arisen from their traumatic experiences of the storm. There were also moments of joy however as Mr Saeed played with children, and showed a genuine care for the victims of this crisis, thanking families for allowing his visit and taking time to help him gain further understanding.
He was graciously thanked by the beneficiaries he met, although said: "It is not me, it is the British people, I am here to represent their generosity and try to ensure their intentions to help are being achieved, though we can share your thanks to them."
Mr Saeed also visited Islamic Relief’s shelters that have are being built, with models being put on public display in Barangay Sillon and Barangay Pooc, both in Santa Fe municipality. These houses are designed to be much stronger and resilient in times of high winds and high rains, using hollow cement blocks, strengthened frames made from coco lumber, and a streamlined CGI roof with outer sealing to prevent the roof from lifting/ twisting.
Mr Saeed shared: "We have seen good work from our member agencies during our trip, and seeing the work of Islamic Relief has been the icing on the cake, we need to show the British public that their generous donations are making a difference to the people here. Tents and plastic sheets are good for the immediate emergency response, but we need to keep progressing into supporting recovery so it is great to see that these strong houses are being built."
The final evening of the DEC visit was spent in the Provincial Capitol with the Vice Governor of Cebu Province and Islamic Relief, where discussions were held to share the altruistic intentions of the British people and how best these can support the region through a relationship that seeks nothing more than to support those in humanitarian need with effective and timely support.