Cash for shelter: Glenda and Genevie story
Genevie’s house was almost buried in mud when Typhoon Goni cause mudflow in Guinobatan, Albay. The family sought refuge in Glenda’s house.
One of the goals of the ECHO-funded Life-Saving Humanitarian Support to Families Affected by Typhoon Goni project, which is implemented by World Vision, ADRA,OXFAM and PDRRN, is to provide support not just to affected families with totally damaged houses, but also their hosts.
Glenda is one of those.
“This support was unexpected. I only meant to help Genevie’s family, but I ended up getting help, too,” she says.
Genevie is Glenda’s neighbor and used to be her househelp. Over the years, both women have become friends.
“When typhoon Goni hit our town, we ran to their house for safety. The typhoon damaged our house. My husband and I decided to move to the evacuation center so that it would be easier to access relief goods,” she adds.
One week in the evacuation center, Genevie felt fear.
“My 3-year old Genmark couldn’t eat well in the evacuation center. He would have bad dreams at night. I was also always worried for our health because of the pandemic,” says Genevie.
Glenda, meanwhile, felt the same fear for Genevie’s safety. She then decided to invite the family back to her home.
Glenda did not mind adjusting her family’s comfort while welcoming Genevie into her home, but the decision also had budget implications.
“I used to budget at least P5000 for our foods and groceries but we adjusted it to P7000 when we took them in. My husband and I anticipated that. What matters most then was to get Genevie’s family to safety,” she shares.
“We went back to Glenda’s house. She was generous to us. I was also happy for Genmark because he could sleep and eat well. Despite Glenda’s kindness, I was still uncomfortable because we were eating and living in her house for free.”
The importance of accountability mechanism in humanitarian response
When Genevie learned about the project’s initiative for host families, she got excited. To her dismay, however, she was not included in the first list of beneficiaries.
“I saw and maximized the feedback box and also the contact number where I can give comments. A staff came to me, and, thankfully, after assessing our condition, included us in the project. I’m glad I was heard,” shares Genevie.
“We’re grateful for the help we got. We received P2000 each month. Genevie and I used the money to buy a sack of rice and groceries,” adds Glenda.
“That cash support allowed me to became more at ease and comfortable with Glenda. Months after the typhoon, we are slowly recovering. We are grateful for all the support we got,” says Genevie.
The cash support for host families has catered to at least 600 households in the municipalities of Guinobatan, Malinao and Tiwi in Albay.
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Child Sponsorship is more than just a monetary contribution. It brings Hope, Joy and Justice to vulnerable Filipino children. When you become a child sponsor, you are embarking on a mission to help empower the disadvantaged, respond to their most immediate needs when disasters happen, make health and education accessible for children, lead communities toward self-sufficiency through livelihood opportunities, and so much more. You do not just impact a child, you impact his or her community.
