Human Nature's Desiree reflects on rebuilding typhoon-stricken communities in Leyte

Human Nature's Desiree reflects on rebuilding typhoon-stricken communities in Leyte

Prior to becoming Human Nature’s Bukidnon Business Manager, Desiree Dales had experience with stress management and play therapy with various non-governmental organizations. Since joining the Human Nature family four months ago, Desiree has embraced her call to compassion and social action, most notably in her volunteer work with Gawad Kalinga (GK) to help rebuild the lives and livelihoods of  Typhoon Yolanda victims in Leyte.

 


Survivors in Leyte line up for relief goods and work to rebuild their houses from devastation; The Clearing Operations and Cadaver Recovery Team gather in prayer

 

With Operation Walang Iwanan: Typhoon Yolanda in full swing, Gawad Kalinga's Bukidnon team partnered with GK National and was dispatched along with a team of doctors, nurses, nuns, local government workers, and other volunteers spearheaded by the 1Bukidnon Help Mission team - a co-operation of organizations focused on offering relief services by distributing relief goods and clearing debris, as well as conducting medical missions, cadaver retrievals, and stress debriefing for victims in different barangays in Leyte and some areas in Samar.

With their team on the ground and their hearts in their hands, Human Nature's Desiree recounts her impressions and sentiments upon first arriving in Maasin City, the capital of Southern Leyte: “It’s devastated. It was all darkness except from some candle-lit houses. For three to four hours, we encountered only leafless trees, destroyed houses, and piles of debris.”

Despite the mounds of wreckage before them and the terror of trauma within them, the people of Leyte are determined to raise their collective spirit and restore the normalcy of everyday life. “The Filipino spirit truly is unbeatable,” Desiree praises. “It’s surprising how we can now see a few vendors already selling mangoes and root crops with smiles on their faces. The people are picking up the pieces with an unbelievable fighting spirit! These are baby steps, but we'll get there.”

 


Priceless smiles of children survivors are a bright testament to the enduring spirit of Leyte

 

As GK’s response team in Leyte engages the community, many stories of hope unravel. “A fellow volunteer talked to four teenagers who lost their houses to the typhoon,” she recounts. “These children admitted that even a small gust of wind or soft rainfall already scares them. The experience of Yolanda has obviously left them traumatized. But after telling them about how far we have traveled and how the people all over the Philippines and the world are working together to help them (they have no means of hearing the news), their faces lit up. There was a new spark in their eyes that I would like to interpret as hope.”

With thousands of relief volunteers mobilizing throughout the Visayas area, Desiree reminds us that there is still so much to be done. “Leyte is standing up and the people are doing their best to bring life back to normal, but we are still very far from it,” she admits. “We need massive effort and even greater amount of prayer.”

It is once the post-calamity clamor has died down that help is most needed in stricken communities like Leyte, for it is then – when they are outside the public eye – that they are at most risk of being forgotten. But for GK’s teams, caring for and uplifting the most vulnerable of our nation is a culture and a continuous commitment to build a strong nation that leaves no one behind.

As one fellow GK volunteer muses, “The stars are shining bright – a sign of hope. It is not just the stars but the volunteers that shine brighter."

"Our collective effort, whether in Leyte or in the comfort of our own homes, already makes a difference in their lives," Desiree asserts. "We may not always hear inspiring stories and we may get caught up in the daily bustle of life, but let us not tire of helping our brothers and sisters get on their feet.”

 

The outpouring of relief for Yolanda survivors will taper down in the next few months, but our work is just beginning. Join us as we commit to raise at least P10 million to build Human Nature's first Gawad Kalinga Village. This massive project will involve all employees, branches, dealers, members, partners, and even suppliers, from participating in building homes, fundraising, and volunteering in the community's development programs, to identifying and developing sustainable livelihood opportunities, and working shoulder to shoulder with the residents. We will be providing updates in the coming weeks and months so that you, too, can be part of helping a stronger Philippines rise from the rubble. Stay tuned! :)

 

Photo credits: Ramon Laruan & Khemar Cojada