PHILIPPINES
After Typhoon Haiyan devastated portions of the Philippines, disrupting access to clean water for thousands, we embarked on an emergency relief trip with 400 water filters, in collaboration with Impact Nations and James Harrington from the Ugandan Water Project. Not having contacts in the disaster zone, we first went to a YWAM base in Cebu. Here we met teams coming and going working in the relief efforts. A team recommended we go to a town called Tanauan on the island of Leyte which had been destroyed and hundreds had died.
We arranged logistics and soon were on our way. As we entered the disaster zone the first thing we noticed was the trees had been stripped of their greenery and many people were standing on the sides of the road.
When we arrived at the municipal building in Tanauan, we were welcomed by the leaders and within a few short hours around 200 water filters were going to every corner of the district! We were amazed at the organized efforts! The mayor and his wife were very capable leaders of integrity who really cared about their constituents.
We stayed for a couple of days and upon invitation of the leaders, pitched our tents inside the damaged municipal building. As we surveyed the destruction, another thing that really impressed us was the resilience of the people, working hard with smiles on their faces. “Build Back Better” was their motto and this is exactly what they did in the coming years. Today, Tanauan is a bustling center of activity with much improved conditions, and those who received access to clean water during this time of crisis were forever grateful.
