This blog entry recalls the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and the impact of the Bayanihan Foundation in providing immediate relief and continued recovery efforts. The foundation provided food packages to street children scavenging food in garbage dumpsites in Tacloban City, Leyte Philippines. Please stay with the Philippines and continue your support.
Street children picking scraps from a garbage dump in Tacloban City, Leyte Philippines (photo courtesy of Feeding A Future)
Evelyn Castillo and Dale Asis distributing food to street children in a nearby garbage dumpsites in Tacloban City, Leyte Philippines (2014)
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda hit landfall and devastated the island of Leyte, Philippines. The storm quickly became the strongest typhoon ever recorded to hit landfall, and unofficially the strongest typhoon ever recorded in terms of wind speed.[4] up to 315 km/hr. In comparison, Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orléans, Louisiana in 2006 had sustained winds up to 280 km/hr.
In 2014, a year after Typhoon Haiyan hit landfall in the Philippines, the Bayanihan Foundation continues its impact after the aftermath of the typhoon and continues its plea for your help to stay with the Philippines and become a partner for long-term sustainability. The foundation responded immediately. I was helping Evelyn Castillo, the foundation’s Philippine Liaison immediately distribute food relief in helping far-flung barangays (villages) in Samar. The Bayanihan Foundation, at times, were the first ones that provided critical food relief to some of these families in some of these remote areas.
Dale Asis and Evelyn Castillo distributing food to street children
Dale Asis and Evelyn Castillo distributing food relief to street children
Street children in Barangay Santo Nino, Tacloban City, Leyte lining up to receive food relief after Typhoon Haiyan
I also helped Evelyn Castillo, the foundation’s Philippine Liaison provide food relief to street children and their families scavenging in a nearby garbage dump site in Barangay (Village) Santo Nino, Tacloban City . These street children are education scholars of Blair Smart and his project Feeding A Future.
In 2010, I met Blair Smart and I wrote a blog entry about his efforts to provide basic food and scholarships to 20 children living in garbage dumpsites outside Tacloban City in Leyte Island, Philippines. Blair is a medical student at Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL and has raised substantial donations to provide food and educational scholarships to these indigent children scavenging foods and scraps in garbage dump sites to survive.
Street children receiving food relief in Tacloban City, Leyte
Dale Asis (far left) and Evelyn Castillo (far right) pose with street children scavenging from a nearby garbage dump site. The children received food packages.
You might say that helping 20 children is quite small compared to the hundreds of thousands of street children that go hungry every night. However, I admire Blair’s commitment as he overcame the cynicism; he wanted to affect change. The Bayanihan Foundation also would like you to overcome that cynicism, to stay with the Philippines, continue your support and help us along the road of long-term recovery. Would you donate $20 and provide a bag of food relief for one street child and her family? You can donate securely online through PayPal by clicking on this LINK.
