Growing Hope in the Philippines
You’re giving the children of Balugan hope for the future
When Typhoon Mangkhut struck the Philippines in September 2018, Michael Baani didn’t know how his family would ever recover from the catastrophic damage.
The gigantic storm created $3.77 billion in damage across multiple countries and left 127 dead in the Philippines alone.
As a farmer living in the Balugan village, Michael and his family made a living tilling the mountainside to grow crops like cabbage and potatoes. When the storm struck it triggered landslides that destroyed what little land he owned. It wiped out other farmers’ fields in the village that grew staple crops like rice and beans.
His village was devastated. Many had lost their homes and fields as they were covered under thick layers of mud.
Natural disasters like Typhon Mangkhut always impact the poor the most. Small-scale farmers like Michael often lose their entire way of life when a storm strikes. In the Bulagan village, many farmers couldn’t repay loans they had taken out on farming equipment, fertilizers, and seeds, and had to leave their village to find work elsewhere.
At Tearfund, we believe the local church is in a unique position to actively respond to natural disasters like Typhoon Mangkhut. That’s why we chose to partner with the local Episcopal church in the region to support farmers like Michael.
Farmers in the region were interviewed to find out what their greatest needs were. They were soon equipped with farm tools like shovels, rakes and hoes, and given a variety of seeds to quickly replant their crops in hopes of lifting themselves from poverty.
After receiving his seeds and tools, Michael was quick to revive his fields, growing crops that would sell quickly like fresh lettuce. If it wasn’t for the tools and seeds provided by the local church, Michael would have had to take out more loans to provide for his family, sinking further into poverty and debt.
Today, Michael and the village of Balugan are rebuilding their homes, businesses and their village. Instead of waiting around for handouts, the village has begun to rebuild their community and is beginning to thrive once more.
But there is still work to be done. Michael and the village of Balugan are hopeful for the future, but need to keep working so the next generation can have hope.
“We need to rehabilitate this area for our children, for the younger generation. Without enough available farmland, my children will become dependent on others,” says Michael. “In the church, we realized we are not facing the problem alone — we are already working on a plan. We should also awaken other people in the community. They also need to realise that it is not hopeless.”
You’re giving the children of Balugan hope for the future by helping farmers like Michael lift themselves out of poverty through replanting their fields and regrowing their businesses.
You have helped the local church act as a beacon of hope during an incredibly dark time. The village of Balugan will be forever changed because of donors like you.
