Dubai
Praise to those who do good for others in their own modest way. In May, 2016, a community report highlighted a group of people who collect unwanted fabric to make bed sheets and bags for the needy. This inspired me to help out the people affected by Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda, in my home country, Philippines.
I’ve been working on small things to help, like collecting old clothes, washing and ironing them and then putting them all in boxes, which are shipped home for the needy at my province of Occidental Mindoro. I even collect old eye glasses for the elderly who cannot afford to buy a new pair. I also try to collect old shoes, not ones with high heels, and black trousers, which could be used as uniform by some high school students.
The collection also focuses on used mobile phones, which need to be in working order. Whatever is considered as waste by us, is considered as gold by the underprivileged.
Two years ago, the typhoon, which is described as one of the worst storms to hit Phillipines, killed more than 5,000 people, as reported by CNN. It left so much damage.
A lot of reports were doing the rounds in the Philippines media when the storm first struck about a lot of donations coming into the country from around the world. But, it remained under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which is the government department responsible for social welfare. They failed to distribute the goods to the needy.
There were many posts on social media on how the government failed its people and just buried the aid.
A report published by The Manila Times in July, 2015, looks at how some politicians were using the aid as a means to earn more votes. International news outlets, like CNN and The Guardian, have reports online on huge amounts of the Yolanda fund going missing. All of this happened while desperate people waited for help.
There wasn’t much that could be done to change the way the government handled the situation, but we as humans can still make a difference. These small boxes of old clothes might just put a smile on the faces of some of the victims. People are in need of basic necessities, like clothes, shoes, utensils and food. They are so poor that whatever little money they have will be used to perhaps buy food and they will go barefoot instead.
At present, I have two boxes of clothes ready to be shipped. I purchased the clothes at a flea market in Sharjah. I picked the good ones, as many were not in a condition to be shipped. I am now waiting for enough supply to send the next shipment. It costs Dh100 to send a medium-sized box and I am currently working alone and paying myself. But, I request people to join in.
The last time I was visiting, my brother told me about the people who needed help. Additionally, I am in touch with non-profit organisations in the Philippines.
Those interested in helping can reach me at corazontarcena@yahoo.com.
— The reader is a secretary based in Dubai.
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