Hey all and thank you so much for clicking on the link to help All Hands Volunteers rebuild in the Philippines!

So lots of you know I’m not great with writing the words but I will give this a go...

I have spent 10 of the last 16 months living in the Philippines working with All Hands Volunteers. The reason I am still here is because every day I see the urgent need to continue to help people who have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan. 

16 months post the disaster that destroyed 1.1 million homes and still 475,000 people are estimated to still be living in unsafe or inadequate makeshift shelters. They are considered highly vulnerable communities most at risk because their coping mechanisms have diminished and vulnerabilities have increased further.  Our focus is now on these people. Ensuring that those communities still living in such conditions so far post disaster have their basic needs fulfilled. 

So far, since starting the rebuild and recovery stage following Typhoon Haiyan, All Hands Volunteers have collaborated with a number of organisations to help with the construction of over 270 transitional shelters, 10 disaster resistant core homes, 2 temporary class rooms, 1 school and 34 boats. Giving hundreds of families shelter, children access to education and fishermen back their livelihoods. 

However, there really is so much more we need to do.

Anyone that knows me, has seen my Facebook updates or spoken to me on the phone over the last year will know how important this is to me, and how much I believe in empowering volunteers to help these strong, inspirational, hopeful survivors of Typhoon Haiyan to rebuild their lives and regain some sense of normality after such devastation.

All I am asking is that everybody gives something small, I have learned whilst being with All Hands the tremendous difference you can make as an individual when people pull together. So think about donating the price of a coffee or your next pint to help us make a difference. If my 1250 Facebook friends all gave £2 we could build 6 fishermen new boats to regain their livelihood and feed their families and we would be over half way to building a family in Barangy 83C a disaster resilient home so they could go to bed safe without living in fear of the next Typhoon. Have a think about what you usually spend £2 on. I can promise you that by making a donation the impact you will have on the families we are currently working with will be phenomenal.

Thanks for reading friends and thanks in advance for all your generosity.

Love.