When natural disasters struck communities, LP4Y's motto "Together We can" is more than ever relevant to support each other!
Genesis of the project
In 2014, the Typhoon Ramassun hit the municipality of Calauan in the Philippines where the first Green Village is located. The local constructions were not meant to resist a storm of this magnitude and among the 28 Youth who were currently following the PTE half of them witnessed the partial or total destruction of their home. In front of this situation LP4Y decided to launch a dedicated initiative named “Home Projects” in regard to organizing and financing the reconstruction of the damaged houses as a collective project. Purposes of the Project
- In order to be able to follow the PTE in suitable conditions a Youth needs a safe home. Moreover, Empower the Youth by giving them the opportunity to create and lead by themselves a common project.
- The renovation project is done by the Youth during their free time (vacation / weekend). It creates a “Together we can spirit” and have an important team building effect. They are the one deciding for the action plan (houses to rebuild, what work, quotations, etc.)
Two Projects (among others) that benefited from the Home Project Initiative :
What Happened in Tondo, Manilla, The Philippines ?
A residential area in Happyland, Tondo, Manila was engulfed by fire on Saturday morning, April 18,2020. The fire broke out at 7:31 a.m. in Barangay 105, Zone 8, and quickly spread. Road 10 has been unpassable as 28 BFP fire trucks and fire volunteers' trucks proceeded to the area to respond to the fire. Residents also occupied half of the road as they tried to bring out what belongings they could save from their homes.
A total of 500 families were affected by the fire, and 200 houses were damaged in the highly populated area.Based on initial investigation by the Philippine National Police, the fire started on the second floor of the house located in Happyland. Hopefully, no one died in the fire but a lot of houses burned.
THE BLOOM TEAM actions
“We are an LP4Y program located in Tondo, Manila that counts 18 Youths from Happyland, Aroma and around. We are specialized in hand sewing business, producing a catalogue for young mothers and babies .
Here in Bloom Team, we decided to help one of our fellow Youth here in LP4Y to build her own house, so that she has a place to live. She is one of the affected of fire in Happyland Tondo, Manila last April 18,2020. For that, we organize following a schedule by groups to do this House Project, working on week-ends .
Testimony of Parina, Kathmandu, Népal
WHO?
Namaste,
I am Parina Rai. I am 20 years old. I live in Sinamangal, in Kathmandu, Nepal. I joined LP4Y 2019/9/10 and I am now in the Responsibility step. I am married. I have one daughter. My daughter is very small (10 months). There are six members in my family. There is my husband, my mother in law, my father in law, my daughter and my brother in law. My husband’s job is to load and unload stuff in a small bus but the job is not permanently fixed. Sometimes, he has work and sometimes he doesn't have. Our family status and financial situation is not good. We belong from a poor family. It is too expensive for us to repair the house because we don’t have much money and we don’t have a proper job too. It is really hard for us to survive.
WHERE?
In the slum area of Sinamangal, under the bridge, 2 meter far from the river, there is my House. There are so many problems during the rainy season. When rain starts to fall down from the sky, water starts to come into my house. Also, when the river is going high the flood starts to come into my house from the wall and from the outside.
WHAT & WHY?
In my house, there are many problems because of heavy rains. In the monsoon season when the heavy rain starts, the river is high and flood comes into my house from everywhere: roof, window, wall, door and in front of the ground.
There is also an underground slab of dusty liquid which joined from another house and when it starts raining it overflows and fills my room. (In the first picture, this is one of the 3 entrances of my house and in the second picture we can see that the river is just behind my friend)
Outside there is an up wall but the wall is small that flood comes into the house.
On the floor there is no plaster so when water falls on the floor it is very dirty and not dry.
In the iron steel from the roof, there are small holes everywhere. When rain starts, then water comes in bed and on the ground. The bamboo of the roof is also old. We need to change the bamboo because we don't know when the bamboo will fall down. (See below the picture)
CONSTRUCTION
First we have to collect all the materials (cement, brick, bamboo, iron steel). After that, we need to build up the wall outside, change the iron steel, bamboo, and plaster in the floor.
THE TEAM
For the construction I’ll do it with my husband. The coach will also join after the LPC hours. Also our teammates will help.
Support from our partner : When they decide to take action for the Youth on-site.
Hello ! I'm Margaux, I work in the sustainable development department of Groupe SEB (the world reference in small household equipment) in France. Before joining this group, I volunteered for 3,5 years for LP4Y in the Philippines and in India.
At the end of my mission, I wanted to continue acting at my level in the corporate world as I think companies have a huge role to play concerning environmental, societal and social issues. As Groupe SEB had been supporting LP4Y for a few years, I knew they had great values as well as strong social and environmental commitments.
Today, I don't directly work on philanthropic projects, but as an employee I had the opportunity to apply to an internal call for projects in order to get funds and/or products for a project which is important to me.
When I heard that the slum areas in Tondo had been devastated by a huge fire, it really upset me as I spent much time there at some point of my mission and got close to a few young mothers living there. So when I realized I could get funds to help some youth get a house back, I didn't hesitate ! Of course, it's not much, but I am happy to know that today, they can live with their families under a roof.
Also, as the Youth really marked my mind during my mission through their energy, their resilience and their daring, and I still wanted to act in France I now mentor a young girl through another organization in order to help her achieve her dreams and life project plans.