March 20, 2015
Philippines
"The school looks frightful. Even after a year since typhoon Haiyan, some buildings remain without a roof, and the classrooms are unequipped. Teachers were writing learning material on a sheet of paper or wood stuck to a wall instead of a blackboard", Melinda Gad-Tabuco explained after her first visit to the school in July 2014. As an adminstrator, she was in charge of reorganizing the Integrated School in Burgos. But everything had changed.
After her visit, she addressed several non-profit organizations requesting financial assistance for necessary school equipment. Her requests remained unanswered for a long time. However, after contacting the Centre for Social Action of the Diocese of Calbayog, the Philippine partner of Caritas Czech Republic, change began to happen.
Caritas Czech Republic provided funding for new blackboards, chairs for students, school cafeteria dishes and computers. "Our classes were held outdoors on the lawn after the typhoon. When the dry season started it was too hot, so we had to return to the empty classrooms. Everyone sat on the floor and the teacher wrote learning material on a piece of paper stuck to a wall," declared Nicol, a sixth grade pupil describing her school damaged by Yolanda (the Haiyan typhoon).
"It took two months before we could use the damaged school again, and one year, before we got new equipment. We are so happy to be able to sit on chairs in the classrooms and read notes from large blackboards," also declared 10th grade student Hanna.
"The Integrated School in Burgos is one of the many educational institutions which was devastated by typhoon Haiyan in November 2013 and concurrently one of the seven schools on Samar island which received funding in the amount of 30,000 dollars (about 750,000 CZK) from Caritas Czech Republic and Caritas Romania", Helena Kotková, Caritas Czech Republic deputy in the Philippines, said.
The school in Burgos is a prime example of successful restoration and ensuring high quality teaching for children aged from six to twelve, all because of foreign aid and cooperation.
Over a year after the tropical storm on Samar island, especially on its east coast, there are many families living in temporary shelters made of plastic and sheets, and many schools are still waiting to be repaired. Thanks to the tenacity and indomitable optimism of Filipinos and the assistance of many non-profit organizations and Caritas Czech Republic, life on Samar island has been slowly getting back to normal.
Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, was the most devastating and deadliest typhoon in the Philippines' modern history. In November 2013, over six thousand people died , one hundred thousand people became homeless, and damages reached close to 350 million dollars. The wind blew at an average speed of 270 km/hr during the storm and gusts were even over 300 km/hr. Sea level rose up to fifteen meters.
Photo and text: Jakub Žák.
