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Disaster, Trauma, HopeKen Graham — Hillsburgh, ON Sleeping Children Around the World [SCAW] went to the Bicol region of the Philippines, 500 km south of Manila, this year. This, in turn, caused many areas to be completely covered by what had spewed out of the mountain several weeks earlier. In many places this was several meters deep, wiping out many families and their dwellings. One couple I talked with lived on higher ground. Hearing the warning of the approaching typhoon, they purchased some extra food as it is normal to shop daily for supplies. When the storm hit, people who lived on lower ground nearby began arriving, seeking shelter as their dwellings became flooded. The result was sharing their home and meager food supplies with eight families for a few days!. After the storm subsided, they went to check on his mother who lived nearby. He found the refrigerator was still afloat. His mother, sister and her three children had used sofa cushions to help them stay afloat during the worst of the flood! Those whose homes were not totally destroyed faced a horrendous cleanup job. It took about a month to have the power restored. Many were not so lucky. Loss of life in this disaster is estimated in the thousands. There is as yet no accurate count of the loss of life. Trauma sets in for those who lost family and loved ones as well as their dwelling and all their personal posessions. Some immediate help was given for temporary housing and food, but help has now ended. Most are trying to rebuild their lives as well as a dwelling.  Now, about six months later, Sleeping Children has brought comfort and hope to 3,000 children in the Bicol region. The parents of these children are very thankful to you for providing their children with necessary things which, at this time, they are unable to provide. It is amazing what a gift of love in the form of a bedkit can do. The benefit doesn't stop with the child, it gives the entire family hope for the future. |
Mount Mayon began erupting here in August of 2006. Lava, rocks, ash, and lahar (a muddy mixture of sand-like granules and water) ran down the mountain, displacing many local people. These folk were reluctant to leave their livestock and crops at that time. The really big disaster happened a few months later when the area was hit by a powerful typhoon. The large amount of rain along with the high winds caused the ash, lahar, and rock to fill and block natural waterways and rivers.