A “DIGNIFIED” HOUSING ALTERNATIVE

HEARThaus™ for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. With the aim of going sustainable and creative in our HEARTanonymous Campaign for Typhoon Yolanda victims, we will be providing alternative homes to the affected families, in a collective attempt of providing one house at a time. HEARThaus™ is a 15.6 sq. mt. house, enough to shelter a family whose house was destroyed by natural disaster (like earthquake, typhoon, floods, landslides, etc.). HEARThaus™ is made of steel and of plywood panels. Exactly a lego-type affordable shelter, can be assembled or built in the area. This is a pre-fabricated housing package. HEARThaus™ builds community, thru the generosity of donors we will be providing deserving recipients with a HEARThaus™. HEARTanonymous.org offers partnerships with donors, in the spirit of building community and re-building lives. This is our contribution to the recovery efforts of the hard-hit areas of Typhoon Yolanda.

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Buenaventura “Nonoy” Jarabelo lives along the coastal area of Cadiz City. He makes his living by assisting fishermen arrange and repair their fishing nets. Nonoy said he survived two tragedies in his life. First, he is a survivor of the 1985 Escalante Massacre, which claimed 20 lives. He was part of the organized youth group who participated during that welga ng bayan. Nonoy was lucky enough to have survived with only a scar of an armalite bullet on his back. Second, he survived the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The Jarabelo family was fortunate enough to have evacuated to a nearby public school the night before the super typhoon passed through the northern part of Negros. At the height of the storm, 2 aryuma trees shattered his house along the coastline. “Kung wala kami nag bakwet, siguroapil mi ogkalatakuyogsa among balay,” said Nonoy, a widower and a father of 4. (If we stayed in the house and did not evacuate, we would have been crushed to death along with our house.) An ordinary bahaykubo (nipa hut) was already a treasure for a simple family like the Jarabelos in the province.The damages brought by Typhoon Yolanda put the family into hopelessness. “Nangamuyonalangkonamasanagan, kaywalajudkomahimo,” he said. (I prayed for an enlightenment. I have nothing.) One of their neighbors offered a pigpen for Nonoy and his family to use as a temporary shelter. Nonoy took it as a blessing. He and his 3 kids found comfort in the space they had been given. Heartanonymous.org, the outreach arm of the Recoletos in the Philippines and Taiwan, found Nonoy and his family in the pig pen during their relief campaign in the area. They gave the Jarabelo family a simple shelter. “Naanajudmapuy-an angakopamilya. Dili na mi magpuyosatangkal. Damongasalamatsanagbulignamakabangon,” he added. (We now have a house to live. We will not be living in a pig pen. Thank you for helping us rebuild our lives!) Each house costs PHP 60,000 but it is given free to the beneficiaries with the help of various institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and individual partners.

(Rappler.com/www.heartanonymous.org)