Rodefel Abanilla, a 49-year-old single mother of 4, had been living in a 3×2 meter make-shift house for the last 21 years. This make-shift house was a Sari Sari store (assorted goods store) by day and a bedroom for her and her children by night.
As a single parent, she raised her 4 children through the meager income from her small store. Her children helped her in whatever way they could so they could afford to go to school.
Her daughter Claire is currently a second-year BS Agricultural Business student at Central Philippine State University. She is determined to finish her studies to have a better future, but it has not been easy.
Claire grew up taking care of her siblings and managing their store because her mother was looking for other ways to earn more income. Being exposed to managing a store, she now has her own online shop to financially support her studies. ‘
On the morning of December 17, 2021, their home was severely damaged when Typhoon Rai (local name Odette) struck their neighborhood. They were forced to evacuate their home.
Looking at the ruins the next morning, they were worried how to start again because they had not only lost their home, but also their source of income.
When Rodefel was chosen as one of the recipients of ADRA Philippines’ Evergreen Zip project, her family began to have hope again.
Finally, their family would be able to live in a decent house they could call home, with enough space for them to move about and strong enough to protect them from future disasters.
Rodefel and Claire are hopeful that all their prayers will be answered in God’s time. Their experiences in life have made them resilient and now, they are prepared for better days ahead.
“When I heard I was chosen as a beneficiary of ADRA’s house building project, I was very happy! They built a house for us. I thank God that ADRA helped us that much.”
Background
In the ADRA Philippines’ Japan Platform Shelter Assistance project, Claire was part of the Ground Support Group overseeing Logistics. The ADRA team never knew her family’s story until they visited the area looking for qualified beneficiaries for the Evergreen Zip project, funded by ADRA Korea. She was with ADRA helping others rebuild their homes, while her own family needed help too.
Author: Katherine M. Vidal, ADRA Philippines
Photo: © 2022 | ADRA Philippines
*This story was featured as the Focus Story in ADRA Asia Regional Office’s quarterly Magazine ADRA Asia Focus Vol 2 | No 4*
Visit the ADRA Philippines website to learn more: https://adra.ph/
