What?

Welcome to the beautiful country of the Philippines! Tacloban is located on the eastern coast of the gorgeous Visayas Islands. You will be working mainly in the village of Cabalawan where our Center of HOPE is located. It is one of the villages where most of the survivors were relocated after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

Here is an overview of the community service projects you'll be participating in: 

1. Center of HOPE Project 

We serve families in the areas of education, health and nutrition, child protection, and family and community development support such as parent effectiveness services and sustainable livelihood. When natural disasters occur, the Center of HOPE also provides emergency relief services. The Center of HOPE is also known in the community as a child-friendly place where children can learn and feel safe.

Volunteers will be involved in the following services:

a. Cooking hot meals and serving them to children in the daycare program

b. Story-telling with the children

c. Facilitating marriage and parenting classes

d. Repainting of the Center

e. Mural painting of the perimeter fence

f.  Vegetable gardening and landscaping with the families

2. Livelihood Project

Since the emergency relief phase is long over, families need to stand on their own two feet to provide for their basic needs. Sustainable livelihood ventures are necessary. Volunteers will be working with the families in the production of bamboo sticks and boxes made of recycled materials.

3. Community Activities

As part of the disaster rehabilitation and development work, volunteers will be working with the survivors in the village of Cabalawan.

Volunteers will be involved in the following services:

a. Installing water filters and training families on how to use them 

b. Community hygiene and health clinic

c. Advocacy on the prevention of child abuse through puppet shows

d. Mural painting of child rights in the community school

e. Various activities with the children (playing basketball and Filipino traditional games)

f.  Mangrove and tree planting