Sheltered with New Hope : VXI Revisits Eastern Samar
“With our new house, we are in a better state now than we were before,” tells Marissa Garrigo, one of the recipients of the houses built by VXI and GawadKalinga for Typhoon Yolanda survivors.
Marissa and her family was one of the 14 beneficiaries of VXI andGawadKalinga housing project in Brgy. Poblacion 8, Lawaan, Eastern Samar – an area terribly hit by the said typhoon two years back. VXI and GawadKalinga revisited themlast monthto see how are they recovering from the calamity that changed their lives completely.
The residents of VXI Village were all smiles as they welcome the team who assisted not just in reconstructing their homes, but also in rebuilding their shattered hopes and spirits.
“These houses, built through bayanihan, will serve as a proof that this community can withstand whatever calamities that may come from hereafter, and a representation of VXI’s strong and solid commitment in taking care of the community.” shares JovieLlanes, VP for Human Resources, as he headed VXI and GawadKalinga’s team during their visit in the village.
VXI and GawadKalinga prepared a simple gathering filled with gifts and surprises for the community, making everyone feel the spirit of Christmas this early.
As for Marissa,she thought help would never come to their place until VXI GawadKalingacommenced the housing project. A year after the houses were turned over to them, they can really say that recovering from Yolanda became easier compared to when they were still living in makeshift houses made of driftwood and broken roofs. It also made them go back easily to their usual day-to-day activities, free from the worries of being homeless.
“This project wouldn’t be possible without the support of the whole VXI community, our partners from GawadKalinga, and the people residing here in Lawaan, Eastern Samar. This truly shows how passionate everyone is when it comes to helping other people without expecting anything in return,” added Llanes.
Looking back.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda in 2014, VXI quickly responded to the need for adequate and decent shelter in hard-hit areas of Eastern Visayas. One of which is the coastline barangay of Poblacion 8 in Lawaan, Eastern Samar. Through VXI’s partnership with GawadKalinga, this P2.1M worth housing projectwas able to provide not just new shelter for the survivors, but a new hope for them to move on and rebuild their lives.
