Together We Stand

[ 147 ] considered critical, to collectively make decisions through- out the planning and implementation process. Building on the initial notions of DRR, the overall objective is to couple survival activities with systems which would promote self- recovery and build capacity in different areas that would influence levels of resiliency. From a psychological perspective to mitigate the impact of impending disasters and improve the overall quality of life, the recovery phase is also a timely pivot for impactful CMDRR programmes. Negative notions of fear and loss can be harnessed as a positive motivation for improvement while engaging in community-managed programme acts as an avenue for active coping. In the long-term, this community driven approach increases local ability to be first responders and effectively actuate their own recovery in the event of future crises. The following two case studies of Mercy Relief’s engage- ments in post-disaster communities in the Philippines and Nepal, exemplify this resilient recovery approach. Recovery and resilience through local action In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as ‘Yolanda’) struck the central Philippines and claimed 6,300 lives. The sheer scale of the unprecedented Category 5 super- typhoon impacted more than 16 million people, destroyed 1.1 million houses and crippled all vital services including power, water supply and health services. Mercy Relief’s relief team was already in the country responding to the Bohol Earthquake which hit just three weeks prior. As a result, the team was able to react swiftly to establish a logistics supply chain across the typhoon-ravaged provinces. Over the course of six weeks, Mercy Relief deliv- ered relief supplies that included food packs, crop seeds, clean water, hygiene essentials and shelter construction materials to more than 79,000 typhoon survivors. Survivors unfortunately, continue to suffer from the after- math of losing all their assets and livelihoods. Destruction to homes and harvests, predominantly in the agricultural and fishing sector, meant an uncertain future for Haiyan survi- vors, who had to rely heavily on external aid programmes. Many survivors were not prepared for nor had the resources to overcome threats to their already fragile sources of income. In Coron town of Busuanga, Palawan, the sixth landfall point of typhoon Haiyan, more than 80 per cent of the house- holds rely on loans from financiers to meet their daily needs for basic essentials and to sustain their livelihoods. Disasters, regardless of scale, often lead to over-indebtedness as survi- vors draw more loans to recover from disaster impacts but struggle to meet recurring debts with overwhelming inter- est rates. As part of Mercy Relief’s recovery programmes for Typhoon Haiyan survivors, a community-managed savings and livelihood initiative was introduced to build economic resilience among community members through the promotion of financial independence and diversification of livelihoods. Organized into smaller groups of 20-25, community members received financial literacy training and met regularly to participate in a group savings scheme, which comprises three key components of savings, loans and insurance. The scheme was designed to build economic resilience against future disasters. For example, savings meant better prepared- ness as members could buy what they needed before the onset of a disaster or immediately after the disaster; loans allowed members to invest in livelihoods that are less sensitive to impacts of disasters or simply as an alternative to financiers; and insurance provides emergency cash for families who are met with the death of the household’s breadwinner. A hallmark of this initiative was the diffusion of traditional leadership into a holistic system that allowed each member to feel empowered as leading agents of change for their own future. Members were given the freedom to form their own groups, which were governed separately. In the process, members gained a higher sense of ownership and account- ability as they learned to make their own decisions. New and existing communal relationships were also naturally being established and strengthened through regular meetings, thus encouraging a network of support in times of crisis. The initiative also created an entry point for the implementation of disaster preparedness activities. Each savings group became a sub-unit of the larger Disaster Preparedness Committees (DPC) set up within each community. Savings members were mostly represented by the women of households and, by assuming integral roles through this initiative, they became advocates for resiliency in their immediate environment. By implementing disas- ter preparedness activities through each DPC, which then passed on its knowledge and training onto each savings group, commu- nity mobilization was easily managed and maximum community participation was present in preparedness planning. The result was a wide social network that allowed for swift exchange of infor- mation and effective coordination in times of crisis. Overall, the initiative not only provided survivors a pathway from relief to recovery but also facilitated better coping mecha- nisms to future disasters as members had economic assets that could be utilized pre- and post-disasters to finance their own recovery needs. Today, the community is able to protect its lives and livelihoods during the onset of disasters and, is less reliant on external aid as it promotes the recovery of local econ- Image: Mercy Relief Almost a million houses were destroyed by the earthquake in Nepal, most of them loosely fitted with traditional materials T ogether W e S tand