“Relief is temporary. Commitment is not”
After posting what I posted yesterday, and being a little overwhelmed with the results (in a good way), I spent all day thinking about what the next step would be. I read every single comment and took it from there. The first thing I was thinking was this:
- This discussion can’t stop
- More people need to be in it
- We need to share all our thoughts and ideas
- We need to stay connected so we can turn those ideas into concrete, doable, sustainable action plans.
- Then we need to carry out those plans ourselves.
If it sounds like I’m making it all up as I go along, that’s exactly how it is. But what we have here is an opportunity to turn this into something permanent. As I’ve said before: momentum is on our side. Momentum can do two things… it can speed up… or slow down. It all depends on how much action we take and how fast we take it. I know there will never be a perfect plan, but the worst plan is the one we wait too long for to carry out.
So I spent all night fixing this website. We need a way to be connected before that post of ours– and all your precious comments– before the post starts to drown in a sea of Facebook mundaneity. All I ask of you is to:
- Sign up by entering your email address on the right. You’ll receive an email every time there’s a post on this site.
- Tell other people to visit. Show them what you wrote. Tell them to keep the discussion alive. Then tell them to sign up too. Remember that this site is available to the international community. Tweet about it. Repost it. Email your relatives abroad. Just connect.
- Decide how involved you can afford to be, then commit to it. Because we’re gonna need people to volunteer- which takes me to why the title is “The Next Steps over Coffee”
I just arrived home from coffee with my friend Gene, we lost track of time and the mall closed on us. Gene Battung has been involved with a reputable microfinance organization for a while now and is very exposed to the nation’s situation- in all of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. He does not run out of stories to tell. He said he’s been waiting for a chance to tell his stories to people… So you guys are gonna hear them, see the faces of the people he sees, and hear about about all the things they need, and all the opportunities to help. As we go along, you’re gonna be feeling things that you’ve never felt and your lives will change. Then you’re gonna be thinking of ideas and creative ways to help- and their lives will change. That’s the point of all this.
Anyway, back to Gene. He’s also very connected with other groups so when our discussion entered the world of Possibilities, things became REALLY interesting. Our conversation touched:
- A certain machine that can purify water to the point that even the smallest virus (which is Polio apparently) is eliminated. He knows how to get that into communities. (in Banda Aceh and most other calamities in the past the first problem was always potable water- and again many communities needed access to clean water BEFORE the calamities happened)
- A certain reading program that takes someone who can’t read or write- and brings him to a 4th grade comprehension level- in 6 months! Some people commented about education and wanting to volunteer as a teacher. This is it.
- A certain group that has been feeding people before Ondoy came. They concentrate on a village until every kid get’s even just a little- chubby! Even after we feed the victims of Ondoy, we can keep on feeding our hungry countrymen
As you can see I got more than a little excited about it. But there’s also one thing- one need- that is so… pressing and sobering- that we cannot do any of these things without considering it. If I talk about it here, this post will get too long for most people to read so I’ll save it for another day. Before I end this, there’s one last thing I need to announce:
This week I’m going with Gene to a certain area that needs help- it’s in Laguna- to check it out. The week after, I’ll be asking you guys to come along. We’ll organize the meeting place, and discuss other logisitic stuff. So tentatively, 2 weeks from now, we all get to meet face to face- and start this thing together. Till then, please help by bringing people to the site- or to the Facebook post that got us connected in the first place.
I know what you’re thinking… “is this for real?”. I was thinking that too. Guys I’m just a normal guy- I have no experience doing this, I’m no social action hero. But that question- “is this for real”- we need to answer it.
“This is as real as we choose to make it.”
And we’ll take it one step at a time- together.
Share, repost, reply.
Other relevant facts and statistics from USAID:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/AZHU...
Situation report on Santi and international and federal relief assistance:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA...
Facts on Typhoon Santi aka Mirinae. Santi forced the evacuation of 115,000 people!
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA...
I'm based in Vancouver and headed the Ondoy relief efforts here. We were aiming to send 120 bbayan boxes but the response was so overwhelming, that we ended up sending 332! The container left last week and after an intense 2-weeks of non stop relief action, I feel idle because I'm no longer working towards the cause. But I know, it doesn't have to be that way. You're right – relief is temporary, commitment is permanent. I and a group of friends, want to find sustainable solutions for our countrymen and implement long term solutions to provide education, food, better living conditions, a better life!! Thank you for being the conduit that catalyzes positive change towards a better tomorrow for our kababayans!
sure.. this is pretty much all I know how to do- internet stuff… and I'm sure that you being in Vancouver will not be a hindrance for you to help out- look for ways that your being there can be an advantage
let me know if you want my help in any way.. thanks!
i tell u what.. if you make that site (blogspot.com or wordpress.com or weebly.com) I'll link ya!
I wouldn't know the first thing about that! but Life After Ondoy is about lots of people doing what they're good at / what they feel burdened to take action on – for our country.
i'm in too! thank you, thank you, thank you for setting up this site. it's a huuggge help!
now's the time to help save the world one good thought at a time!
and one good deed at a time too. we'll have lots of fun doing this guys.
This site is great! I'll be sure to tell my friends about it.
Erm, perhaps there could be a section wherein people could monitor somehow the Ondoy foreign donations received by the Phil. gov't? I'm worried about the trickle-down effect of that massive sum of money. I want to make sure it would concretely turn into the purchase of the appropriate modern equipment for our PAGASA and other disaster relief necessities as well as welfare program for the victims.
This is a good plan, and I hope you and other people can follow through. I believe in initiatives like this, but while my heart tells me I should help out physically, my mind tells me I already chose a certain path,a certain industry to develop as my own way to help build the nation. If my efforts bear fruit, then hopefully it will generate an industry that will provide jobs for the people you're going to be feeding an educating, for what use are educated adults if they cannot find employment?
I'll still keep an eye out on this blog, and maybe pitch in when I can. Probably when manual labor is involved. My work is very, ethereal and digital, and I find that doing manual labor makes me feel more complete? Maybe part of your initiative should include educating people who are interested in initiatives that continue to work alongside yours, such as worldvision, gawad kalinga, or habitat for humanity. I might end up joining habitat, for the aforementioned manual labor. I think it would be good to open people's eyes to the numerous ways they can devote their time to their fellow man.
yes we're putting up a page soon- a "what others are doing" page. we all have our 'certain paths' and industries. Im a graphic/web designer/web marketer for example. I'm not quitting my job to do this. I'm doing it on the side and asking people to do the same.
serving people 1x a week or 2x a month … that can really do wonders. using your gifts can do wonders too (that's why the first thing I did was graphic design related). whatever that certain industry of yours is (now I'm intrigued!).. I'm sure it involves skills that can be useful in this cause.
this isn't for me.. and it isn't for "other people".. this is for US. I'm just a normal ordinary dude tired of ignoring.. "them". And if I leave this for "other people".. I'll never know what could've happened if I had helped out. And I don't want to look back at the end of my life and regret…
You can help! In your own way. It's not about how much or how little you can help. It's about how long you can help. Think of any long term plan. Anything at all! whatever you can commit to… but commit to it!
what gospel? this gospel? http://www.theholeinourgospel.com/
what gospel? this gospel? http://www.theholeinourgospel.com/
Never heard of it but googled it just now. WHOA this is awesome! Help me look into it pls! Can you be the plumpynut pointperson?
apparently it's patented by france, how freakin weird is that?? it's made for humanitarian efforts, why would it be patented? but let me check if that applies to the Philippines. I just emailed a friend who might be able to manufacture this. let's see what we can do.
imagine if someone finds the cure to cancer or aids.. and patents it. it should have one of those Public GNU / open source licenses.. hehe… or if he wanted fame but not money.. get a Creative Commons Attribution license… or…
ok my reply is pointless. sorry everyone. maybe, just maybe… it is for sustainability? further research etc? hehe.. let’s give em the benefit of the doubt… and find out where to buy that stuff. any luck?
Remember Die Hard 4.0?
cure for cancer can be found right here in the philippines..my husband's cousin, joy martinez was tapped by a us agency to find out why the aetas in guimaras island (iloilo) never get seriously ill..she found out that they boil the leaves and for lumps/cysts, etc they boil the leaves of the madagascar periwinkle plant which grows everywhere here in our country. i know the bisayan name is kuomintang, dunno what the tagalog name is though sorry. you might want to google about this.
by the way, sign me up. this is the kind of group needed here in the philippines NOW! no more habla, action is what's needed!
sounds awesome! we need both the habla and the action!
will do my best to spread the word about this group, happy monday! ;p
thanks! every person counts. try one of the twibbons those might help