TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 26 (PNA) -– The Harvest Evangelical Free Church will implement various livelihood programs in this city to help super typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) victims rebuild their shattered lives.
Through livelihood programs, this Christian institution will provide several projects such as distribution of pedicabs.
Aside from this, the church will also provide identified beneficiaries some carts for making banana cue (sweetened deep fried banana) and barbecue.
“We are here in Tacloban to help the community through our livelihood projects. We will also train them how to make flip flops (rubber slippers) which they may use to sustain their needs,” Harvest Evangelical Free Church community development manager Francis Mabelo said.
This project will cover 10 to 15 villages in the city and a minimum of 10 families per area as beneficiaries. The organization is not strict with qualifications of recipients because they are aware of the people’s enormous need caused by large scale destruction left by “Yolanda”.
“In choosing our beneficiaries, we make it a point that we interact with those families who would need help and ask them what they would need,” Mabelo said.
“Our team is the one who will identify the beneficiaries for the program and will not rely on the list that would come from the village or to other groups,” he added.
Mabelo explained that their programs are based on the strengths and experiences of their beneficiaries to ensure sustainability.
The Christian church recently started a study which became its basis in choosing the projects suitable to the community.
“Based on our initial assessment, flipflop making is very convenient because every Filipino wears slippers. Tacloban’s primary transportation is pedicab and most of them do not own one,” Mabelo said.
The Christian institution has yet to complete the feasibility study. Actual implementation of the project is scheduled next month. (PNA)