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The muddy dirt road leading to Batiti, the village Cheryll and her family live in, becomes increasingly more difficult to navigate. Walking past shattered trees, toppled power lines and damaged houses it is hard to imagine how anyone would make their way across this terrain to evacute from Haiyan.
Cheryll (30 years) and partner Aldrine (29 years) had heard on the radio that Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally named Yolanda) had been classified a class 4 storm, the strongest there is, and that people were advised to seek shelter. Cheryll is a blind woman.
Perhaps it was because of their remoteness they didn’t evacuate immediately, or maybe because they couldn’t image how strong Yolanda was really going to be.
Our house was already beginning to fall over
“We hoped it would only be an ordinary typhoon”, Cheryll said, with a little sigh, but as the winds increased and the rains became heavier, Aldrine insisted they get out as soon as possible and at least make their way to his mother’s house.
“Our house was already beginning to fall over, and I knew we had to leave, because the house would not survive”, Cheryll remembers.
The walk to her mother in-law is only short - in fact it is the neighbouring house. But in the midst of Super Typhoon Haiyan, even that short walk, 80 meters or so, across a small paddock and on a sloping hill, proved to be dangerous.
They had to leave quickly as time was running out. “We had no time to take anything, we were barefoot, and we only carried our children and the clothes on our bodies.”
Making their way to the Aldrine’s mother Cheryll remembers, “I felt like I will not survive this. And I was loosing hope as I heard our house fall down behind us”
Thankfully they escaped their collapsing home without injury, but when they arrived at Aldrine’s mothers place, they soon realised that there was no safety here either. This house, too was already damaged with parts of the roof blown away.
Mama what is happening?
Their only option was to keep moving and head to a neighbour’s house further up the road.
“We all held each others hands as we escaped. My mother-in-law took Andrea our oldest child, I took the Arianna Marie and Aldrine had our boy Alprince, who was just 2 weeks old”
The escape was a slow struggle. Daughter Andrea was crying asking “Mama what is happening?” and the eldest daughter fell three times calling for help.“I was without hope. I just had a baby. I was afraid for my children. I wasn’t thinking about myself, the only important thing was the children.”
Arriving at the neighbour’s house, they waited out the typhoon and were able to stay for three days. But Aldrine went back to their home once Typhoon Haiyan had passed, to check on things. The news on his return was devastating. The house was totally damaged.
We don’t have a home anymore
Cheryll began to wonder: “How are we now? We don’t have a home anymore. What can we do? How do we start again?”
But the young family didn’t give up despite the challenges. When they realised the house was gone, they talked together to make plans. “I asked my husband to build at least a small shelter and kitchen, so that the children can sleep and we can prepare food.
Salvaging some of the materials and metal sheets, Aldrine took action and worked for a week to build a shelter and a small kitchen.
“This part is from my mother-in-law’s roof” Cheryll says pointing at a bit of metal roofing.
At least we have a roof now
The shelter is a small 2x2 meter structure, which is basically a raised bed with a metal roof. Their few possessions are lined up against a wall. Some boxes, and buckets, a few clothes, a towel and pillows – along with a chicken that was just laying an egg.
“At least we have a roof now, but the place is open and the rain comes inside. It is very difficult. What’s important is the home, so that the children are safe and can sleep well - especially the baby, it’s very hard for me. And because I cannot see anything and don’t know the new shelter, I hit my head a lot. In the old house I knew where everything was, now I don’t anymore.”
The young family is struggling to make ends meet. Aldrine is a casual farm worker, but since everything is destroyed around here there is no work. He is thinking of trying to get into charcoal making to earn some extra cash to help with the situation.
Their situation is clearly taking a large toll on them.
“It is very hard for me, especially as a blind women. I don’t know how long we will stay like this, but we don’t have materials to rebuild. I feel hopeless. I’m too tired to think. I am stressed about this and I cannot sleep at night because I worry about the problem and I cry a lot.
Cheryll and Aldrine certainly have a lot to manage, but caring for the children is their biggest priority.
After the survival supplies distribution
A few days after the typhoon, local officials had gone from door to door informing people the relief good distribution from CBM and its partner ADPI. Cheryll and Aldrine didn’t know what to expect but they were told to be there early, to receive the goods.
Holding one child, and rocking Alprince to sleep in a small hammock, Cheryll expresses her thankfulness with genuine words.
“This was the first time I had received any help since the typhoon. I was very happy to receive the items, because there was a lot of good food, a blanket, mat, mosquito nets and other things. This food could last us for 2 weeks.
Asking her about her immediate needs for the future Cheryll mentions that safety for herself and the children is a concern.
“I don’t feel safe here anymore and I ask Aldrine to be near me always.
All I want now, is to rebuild the house and to work – but I need to be patient”
Story from Christoph Ziegenhardt
More information about CBM inclusive emergency response on www.cbm.org
