Campaign ended: Rebuilding Lives...

Rebuilding Lives After Typhoon Haiyan!   

To all of you that contributed, thank you so much for your generous help. The campaign ended, I reached my fundraising goal and will be arriving in Manila in January 17.

My name is Holger Bergner, I am German, living in Hungary and I am raising funds for my airfare to Manila, Philippines in the middle of January 2014, and for backup funds that can last me several months, until I start employing further fundraising methods. I am going to help 3 NGO's with post typhoon Hayan disaster relief and rebuilding efforts and later on with local projects. I will start out going with the Manila-based "Channel of Hope Foundation" on regular trips to Tacloban/Leyte to bring tools and aid and to provide emotional support to traumatized typhoon victims. Similar work I will do alternatively with the 2 NGO's "Worldwide Familia Mission" and "Rise Above Foundation Cebu" (also: RiseAbove-Cebu.org).

What these NGO's do: the Manila-based "Channel of Hope Foundation" is right now preparing another 2,5 ton truck with tools, building material and other aid going to Tacloban by January 2. "Worldwide Familia Mission" from Bohol is coordinating new roofing for houses on Panganan Island and just made a special Christmas possible for the islanders there. The "Rise Above Foundation Cebu" started their first building project for 15 new houses in Tobogon on the affected Northern part of Cebu Island. Read the amazing story how they mobilized 10 Danish students to go out of their way to help typhoon victims.

Besides helping physically I will help traumatized typhoon victims to cope with the loss of loved ones and livelihoods by giving emotional and spiritual support. In the typhoon affected areas is a great need for physical help, but also for comfort and encouragement, both of which I want to help provide.

About myself: I have 20+ years (1991 - 2010) of experience working as a relief worker, project coordinator, youth worker and personal counselor throughout Eastern Europe and briefly in the Philippines in 2011. I also underwent training to receive accreditation as a Life Coach in 2011. Having done for the last 2 years Life-Coaching and giving it a go with freelance work I want to once more get plugged into rewarding hands-on and full time volunteer work, as the need is so great.

I am only one person, but with my experience and with your donations to get me started, I'll be able to make a difference in the lives of many people to give them a brighter, happier future. Please go ahead and click on the "Donate" button!

*Other ongoing projects of the NGO's I'm going to work with include i.a. daycare centers, sustainable livelihood programs, women-prison ministries, parenting seminars, free dental work and teaching English to underprivileged preschoolers. Feel free to check out their respective Webpages for more details:

- Channel of Hope Foundation, Manila. Contact person: Maria Bishop
- Rise Above Foundation Cebu" (also: RiseAbove-Cebu.org). Contact person: Elisabeth Hansen
- Worldwide Familia Mission, Panglao, Bohol. Contact person: Evelyn Gamonez


June 2011, Cebu: Bringing hand soap, tooth brushes and tooth paste to elementary schools in Lapu-Lapu City as part of "Rise Above-Cebu's" free dental care program.

February 2011, Manila: Free English classes for preschoolers. I was briefly involved in programs of the 'Worldwide Familia Mission' (left) and the 'Channel of Hope Foundation' (right).

April 2011, Mate, Mindanao: Giving a speech to the graduates about the benefits of 'Going out of your way to help your fellow man' at the closing ceremony of the Elementary School. Being the first foreigner to visit the remote Subano village of Mate in the Pagadian mountains, I was invited as a guest speaker, which I enjoyed tremendously.
August 2009: Hosting summer camps for former street children in Deva, Romania, at Csaba Böjte's renowned 'Saint Francis Orphanage and Monastery'

May 2008, Deva, Romania: Bringing clothes and shoes to the children of the Catholic orphanage. Performing clown shows and doing arts and crafts with them.

February 2010: Having a lively pre-school English class with handicapped children at the acclaimed 'Petö Institute' in Budapest, Hungary.


July 2007, Novi-Sad, Serbia: Organizing youth-outreach and doing street theatre at the annual EXIT-Festival.

May 2008: Szombathely, Hungary: Arts & crafts, musical and dance performance at various orphanages throughout the area. My daughters (pictures bottom left and right) assisting and performing.