Lera's Family in the Philippines (Typhoon Rai)

Hi, my name is Lera Manile Edes. I live in Chicago, IL.

 

Typhoon Rai directly hit my family's village Magkasag, in the province of Libagon in Southern Leyte in the Philippines on December 16th, 2021.

 

My brother's house was swept into the ocean, along with everything my family owns. Most of our village is completely flattened -- it looks like it's been bombed out. His boat was also destroyed. He makes a living as a fisherman and has no way to earn income. 

 

The good news is that my brother Nissan, his wife Jenda, and their two boys survived. They took shelter in a house farther from shore.

But there is no food, clean water, or electricity. My nephews (pictured below) are surviving on coconuts. I am raising money to meet their basic needs for disaster relief. 

 

Local relief agencies and the government are unreliable. Aid has not reached my family or my village, even though it's been several days since the typhoon hit on December 16. By the time relief trucks do arrive, supplies are usually so robbed that the only thing left will be unmarked cans of food.

 

I have made arrangements to send money from GoFundMe directly to my brother Nissan. I will send funds by wire. He will make the 5-hour trip to the capitol, Tacloban City, which was thankfully spared from most of the typhoon’s devastation, and still has supplies.

He will bring back supplies needed to survive. If we can raise enough money, we will be able to help not only my family, but some of the other 200 households in the village.

• Emergency food
• Generators for electricity
• Clean water

Anything that you can give will help. Even a few dollars.

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH. We wouldn't ask unless we really had to.  We really, really appreciate it. <3 

 

This post was written with the help of my husband's family - Alyssa Edes, Asher Edes, and Jason Edes.