Hi my name is Kiana Soria-Dadson, and I am asking anyone and everyone for help with a deeply heartbreaking issue that my family in the Philippines is currently dealing with.

Super Typhoon Odette (aka Typhoon Rai) hit our home island of Bohol, PH on December 16th. This typhoon was extremely devastating, with the current death toll being almost 400, and thousands of families left homeless from flooding, violent winds, and torrential rains that took their homes. There was no power on the island and no cell service for almost a week, leaving us here in Canada terrified — not knowing what was happening, where our family was, or if they were okay. Thankfully, my family was kept safe. Which is the most important thing above anything else! However, their home, (our family home), has been almost completely destroyed.

My family’s home in Cahayag, Bohol was built in the early 1960s by my late grandparents. My aunts, uncles, and cousins live in this house. My mom grew up in this house, and it is the place I call home when we go to visit our family. This house was always a safe haven for everyone in the neighbourhood, where other families would take shelter during earthquakes and storms because they knew it would be safe under its roof. When an earthquake hit Bohol in 2014, destroying much of the houses and infrastructures on the island, our house, miraculously, was still standing. Unfortunately, the house was no match for Typhoon Odette. Home insurance isn’t really a thing in the Philippines, and natural disasters have no form of coverage. This is where I need anyone’s help I can get.

My mom and I have started this GoFundMe in hopes of raising as much money as possible to help our family rebuild this house so that my family living in the Philippines can have a place to safely live. The roof has completely fallen in from the winds and trees falling on top of it and essentially all of the furniture and anything inside the house has been ruined by flooding. The money from this GoFundMe will go directly into rebuilding this home and making it livable. I understand that the current pandemic paired with the holidays leaves many people in a less than ideal financial situation, but if you are able to donate, please do. Anything helps!!!