Help them to build a Permanent and a Safe Home

In just two months, these children will have nowhere to live. Their current home which they can barely afford, will be reclaimed by the landowner at the end of May and leave them no choice but to turn to the streets.

I had the chance to first meet these four siblings in a shelter in Leyte, Visayas, Philippines October 2018, during my volunteering with the NGO overlooking their case. From the very beginning they captured my heart with their joyful smiles and eagerness to learn, despite the difficult lives they lead.
After spending 12 months under the temporary care of the shelter, their father disappeared and mother, with little hope for their futures, relinquished her parental rights. Fortunately, Volunteer for Visayans  (VFV) contacted every family member they could find, eventually coming across their stepsister, Jingjing. Regardless of the fact she had not even known of the existence of her younger siblings, she did not hesitate in sharing the little she and Joel (her husband) had and fostering all four of them. If no one had taken them in, they would have been split up across the country, joining the other eight million orphans in the Philippines.

At the time, this hard-worker young couple their two daughters and the four fostered siblings were living at Joel's parents, but were soon asked to leave the small and now overcrowded home, resulting in the move to the only available rental place in the area. Now the owner claims it too leaving them in no choice.

For the past year and a half, I have stayed in constant contact with this loving but struggling family, visiting once and doing all I can to help improve their quality of life- sending clothes, food and other houseware necessities. I am ever thankful to see the kids so happy, clean and well-fed. An especially poignant memory was their tears of joy in owning simply a pair of shoes. In such a short amount of time, Jingjing and Joel have transformed into the parents these children never had, with little in the ways of money or resources, but a natural selflessness and pure heart.

I wish I was able to help them on my own, but to build them a permanent and safe home is out of my reach. Their last chance of a life together, is a small undeveloped plot of land owned by Joel, merely 10 x 15m but with the potential of becoming a permanent safe home. We are relying on financial donations to give this incredible family what they deserve before the end of May. The building must start as soon as possible, every day counts. They have already architect plans, building permit and all needed resources but the money.

(Before, early March 2020)

(After, update 15th March)
 

Our help would cover:

- Plans, permits, taxes and other managements.
- Ground preparation.
- A 8m x 7m Concrete foundation.
- 12 Concrete pillars [30 x 30].
- Brick walls.
- 80 sq meters of roofing.
- Electricity supply and water supplies.
- Drainage from the property (to manage the relentless Filipino floods)
- Doors and windows.
- Basic bathroom items (toilet, sink, showerplate).
- Kitchenware (fridge, cupboards, tap and sinks).
- Beds, a dinner table and some cupboards.

The campaign will be updated in every stage, with pictures, expenses and receipts for the clarity of the donors. More information (and Spanish audio) in the video. Any further questions, leave a comment below. I'll be so happy to answer.

Kind Regards, Thank you so much in advance.

Best, Alex.