Hello everyone,

My name is Giedre Jackyte, and I have been deeply privileged to learn the incredible Filipino martial art of Eskrima (Arnis) — an art that has given me so much strength, wisdom, and friendship. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time in the Philippines, especially in Cebu, and I’ve been endlessly inspired by the kindness, humility, and resilience of its people.

Sadly, this beautiful community has been struck by a devastating typhoon, leaving many families without homes, food, or clean water. The destruction is heartbreaking.

Recently, an 18-year-old girl from Cebu reached out to me with these words:

“It’s really traumatizing what we had experienced. We thought we couldn’t survive because the flood came into our place — it was 15 feet high, the same level as our house. We did our best to save ourselves and climbed to the roof even though there was still strong wind and rain. At one point, we had to swim through the flood just to reach a safe place. We’re thankful my family is safe, but some people here in Cebu didn’t make it. Lots of people lost their loved ones.”

“We were just hit by a typhoon 5 days ago. We lost everything, including our home. I’m asking for a little help — we have nothing right now and are still struggling to rebuild.”

Reading her message broke my heart. These are real people — families, children, elders — who have lost everything overnight.

I would love to give something back to this community that has given me so much. That’s why I’m reaching out to a wider network of friends, artists, and kind-hearted people around the world — in hopes that together, we can make a difference.

Even a small donation — as little as £2 — can help ensure someone has clean water, food, and temporary shelter while they begin to rebuild their lives.

Let’s come together to show our love and solidarity with the people of the Philippines. Every gesture, every share, and every donation truly helps.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ❤️

— Giedre Jackyte