Typhoon Rai relief fund for Argao, Cebu

For those of you that that know me, you will know I had been running a Community Outreach program in the Southern part of the Philippines on an Island called Cebu, teaching the local farmers the Permaculture Natural Farming practices.  Food security is becoming the biggest issue here because of the overuse of fertilizers and sprays which has degraded the soil.  Permaculture is based on regenerating the land.  We had also run other training courses in healthy cooking and agro forestry.

However, on the night of 16th December we lost everything when Super Typhoon Rai hit Cebu.  We took a direct hit.  Winds gusted at over 300kmh and many lives have been lost.   We have heard local villages near the water were wiped out when the sea rose three metres and washed families out of their homes into the ocean.  

We lost our house, training rooms, kitchen, toilets and accommodations, clothes, photos, almost everything, but at least we have no injuries and are in good health.   There is no such thing as house and contents insurance here so we will start again.  

Together with the other families in the Village we live in, almost everything is gone.  It is hard to describe the landscape and feeling here and I’m not sure photo’s can convey the utter devastation.  Houses have been flattened, all crops are lost, banana trees and most coconut trees are down.  Most people have lost their animals as there is no food or water for them or they ran away during the typhoon.  We lost our two goats who were badly damaged by debris.  


My wife Orchille, myself and our young baby Tylor had gone to bed on the night of the 16th but the winds picked up by 8:30 pm and were terrifying.  I knew the Typhoon was still some hours away and was thinking how could the winds get any stronger.  Plan B was to move into the guest accomodation but this too didn’t feel safe so we got into our car which is inside the garage.   For the next five hours my wife Orchille, myself and our little baby Tylor stayed in the dark with our dog while outside sounded unlike anything i’ve ever heard like a deafening constant howling.  I looked out of the car a few times and could see steel girders of the garage above moving back and forth violently and the car feeling like it was being picked up and shaken for the next few hours.    

At 10:10 pm the eye of the Super Typhoon passed over us and everything went eerily calm.  I knew the other side was coming but for fourty minutes there was nothing.  I ventured out for a few minutes to see the house we had been in just a few hours earlier along with the other buildings totally flattened.  There were twisted girders up around power lines and the roof was 100m away.  In the distance I could hear some people and animals wailing.  The wind slowly picked up again, the other side of the Typhoon, at about 11:00pm and within a further thirty minutes were even more ferocious.  

For the next two hours we prayed and sat waiting for the garage to blow away.  It did not.  The foundations held firm with the steel girders and for some reason we were spared.

We had not slept for the night and at 5:00am I got out of the car to see what was left.   The entire area was devastated as far as I could see.   There was a new landscape, now stripped bare.

There is no electricity, water and little food.  Many trees still block our roads.  All wires are down.  The situation is desperate as we are about two hours from the main city.  There are no resources available to help us and we expect to remain this way for many months.

I have managed to contact my sister Lisa by driving four hours north to a less affected area. Together, we have setup a relief fund for the community here of 342 families in Sua, Argao, to help rebuild their lives.  We have enough to get back to Australia at some point and start again but the first order is to stay with these people who have become our friends until they are on their feet.  

I have attached some photos and have pledged to raise $1,000 for each family.  This will allow them to buy building materials, supplies and food for several months.  Businesses have stopped as there won’t be any electricity for many months.  All the towers and lines are down so it will be a slow process.  There will be little income for these people for many months.  Without income, many will struggle.  In particular, the younger children here are vulnerable right now to malnutrition and disease.

I have never asked for anything in my life but the situation is desperate here so I am reaching out to you, hoping you or your organisation can open your heart to assist and donate for one family to the relief fund.  I know this is alot to ask but the money will make a tremendous and positive impact on the family.  

We have established a relief committee here and have categorised those who need help most.  For any donations of $500 or more, in return, I will personally visit the family and purchase their needed supplies with our truck which will allow them to have some protection for several months.  I will also take a photo with them holding a thank you sign with your name and company name on it.  I’ll then send you the photo’s and keep you updated with progress of “your family”.   With the captain of the village we will also setup a commemorative plaque to be placed in the village hall with your name.  I will also sed you a photo of this.

I pray you can take action on this chance to make maybe the biggest real difference you can ever make, that is to have a tremendous impact on the lives of another family.  

I’m slowly realising a new outlook on life.  It’s not the things we have, it’s our families, friends and our communities that matter.  That’s where love is and where we can find our purpose and outlook on life.

One of our main purposes in life is to help others and if we can we should.  Im hoping you can see this as a chance to fulfil that purpose.  Here is the link and thank you again.

Paul Hopcraft

Video of the aftermath