What does life look like when a mother of three loses her husband and is confronted with the torrential typhoon Odette within a span of four months? Analyn Escobia, a single mother who has been a widow for two years, recalls her story.
Ate Analyn, as she is known, suddenly lost her husband in September 2021, and was soon after devastated for a second time when Super Typhoon Rai (local name Odette) came to Siargao Island in December of the same year. She recalls having nightmares of their home being washed away, and of narrowly escaping the floods with her children, bringing nothing but important documents and kitchen pots and pans. In spite of the trauma she and her children experienced, she also remembers feeling more guided than abandoned, especially in the months after the destruction of Super Typhoon Rai.
Ate Analyn has been an active participant of several CFSI projects. She first received assistance under the Odette Response Project (ORP) through the Cash for Work (CfW) and Food for Work initiatives. Now, she is receiving assistance through the new We Can Project (WCP).
Through past and ongoing projects, Ate Analyn was able to slowly but surely rebuild her family’s lives while contributing to positive outcomes within her own community. She has since participated in activities such as the Financial Management and Bookkeeping (FMBK) Training, aimed at supporting affected persons like her to manage their livelihoods effectively and sustainably. She also actively participated in an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) Protection Community Rights and Responsibilities Awareness Orientation, making her an effective advocate for the rights of others in her community.
“I will be eternally grateful for having been a part of CFSI’s projects from the start. I will be eternally grateful for CFSI’s assistance.”
While Super Typhoon Rai brought devastation to her family and community, she chooses to appreciate what she has left and the future that she and her family will have. “Odette has made me more grateful. God gives, and God takes,” she remarked, noting how her faith has helped her keep moving forward.
Ate Analyn continues to work hard, particularly, to ensure a bright future for her three children. She has since opened a barbecue business to support her family’s financial needs and her children’s school fees.
“The financial support I received from CFSI has had a significant influence on my capacity to provide for my family. I used it as capital for my barbecue stand, which now allows me to earn for my family.”
CFSI, with ongoing support of the Government of Australia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia), continues its commitment to strengthening the capacities of affected communities and rebuilding lives in the areas most affected by Super Typhoon Rai.
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Story by: Ruth T. Virtudazo