(Extract)
Project Outline:
Access Aid International (AAI) were recently donated 900 sleeping mats by Platypus Outdoors Group Pty Ltd. for distribution to affected communities in Mindanao in order to improve their living conditions. In order to rapidly ship these goods to the affected areas, the DHL Disaster Response Team generously offered to assist AAI by shipping the mats from Melbourne to the affected areas in support of the planned distribution by Peace Builders (PBCI), a local NGO who were already well established and were providing humanitarian assistance in the affected area.
After extensive consultation with local authorities and communities, it was decided that the distribution would take place in Barangay Malibago within the Municipality of Cateel.
This location was chosen after an assessment by PBCI that observed that the residents from Barangay Malibago were trekking miles across treacherous terrain in order to visit evacuation centers just to be able to get one or two days sustenance. They found that goods rarely arrive in this area and could only be delivered using a helicopter.
There was urgency for the delivery of relief goods due to a low pressure weather system developing at the eastern parts of Mindanao, and bringing goods across flooded rivers would present extra challenges. In addition, there was no road leading directly to Malibago and footpaths were muddy, so indigenous transport was used for haulage. A further complication was the lack of a cell phone signal which made communications only possible through 2-way radios and foot messengers. Finally, there were areas along the way where security to PBCI staff would be a concern.
Despite all these challenges, PBCI was determined to deliver the necessary goods to the Mandaya people of Malibago. On January 5, three 10-wheeler trucks of food (for 2 weeks of consumption per family), numerous boxes of bottled water and the waterproof sleeping mats for the children and elderly were ready for distribution.
Despite many challenges along the way (one of the 10-wheeler trucks, the one holding the boxes of bottled water, broke down and got bogged, twice), 2,592 family packs (for 800 households) were distributed. The sleeping mats were distributed accordingly to each respective household (one household would usually have 1-2 extended families living under the same roof).
PBCI have provided some videos of the trip to demonstrate the difficult road conditions.