shelterbox

ShelterBox End of Year Review

ShelterBox end of year report: Intro animation 2 from ShelterBox on Vimeo.

More than 15,000 ShelterBoxes have been distributed this year helping over 15,000 families made homeless by disasters around the world. In February, ShelterBox was named Charity of the Year out of 7,000 charities at the 2011 JustGiving Awards. ShelterBox volunteers and the organisation’s Founder and CEO Tom Henderson were awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award (US) for their efforts to provide shelter, warmth and dignity to survivors of disasters worldwide. ShelterBox has grown on an international scale with over 20 affiliates around the globe and is now recognised as one of the most innovative and leading disaster relief agencies providing emergency shelter in the world. These are just some of ShelterBox’s highlights from 2011. 

As the New Year approaches, to recognise all of the efforts from our workers, volunteers, donors and supporters, ShelterBox has produced an interactive magazine that reflects on the charity’s highlights throughout the year, which without any of you, wouldn’t have been achieved. Thank you. 

Click here to go to the End of Year Review  

ShelterBox brings shelter to Italy's quake survivors

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck northern Italy on 29 May killing over 15 people and bringing down buildings near the city of Modena. 

Reports say there is significant damage to infrastructure in the Emilia Romagna region and the tremor was felt in the cities of Bologna, Ferrar, Verona and Mantua. 

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has been delivering emergency shelter to families displaced by the 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the same area on 20 May. 

ShelterBox rapidly responded by sending a UK-based Response Team in a van with disaster relief tents. They drove over 4000 kilometres to San Felice - one of the worst affected towns. 

'Invaluable help'

'Yes it was a long drive but we were able to bring the aid into the disaster hit country quicker, as opposed to flying it in and waiting for the boxes to clear customs,' said SRT member Graham Higginson (UK). 'We drove directly to San Felice to meet with the ShelterBox Italy Center affiliate, who offered us invaluable help by acting as our translators and guides.' 

The SRT carried out site assessments, set up a camp and moved displaced families into the temporary shelter all within 24 hours of arriving. 

'Our fleetness of foot was helped by those who we worked with, including the local authorities who assisted us with ShelterBox allocation, ensuring the aid went to those families with most need,' said SRT member James Edgerley (UK). 'Being my first deployment it was great to see first-hand the difference the tents have made to these families lives. I feel privileged to be part of such a great organisation that brings shelter, warmth and dignity to families across the world who have been made homeless by disaster.' 

ShelterBox Operations are monitoring the situation following today's quake and stand ready to respond.   

ShelterBox at Rotary International Convention

ShelterBox representatives from UK, Denmark, Germany, Philippines, USA, Australia, Indonesia and Belgium are in Thailand at the Rotary International (RI) Convention in Bangkok manning the ShelterBox stand. 

This is the first Convention since Rotary made ShelterBox their first project partner: 

‘We Rotarians pride ourselves on being the first to arrive when help is needed – and the last to leave,' said RI President Kalyan Banerjee at the opening plenary session. 'By partnering with ShelterBox we’ll be able to do even more.’ 

Rotarians gather at the annual conference to celebrate past accomplishments and future friendships. 

Julien Rodolphe Fils Debrosse is a Rotarian from Haiti. He sought out the ShelterBox team to give his thanks for all of the aid that had been delivered following the earthquake of January 2010. Working for the American Red Cross Julien manages healthcare programmes and has seen the difference that ShelterBox equipment continues to make two and half years after the disaster. 

Many other Rotarians who have assisted with the delivery of ShelterBoxes following disasters in countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Madagascar came to meet Founder Tom Henderson and share their stories.

 

'Humbling experience'

‘Every Rotary convention I attend fills me with pride at the capacity Rotary has to make such a difference in every corner of the world,’ said Tom. ‘Meeting Rotarians from every walk of life who help us to make a difference is a humbling experience – from those who have raised funds to donate boxes; those who have assisted their fellow country men following a disaster by assisting ShelterBox with logistics and delivery of aid; to those who give their free time, week in week out, to talk to schools, scout groups, Rotary clubs and the general public to help raise awareness of ShleterBox. 

‘It is particularly poignant being in Thailand where Rotarians assisted us in delivering urgently needed aid for nearly 1,500 families following the devastating floods the country experienced in October last year.’

Some Rotarians also celebrated the Project Partnership. Jim Davis is a Rotarian from RC Goolwa, District 9520. He decided to help make a splash throughout the House of Friendship, having brought his Superman outfit with him from Australia. He super-powered his way around the convention carrying a ShelterBox and helping to raise awareness of the project.

 

ShelterBox praised by Republic of Congo minister

The Minister of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and Solidarity in the Republic of Congo, Madame Raoul, has praised ShelterBox for its actions in the country following the industrial accident on 4 March. 

'In the name of the Congolese government I would personally like to thank you and praise ShelterBox for its work to help our community. 

'I am delighted at the capability of the ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members to operate swiftly and with dedication in helping the people of Brazzaville.' 

Response Teams have been distributing tents to families who lost their homes in the explosion over the past two months. Marina Isso's house was uninhabitable. She received a tent and is delighted to sleep indoors again. 

'We live right next to the site of the explosion, said Marina. 'Our house was completely destroyed and we were unable to live there.' 

'Had to sleep outside'

'My daughter has had a baby and she can't leave hospital until we had somewhere to live. Since the explosion I have had to sleep outside.' 

Marina is a seamstress and the explosion meant that she could not work or feed her family. 

'I could see my sewing machine inside my house. It was broken though I knew I could fix it but the soldiers wouldn't let me into the house in case there were unexploded weapons. As soon as it was safe to go in it was stolen.

'The soldiers are still getting rid of mines at the base and this scares my children but they will all come back as soon as the soldiers have finished.' 

When members of the SRT visited Marina again they decided to make a personal donation to buy her a replacement sewing machine. Now with her tent and new sewing machine she can feed her family once more.

'Life can start again'

'I am very happy with the gift that ShelterBox gave to me. Now my life can start again.' 

ShelterBox has been working in collaboration with Brazzaville Rotary, the Congolese Red Cross, the French Red Cross, SDV Africa and Total, to distribute tents on a large-scale to families in need in the quartiers close to the city. 

ShelterBox Response Team member Dave Ray (UK) said:

'In many parts of the quartiers there is little left standing. Up to now we've been distributing relief tents street by street but the involvement of these partners will allow us to help families in the whole area in one day. 

'We have a team of nearly 50 people from Rotary and the Croix Rouge helping to put up tents and that means we can help a lot of families.'     

ShelterBox tents improve living conditions in Congo

Families in the Republic of the Congo's capital Brazzaville are still facing very difficult living conditions after the explosion at the Mpila army base on 8 March. 

Dave Ray (UK) is team leader of the ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) operating in the city and he says there are hundreds of families that need help in the areas closest to the site of the explosion: 

'With the help and local knowledge of the Brazzaville Rotary clubs we are working street by street to assess all the houses in the quarters closest to the blast. 

'In areas like Talangai and parts of Ouenze there is almost nothing left standing yet we are seeing families with children living amongst the ruins.' 

ShelterBox has delivered 306 tents to date in the quarters to families in need and expects to deliver many more, bringing shelter, warmth and dignity to thousands.

'Family brought together' 

'In one street we met a young hairdresser,' said SRT volunteer Marie Mariotte (FR). 'She is a 35-year old grandmother living with her children and grandchildren in a two metre by three metre shack after her house was destroyed. One daughter has just had an operation and there is a new baby too. Now she has a ShelterBox tent so the family can be brought back together again.' 

The Response Team has had outstanding support from the local Rotary clubs. Nestor Oyoukou is a local Rotarian who has been helping the team distribute tents in the quarters: 

'My family has suffered from the explosion in Mpila as we live in this quarter of the city. I was deeply moved by the support I received from my dear Rotary friends and it urged me to show my personal commitment to our local badly hurt community by working directly with ShelterBox.'     

ShelterBox brings smiles to flooded Fiji

Flooded roads and the hot tropical weather have not stopped the Response Team in Fiji from distributing ShelterBoxes to the most vulnerable families in the most remote villages. 

Saule and Usenia Qialevu and their three children had their home destroyed by the recent flooding in the village of Matavouvou near the country's capital Nadi. They are now living in a ShelterBox tent close to their house so they have somewhere to live as they begin to reconstruct their home. 

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) has been distributing the aid in the South Pacific island with help from local Rotarians: 

'Saule and Usenia were one of many families whose homes were utterly devastated by the heavy downpours. They were very thankful towards ShelterBox and Rotary when we gave them a box. Usenia was humbled by the tent and the contents of the ShelterBox that will really make a difference to them as a family.' 

'The ability to give this truly deserving family dignity, hope and essential items is a real privilege,' said SRT member Sally Fletcher (NZ). 

Etatoki village in western Fiji was also hit by the flooding, where some areas of land subsided into a nearby river destroying several families' homes. The displaced families each received the gift of a ShelterBox, which were set up together on a family plot. 

ShelterBox has brought these Fijian families new homes allowing them to start to rebuild their lives again whilst living in comfort and dignity. 

Further boxes have been prepositioned in Fiji that will enable ShelterBox to respond rapidly if disasters strike there in the future.     

ShelterBox responds to floods in the Amazon

Continuous heavy rains over the past few months have caused widespread flooding in the region of Loreto located in the heart of the Peruvian rainforest. The heavy rains have caused rivers' water levels to rise and consequently overflow into surrounding areas, displacing many families. 

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is en route to Iquitos, the world's largest city that is unreachable by road and situated next to the left riverbank of the Amazon River, to assess the need for emergency shelter. 

Reports say that the height of the Amazon River has surpassed its last record of 118.59 metres above sea level in the year 1986, causing flooding in many areas in and around Iquitos. Its some 493,000 inhabitants are suffering from power shortages and there are reports of some people becoming alarmed by the appearance of strange aquatic animals. 

Challenges 

Steve Crabtree (UK) is one of the SRT members who is travelling to the northern Peruvian city and said he is preparing himself for the challenges that lie ahead: 

'We are flying to Lima to meet with local Rotarians to discuss transportation options to carry out the needs assessment. Not only is Iquitos unreachable by road but it is also flooded so we need to look at travelling around by boats. The next stage is then to think about how to get the ShelterBoxes there if a need is found and also find suitable dry land to pitch the tents with access to water and sanitation services. ' 

Malcolm Shead (UK), Mark Curnow (UK) and Rachel Simpkins (UK) are the other SRT members joining Steve on the deployment.    

Reuniting families in Congo

Many thousands of people were left homeless after several explosions ripped apart the Mpila neighbourhood in Brazzaville, in the Republic of the Congo. As a result, they have been staying in overcrowded temporary shelter camps but ShelterBox has been distributing emergency aid to help people return to their land as quickly as possible.

Cédric Neuville is a ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) volunteer based in France and travelled to the Republic of the Congo to assist with the distribution of tents and other life-saving equipment. 

‘This is my first deployment so far with ShelterBox. I got a great feeling helping these people in the areas directly affected by the explosion, close to their homes, so they can have a shelter during this rainy season. Families can now return to their homes and begin to rebuild their lives. The SRT, working closely with Rotarians from all three Brazzaville clubs and staff from SDV Congo-Bolloré Africa Logistics, will continue this process of pitching tents directly in the affected zone.’

The team has been working with the local communities and training them to pitch tents enabling them to be part of the solution.  So far 64 families have been sheltered and hundreds more tents are in the process of being distributed.

Following the explosion many families were separated and allowing them to return to their own land with a safe shelter to sleep in is assisting in reuniting communities. Cédric spoke with Sobonko Augustine whose children are currently living with her brother’s wife 

Cédric added: ‘My thanks go out to all ShelterBox supporters around the world, whose support has had a huge and positive impact on the people of the Republic of the Congo.'

 

ShelterBox Response Team assessing need in Fiji

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) carrying out a needs assessment in Fiji has found that affected communities are cut off by high floodwaters. The flooding has caused extensive damage to roads and bridges making aid delivery conditions challenging.

There is widespread damage to infrastructure in the western part of the south pacific island where thousands of families have been made homeless. 

The main cities Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka, Tavua, Ba and Rakiraki are the worst hit areas and have been flooded by up to two metres of water in places. 

SRT members Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) and Sally Fletcher (NZ) have had logistical support from local Rotary and Fiji's disaster management agency DISMAC, including local knowledge of the affected area and transport.

 

'Submerging'

'We have been working closely with Rotarians here and also DISMAC to assess the need for emergency humanitarian aid,' said Sally. 'But although we are in a 4x4 truck, we still cannot reach some communities as some roads are still completely submerged underwater preventing us from crossing. As the waters begin to recede, we will be returning to these areas. Tomorrow we are heading further north to see what the situation is like in communities up there.' 

DISMAC director Pajiliai Dobui said to reporters: 'If people in these areas have boats, we're asking them to make them available, as the little we have is not enough.' 

Although Cyclone Daphne has passed Fiji, more rain is expected over the next few days. 

ShelterBoxes are en route to the flood-stricken country from prepositioned stock in New Zealand's capital Auckland. 

 

 

ShelterBox tents used for injured in Congo

ShelterBox tents are being used for medical purposes in the Republic of the Congo, following an arms depot that exploded in the capital of Brazzaville on the 8 March. 

Thousands of people have been left homeless, injured and traumatised after several explosions ripped apart the Mpila neighbourhood and damaged various others. As a result, they have been staying in overcrowded temporary shelter camps. 

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Congolese Red Cross and the French Red Cross have been making the blast site safe; and working in the camps to restore family links and help children who have been separated from their families as a result of the accident. ShelterBox has provided tents across the camps to be used as a place of reception and welcome to the camps, but more importantly, to enable the ICRC to give trauma counselling for the survivors. 

The hot, wet climate can also affect the displaced people's health and can increase the chance of cholera to spread. ShelterBox tents are being used by the Africa Doctors Association who have been doing minor operations and delivering treatments for those in need of medical attention. 

'Privacy and dignity' 

'I was seeing five patients a day before we received these two tents from ShelterBox,' said Dr. Sombo. 'But now I have 150 patients a day. The environment is cleaner, we can work faster, and above all, it offers the patients privacy and dignity. Thank you.' 

ShelterBox Response Team member John Diksa (FR) has been assessing the need in the Central African country: 

'It's a very challenging environment to work in as it looks like an earthquake has hit the city, but then there is also ammunition and unexploded ordnance that needs to be cleared under the rubble before attempting to return these families to their homes.' 

'Rebuilding' 

'We have been working with the ICRC, Handicap International and other aid agencies to coordinate a tent distribution plan for a ShelterBox camp we plan to set up over the next few days. Until the site is levelled and cleared, we are distributing tents to families near their damaged homes on cleared, safe ground, allowing them to begin rebuilding their homes. We have also been providing tents for medical purposes to other aid agencies.'    

ShelterBox responds to flood-struck Fiji

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is flying to Fiji to assess the need for emergency shelter, following heavy rains over the past few months that have caused riverbanks to burst flooding villages.

 

Thousands of homes have been damaged on the largest island of Viti Levu forcing around 8,000 people into evacuation centres. Water andelectricity have been cut off in some areas.

 

The floods are 'three to four times worse' than the last devastating floods in 2009, according to the South Pacific nation's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who has called for a solution to the country's flooding problems.

'We are consulting with several key players, including Rotary in Suva, DISMAC (Fijian disaster management agency), Red Cross and the New Zealand Government to coordinate an appropriate and rapid response,' said ShelterBox International Director Lasse Petersen.

SRT members Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) and Sally Fletcher (NZ) will arrive in Fiji to begin the needs assessment on 5 April.

 

'This will be my second deployment to Fiji as I was part of the Response Team that responded to Hurricane Tomas that hit in 2009,' saidLyndon. 'The Rotarians and government officials who assisted us then are helping us now and will provide valuable logistical support with transport and language.'

 

ShelterBox and Rotary sign project partnership

ShelterBox and Rotary International (RI) have formed a project partner agreement this month, signed by John Hewko, Rotary International's CEO and General Secretary, and Tom Henderson OBE, ShelterBox Founder and CEO. 

The formalisation of this partnership cements a 12-year relationship providing emergency shelter and life-saving humanitarian aid for hundreds of thousands of families around the world, who have been made homeless by disaster. 

ShelterBox began as a Rotary Club Millennium Project in 2000 and today continues to have a significant input from Rotarians in its governance Board, senior management, operational capacity and international development. 

'Rotary and Rotarians have been integral in the operational development of the organisation, from being eyes and ears on the ground during deployments, to providing logistics, accommodation and translation services, right to assisting with the pitching of tents,' said Tom. 'Many of our global Response Team volunteers are Rotarians. Others have joined the Rotary family having seen the difference that Rotary and ShelterBox make on the ground. They have always helped us in endless ways.'

Not only have Rotary clubs and Rotarians historically contributed a huge amount to ShelterBox’s fundraising efforts but members of the Rotary family have also founded each one of its 21 affiliates. This support remains key for the charity to be prepared for a disaster of any scale and to be in a position to assist the most vulnerable families at the time when they need it the most. 

Through the new partnership, the two organisations will assist Rotarians to be part of a critical solution at times of disaster through providing humanitarian service when disasters occur in their area; engaging with ShelterBox in disaster preparedness initiatives within their country or district; and supporting ShelterBox readiness, awareness and capacity building. 

Mutual goals 

'For more than ten years, ShelterBox has given light to over one hundred thousand families worldwide in their darkest hour,' said John. 'This project partner agreement represents our mutual goal of helping those in need. It gives RI a forward-facing approach to immediate disaster relief.' 

'It's an historic moment for us to become a Rotary project partner,' said Tom. 'It's the first of its kind and is a great opportunity for us to engage with our Rotary friends around the world to increase awareness of what we do with Rotary and, of course, an opportunity for Rotarians to increase our avenues of service worldwide.'   

ShelterBox revisits Turkey

Two significant earthquakes hit Van Province in Eastern Turkey in October and November last year. Thousands of people were made homeless in the region that experiences harsh winters with sub-zero temperatures and high snowfall. 

ShelterBox responded distributing 1,341 ShelterBoxes along with an additional thermal layer for each family relief tent. It was the first deployment that the thermal layer had been used, and the first significant deployment in a region that experiences prolonged Northern Hemisphere winters. 

Five months after the quakes struck, ShelterBox Operations Coordinator Fionn McKee (UK) and Operations Assistant Rebecca Ridgeway (UK) have been deployed to Turkey to conduct a ShelterBox monitoring and evaluation programme. 

The programme is aimed at interviewing beneficiary families to collect feedback regarding the performance of the ShelterBox aid in a cold climate as well as meeting with partners that worked with ShelterBox during the deployment. 

The majority of families have moved into containers as reconstruction work is set to commence in the next few weeks now temperatures are finally starting to increase. However some families are still living in ShelterBox disaster relief tents. 

'I never imagined that I could stay in a tent in the winter for 40 days,' said Bulent Turgut, a small business owner whose apartment was partially damaged in the first 7.2-magnitude earthquake. 

Birgil Kurkmaz Birhan and his family have had the option of living in a container and said: 'We prefer to stay in the ShelterBox tent.' 

'While beneficiaries want life to return to normal as soon as possible, many have told us that they prefer to stay in the ShelterBox tents rather than return home as they are still living in fear of the aftershocks,' said Rebecca. 

'The feedback ShelterBox receives time and time again is that the tent is one, if not the, best humanitarian tent available,' said Fionn. 'We don't want families to be living in tents any longer than is necessary. But if livelihoods and homes have been destroyed then a ShelterBox tent not only provides high quality emergency shelter, it helps families stay together and set them on their way to recovering from a disaster.' 

To read more about ShelterBox's response the disaster, visit the deployment page here. 

ShelterBox Response Team assesses need in Peru

Heavy rains and landslides have caused extensive damage in the mountainous region of Cuzco in south-eastern Peru, home to the tourist destination of Machu Picchu. Reports say that thousands of people have been made homeless and almost 10,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed. 

Local Rotarians met the ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) as it arrived in Peru's capital, Lima, on 18 March. They are providing the team with transport and logistical support during the deployment. 

Response Team members John Cordell (US) and Gary Boe (US) are meeting with the National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI), the South American country’s national disaster relief agency, to get the latest information on the ground. 

'Over the next few days we are carrying out an assessment in and around Cuzco to establish those families who are in need of emergency shelter,' said John. 'Many roads are blocked from the landslides so we are discussing transport options with local organisations to help us travel around.' 

This is the second time ShelterBox has deployed to Peru in response to floods in the Cuzco region. Prepositioned ShelterBoxes in Panama will be sent to Peru if a need is found.

ShelterBox - Japan: One Year On

One year has passed since catastrophic scenes of destruction in northeast Japan shocked the world. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck 120 kilometres off the northeastern coast, triggering a massive tsunami that caused severe damage to the three districts of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.

 

Reports showed cars, ships and buildings being swept away with waves of up to ten metres high slamming into the coast.  Fires raged out of control and fissures cracked the land.  Almost 15,900 people lost their lives and at least 500,000 people were made homeless by the disaster.

 

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan described it as the worst crisis the country had faced since World War Two: ‘This earthquake and tsunami and also the situation concerning the nuclear power stations are perhaps the hardest hardship that we have experienced after World War Two.’

 

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) was mobilised just over one hour after the disaster struck. Further teams were also on standby in case the tsunami hit other countries.

Within 24 hours

Within 24 hours, the hugely experienced SRT members Lasse Petersen (AU), Mark Pearson (UK), John Diksa (FR) and David Eby (US), were on the ground. They immediately began working with the local authorities to assess the areas of most need for disaster relief.

 

'We were faced with a unique set of circumstances dealing with the effects of an earthquake, a tsunami and then a potential nuclear incident in the cold Japanese winter,' said Lasse. 'Our efforts focussed on Japan's north where the worst affected areas were.'

 

Sendai was one of the largest cities struck by the tsunami. Evacuation centres in the area were spilling over. In Yamamoto, a town near Sendai, SRT members Ian Neal (UK) and Mark Dyer (US) found 30 families living in cars outside one centre that was full. They had lost everything when the tsunami hit and they had been living in their cars in the freezing weather. ShelterBoxes were delivered to the families restoring their dignity as they began to rebuild their lives.

'Homes destroyed'

One of the people to move into a ShelterBox tent with eight of his relatives was 80-year old Toshi Iche Iwasa. He had been living in his vehicle with two other family members. At the time of the disaster, he was picking strawberries at a small family farm:

 

'In the 80 years of my life I have experienced many earthquakes but nothing like this one. I fell to the ground to take cover but couldn't pick myself up again. My wife was only able to crawl across to me.

 

'As soon as we heard the tsunami warning we headed straight to our car and drove for higher ground. Although our homes were completely destroyed I feel lucky that we are all safe and together.'

 

Mark Dyer said: ‘It was great to move Mr Iwasa and his family into one of our tents. He was so excited to talk to his family and let them know they could start living together. 

 

‘He was amazed that donors from all over the world work with ShelterBox to bring this type of lifesaving equipment to people who lose everything in a disaster. He just kept saying Arigato (thank you) ShelterBox.’

 

ShelterBox Founder and CEO Tom Henderson said: ‘My message to people has always been; do something, don’t do nothing, we can all make a difference. As with every disaster, we saw people around the world act with generosity and compassion which helped us make a difference in Japan and in disaster zones across the globe - thank you.’

 

Local Rotarians and authorities provided vital logistical support to ShelterBox, enabling the charity to respond quickly and efficiently. Overall 1,680 ShelterBoxes were delivered to the Asian country and 18 SRT members were deployed, bringing shelter, warmth and dignity to thousands of displaced people. 

 

SRT member Pat Prendergast (UK) was part of the second team that was on the ground. Find out more about his experiences in the video below.

[Video available online] 

 

Chris Alderson acted as a guide and translator for Response Teams during the disaster in Japan. Following the disaster and inspired by the work that ShelterBox does, he trained to become an SRT member himself.  Read his personal account of his experience helping ShelterBox in Japan here.

 

ShelterBox makes a difference for Heather and family

Heather is an 11-year old girl from the fishing village of Malusay Luyang, Guihulngan, who lost her entire house in the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Visaya in the Philippines on 6 February . She was living with her two younger siblings, 9-year old John Clifort and 7-year old Jamaica Shaan, and her parents. She recounts the devastating day when the disaster struck: 

'The earthquake happened during lunch. I never got to eat as my lunch fell on the floor. Mum was at school and took my brother, sister and me and we ran to the hills as we were told there was going to be a tsunami. We slept in the hills that night and were all scared. Next day we returned to our village and discovered our house was totally destroyed. The following nights we stayed under a tarpaulin with 70 other people from our village. 

'I was scared the earth would open up and swallow me and my family. There were aftershocks during the middle of the night and we all woke up terrified, praying for the shakes to stop.' 

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has been distributing aid in Jimalalud, La Libertad and Guihulngan, areas in the southern province of Negros Oriental. Heather and her family are now living comfortably in a ShelterBox tent as they rebuild their home and their lives.

'Salamat (thank you)'

SRT member Rikke Jacobsen (DK) said: ' Heather kept on saying 'salamat' (thank you) to us for giving her and her family a new home. She danced around the tent and was so happy. Watching the smiles of the people we at ShelterBox have helped here makes me so thankful and proud to a part of the disaster relief charity.' 

Rogelio is a farmer whose house was buried by a landslide near Salongon, where 42 people died. Before he was delivered a ShelterBox tent for him, his wife and children to live in, they had been sleeping without shelter and were unable to get food for several days. 

'My wife and I were having lunch when the earthquake happened,' said Rogelio. 'The table fell down on my wife's lap and then we heard rumbling. I took my wife's hand and we ran away from the house as quickly as we could. When we finally stopped and looked back the whole house was gone. Luckily our kids were at school but we lost our life savings in seconds.' 

'We are so incredibly thankful for the help we have received from ShelterBox. We want to say a big thank you to the donors across the world who paid for it as well as the SRT members who delivered it.' 
The need for emergency shelter in Negros Oriental has been met with 69 tents distributed in total, bringing shelter, warmth and dignity to the disaster-affected families.

'Challenging deployment'

'This is by far the most challenging deployment I've ever been on logistically, physically, mentally and emotionally,' said SRT member Abner Tayco (PH). 'We have been hiking mountains and hills and crossing streams to find people who are in need of help. But as soon you see those smiles once they move into a ShelterBox tent we know ShelterBox has made a difference in their life.'

See the latest slideshow of photos from the deployment on ShelterBox's Flickr page here.

ShelterBox helps quake survivors in Philippines

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has been distributing emergency shelter on the Filipino island of Visaya to families displaced from their homes by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck on 6 February. 

Initial reports following the quake stated there was no need for humanitarian assistance. However Filipino Congress woman Joselyn LimKaichiong had heard about ShelterBox's recent deployment in Mindanao following floods that hit the island last December. She alerted the deployed SRT there through her Rotarian contacts saying that there was a need for emergency shelter in Visaya's southern province of Negros Oriental near Dumaguete city. 

ShelterBox was able to mobilise a Response Team immediately using its global network of SRT members. 

'Abner Tayco (PH) is one of our in-country members who had been part of the SRT on our recent deployment in Mindanao,' said ShelterBox Operations Manager Alf Evans. 'He is being accompanied by Rikke Jacobsen (DK) who was flown from Singapore where she has been travelling. Within 48 hours of the alert they were on the ground making a needs assessment in the affected area.' 

The earthquake caused giant waves that not only destroyed fishing villages along the coast but also caused two major landslides that resulted in another two villages being buried killing at least 65 people. Major roads and bridges have also been destroyed and aftershocks are being felt on a daily basis. 

The local government has also helped the Response Team with vital logistical support.

'The help that ShelterBox has given to the people of my district is tremendous,' said Congress woman Joselyn. 'We really appreciate the SRT members giving their valuable time to help us - thank you.' 

The team has distributed 41 tents to date bringing shelter, warmth and dignity to many families. They are now heading to Planas where the other landslide hit to distribute a further 15 tents.

Lost their homes

Consequently, thousands of people have been affected and many have lost their homes. Rikke and Abner have been distributing shelter in the towns of Jimalalud, La Libertad and Guihulngan using residual stocks transported from Mindanao. 

'We have been setting up ShelterBox tents to help the families who lost their homes along the coastal villages and also in La Libertad where one of the landslides happened,' said Rikke. 'Local Rotarians from Dumaguete, Dumaguete South and Dumaguete North travelled almost three hours to help us put up the tents - their help has been invaluable.' 

 

ShelterBox sends emergency shelter to Madagascar

ShelterBox is sending emergency shelter to Madagascar for families who have been made homeless by Cyclone Giovanna that struck on 14 February. 

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has been working closely with the National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), the national disaster relief agency, to carry out a needs assessment in the most devastated areas of the island. 

'The eastern town of Brickaville and the capital Antananarivo as well as their surrounding villages are the worse hit regions,' said SRT member David Webber (UK). 'Schools have been destroyed, homes flattened and the main hospital damaged.' 

ShelterBox is sending midi tents from its headquarters in Cornwall, UK, as opposed to ShelterBoxes, as people have lost their homes from the high winds but still have their personal belongings. The midi tents are ideal for responses like this where temporary shelter is required for a shorter time while families rebuild their homes with dignity. Mosquito nets and hammers to help families put up the tents will arrive with the tents. 

SchoolBoxes are also being sent to the damaged schools packed with activities for children, bringing them hope at the time when they need it the most. 

Cyclone Giovanna caused most destruction on the eastern part of Madagascar displacing almost 152,000 people. SRT member Stephen Branfield (UK) speaks about the latest from the field here:

 

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ShelterBox celebrates Waitangi Day

Waitangi Day commemorates a significant event in the history of New Zealand. The annual national holiday celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand’s founding document, on 6 February 1840. ShelterBox has many kiwi supporters and would like to celebrate this day by recognising some of the ways in which they contribute to the charity. 

Not far from the Treaty grounds at Waitangi in the beautiful Bay of Islands lies the town of Kerikeri. The Rotary Club there has been a major supporter of ShelterBox having raised around NZ$30,000 for it over the past couple of years. 

The town is also home to Rotarian and ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) volunteer Owen Smith who has been deployed on eight occasions since completing his SRT training in February 2009. His most recent deployment was to Kenya in August 2011, where ShelterBox distributed emergency shelter to families who had been forced to flee across the border of Somalia to escape the worst famine in 60 years and the on-going conflict that had blighted the country. 

Owen was part of the SRT that worked in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to get the first 2,900 ShelterBox tents ready for occupation and around 2,000 families had moved into the camp during his time in Dadaab. 

‘It was amazing to be able to set up so many tents in such a short space of time,’ said Owen. ‘When we realised that there were upwards of 80,000 people living in extremely basic and cramped transition areas waiting for somewhere permanent to live and every day another 1,400 refugees were arriving here in Dadaab we knew we had to work fast. 

‘This deployment truly demonstrated ShelterBox’s capacity to make a real difference in the world and by working in partnership with UNHCR and IOM agencies we achieved a great result for so many refugee families. After all the hard, hot and dusty work that goes into getting our equipment ready to use, it was wonderful to be on site and assist the first families moving into their ShelterBox tents.’ 

Within two months, over 7,000 ShelterBox tents were set up in Dadaab, providing shelter, comfort and dignity to thousands of families, making it the largest delivery of ShelterBox aid that year. 

Urgently needed shelter 

Two other SRT volunteers from New Zealand who have just recently returned home have been on deployment in the Philippines responding to the devastation caused by Typhoon Washi. Arnold Kelly and Lyndon Tamblyn were deployed with two Filipino SRT volunteers in the Southeast Asian country distributing urgently needed shelter as recent flooding stretched relief operations on the island of Mindanao. More than 1,200 lives were reported lost and over 10,000 homes were destroyed. 

‘This was my fourth deployment to the Philippines and that country can certainly throw up many challenges in all aspects of our work,’ said Arnold. ‘This time round it was the heat – it was scorching there and setting up tents daily in that high level of humidity was challenging at times. All the hard work was paid off though when we saw the joy on people’s faces when they moved into their new homes.’ 

To date, two ShelterBox camps have been set up in the worst affected areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan providing new homes for around 600 families. The Moro National Liberations Front (MNLF) has been helping the SRTs put up ShelterBox tents. 

‘We trained the MNLF in setting up ShelterBox tents at the Calaanan evacuation site in Cagayan de Oro,’ said Lyndon. ‘Their help was invaluable in terms of how quick we distributed emergency shelter to families in need at the time when they needed it the most.’ 

Arnold and Lyndon carried out ongoing needs assessments and delivered much needed emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies into the area. 

Disaster struck 

Both SRT volunteers were also amongst the first to be mobilised to Christchurch almost a year ago when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit the South Island city causing significant loss of life, casualties and damage to infrastructure. Arnold and Lyndon happened to be in the area with Walter van der Kley, an SRT volunteer from downtown Christchurch, when the disaster struck and they immediately began to assess the need. 

ShelterBox New Zealand Director, Lindsay Thorburn, was having lunch on the outskirts of Christchurch when the quake hit. ‘I was in the café about two kilometres out of the town centre when the quake hit,’ said Lindsay. ‘It was horrific. There were plates of food and cups of coffee smashing and flying all around me. People cut and bleeding everywhere, luckily I was not one of them. For the next five hours I helped those who were in most need.’ 

Following the assessments of the Kiwi SRT working in Christchurch, 120 prepositioned ShelterBoxes from Australia were sent to Auckland and a further 200 disaster relief tents were sent from the United Kingdom. 

ShelterBox would like to thank every individual from New Zealand who has contributed to its huge aid efforts and who has contributed to the protection of hundreds of thousands of lives. Wherever you are in the world, ShelterBox wishes you a very happy Waitangi Day!

All hands on deck in the Philippines

Local scouts, Rotarians and students have been helping ShelterBox Response Teams (SRT) set up camps in the devastated areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, providing emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for thousands of the most vulnerable families in need. 

Their support comes as tens of thousands of people remain displaced almost six weeks after Typhoon Washi struck the north of Mindanao, a southern island in the Philippines, sweeping away nearly 50,000 homes and affecting hundreds of thousands of people. 

‘As more ShelterBoxes and tents arrive, more hands seem to become available to put them up,’ said SRT volunteer Abner Tayco (PH). ‘It’s incredible seeing how many people out there have huge support for the work that ShelterBox does and they want to help out as much as they can in any way they can.’ 

SRT volunteer Lyndon Tamblyn (NZ) demonstrated to scouts from the areas of Mizamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro how to set up ShelterBox tents at the Calaanan camp. By the end of the day, 50 tents were set up. 

‘It’s been amazing having help from the scouts and they have brought with them a wealth of knowledge in setting up camps,’ said Lyndon. ‘It was easy to show them how to put up the tents as they already knew about distance and spacing so we have been able to work at double our normal pace.’ 

One group of medical students had read about the work that ShelterBox was doing in the Asian country on the charity’s Facebook page and went in search of the SRT. Ian, Carlo and Melvin found the ShelterBox camps and volunteered their free time away from their studies to help put up tents. 

‘We may not be able to afford to contribute any money to ShelterBox but we are willing to help set up tents,’ said Ian. ‘We are really happy to help out this way and it’s great to be part of such an inspirational organisation that restores dignity to families’ lives after a disaster.’ 

The SRT has also had support from volunteers from aid agency All Hands and local Rotarians, who have assisted in setting up at least 200 tents to date. 

ShelterBox responded instantly to the disaster by deploying in-country SRT volunteers to assess the need for emergency aid. Since then, enough tents have been set up to provide shelter, warmth and dignity to almost 1300 families.

Baby Nam in Thailand: 3 months on

A Thai mother gave birth to a baby on board an evacuation boat last October, during what were described as the worse floods to hit Thailand in 50 years. Baby Nam spent the first month of her life living in a ShelterBox tent with her family before moving back to their house in Rangsit once the floodwaters receded. A ShelterBox Operations team carrying out a monitoring and evaluation programme met with baby Nam, her mother and 60-year old grandmother to see what life has been like since Response Team volunteer Scott Robinson (US) first met them three months before at the evacuation centre. 

ShelterBox’s Operations Coordinator Dr. Alison Ashlin (UK), Operations Assistant Rebecca Ridgeway (UK) and Scott spoke to Ladda Bangkeaw, Nam’s mother, in their home in Rangsit. 

‘I gave birth to Nam on the evacuation boat as my home had flooded leaving me with no electricity and nowhere to sit and lay down,’ said Ladda. ‘It was a relief to reach the evacuation centre but for Nam’s first five days of her life we lived in an overcrowded hallway there. Then I met Scott who gave us a ShelterBox tent to live in giving us not just privacy but dignity too. The tent was very comfortable and I was able to recover from the birth and look after Nam. 

‘Coming home was a shock, the house was a mess and most of our possessions had been ruined by the floods. However, I was so happy that we had survived and ShelterBox had helped us do this. We are now slowly rebuilding our lives.’ 

‘Although this family has very little, Nam is a healthy, happy baby,’ said Alison. ‘Her birth weight was just under three kilograms and three months on she now weighs four kilograms. Ladda said she was very happy to see Scott and the rest of us. She asked how we had managed to find her and explained that she thought we had forgotten about her. She was so happy she said she could cry. It was a very emotional moment for her and us.’ 

The ShelterBox Operations team have now completed the evaluation programme in Thailand that was carried out to improve ShelterBox’s speed of delivery and overall response to disasters. They collected feedback from beneficiaries, spoke to in-country partners and assessed the conditions of the tents in the flood-hit areas. 

To read ShelterBox’s original story of Ladda giving birth to baby Nam please click here.