Raising Hopes for the Future
Savings Programme as an Introduction of Post-Disaster-Counselling
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- The group of community counsellors reports about the savings groups meetings, and share the results of their group. One of the is Dalen. Her group has saved 13,000 pesos within 6 months. Together the people from the villages want to establish small scale joint ventures - a shop or a bakery. © CBM
Saving as a start – this unusual way of rehabilitating communities after a disaster has been taken by CBM’s partner Operation Compassion after the typhoon catastrophe of 2004. Rehabilitation is understood in a comprehensive way and includes psychosocial rehabilitation and practical guidance for livelihood recovery.
That it is not only the immediate need for blankets and food, which has to be met in a post-disaster situation, was what Sarah Ricardo (all names changed) learnt. The 25-year-old agriculturist, had been sent by Operation Compassion to advise people in the typhoon-stricken villages of Banglos and Ilog, Northeastern Philippines on farming techniques: "It was a challenge to encourage the people in the communities to keep going", says Sarah. She noticed that everyone had suffered a lot, many had lost relatives, and people in the two villages saw no use in investing, when it seemed sure that another typhoon would come and take all they had away again.
The typhoon disaster took away the strength of people in the communities. This fostered a dole-out mentality and resulted in passivity as a consequence. Traumatizing effects of the disaster, with people re-experiencing disastrous situation of mudslides covering homes and fields, added to that.
After a needs assessment in late 2004, Operation Compassion came up with a concept to give people in the affected areas new hope and the will to make new plans for their future. For this, the Filipino non-governmental organisation (NGO) introduced a savings programme, which was combined with stress and trauma counselling for the survivors of the disaster, as well as guidance for couples and community organisation measures.
That it is not only the immediate need for blankets and food, which has to be met in a post-disaster situation, was what Sarah Ricardo (all names changed) learnt. The 25-year-old agriculturist, had been sent by Operation Compassion to advise people in the typhoon-stricken villages of Banglos and Ilog, Northeastern Philippines on farming techniques: "It was a challenge to encourage the people in the communities to keep going", says Sarah. She noticed that everyone had suffered a lot, many had lost relatives, and people in the two villages saw no use in investing, when it seemed sure that another typhoon would come and take all they had away again.
The typhoon disaster took away the strength of people in the communities. This fostered a dole-out mentality and resulted in passivity as a consequence. Traumatizing effects of the disaster, with people re-experiencing disastrous situation of mudslides covering homes and fields, added to that.
After a needs assessment in late 2004, Operation Compassion came up with a concept to give people in the affected areas new hope and the will to make new plans for their future. For this, the Filipino non-governmental organisation (NGO) introduced a savings programme, which was combined with stress and trauma counselling for the survivors of the disaster, as well as guidance for couples and community organisation measures.
Communities Prepare Themselves for the Future
The Bayanihan savings programme was presented to the communities of Banglos and Ilog (Quezon Province) in April 2005. Bayanihan is a Filipino value of mutual assistance and helping ease each other’s burdens at the community level, of helping each other in time of need or to accomplish certain goals. The programme aims to overcome the dole-out mentality, restore the people’s trust in their own abilities. At the same time, it helps the village people to overcome the traumatising effects of the disaster, by making plans for the future. To date, 25 savings groups have been established, with 8 to 10 members each. The weekly meetings unite and organise the communities and encourage the people to save money and make plans for the future. A counsellor helps to find solutions discussed among each of the groups, which are named after flowers or fruits to symbolize growth and development. Their aim is to enable the communities to assist persons with livelihood or psychological problems caused by the disaster.
One of those within the community, who has volunteered as a community counsellor, is Luis Agiular (32). He is sitting in a circle with fellow counsellors among coconut trees and wears a muscle shirt, telling us about his tight time schedule as community counsellor: "On Wednesdays the group meeting starts at eight or nine in the morning, until one o’ clock. Then we discuss livelihood problems. After lunch, from 2 to 4 I spend time in the community." Practical advice about saving, livelihood and field work contributes to creating a secure atmosphere, which helps people to overcome their stressful memories of the disaster, feelings of helplessness and of depending upon others.
One of those within the community, who has volunteered as a community counsellor, is Luis Agiular (32). He is sitting in a circle with fellow counsellors among coconut trees and wears a muscle shirt, telling us about his tight time schedule as community counsellor: "On Wednesdays the group meeting starts at eight or nine in the morning, until one o’ clock. Then we discuss livelihood problems. After lunch, from 2 to 4 I spend time in the community." Practical advice about saving, livelihood and field work contributes to creating a secure atmosphere, which helps people to overcome their stressful memories of the disaster, feelings of helplessness and of depending upon others.
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- The young man points to the roof of a house. It was covered by mud, which the typhoons washed into the village. The community had to dig it out again, what took them several months. Now, in this house the savings books are stored. © CBM
Saving for a community joint venture
"The first time we looked at our savings book, we were amazed and excited about how much we had saved," says Dalen Valdemoza (33). During the savings groups meetings, savings results are announced and members advised to attend meetings regularly and make their contribution. The discipline to set aside and make plans for the future is fostered by the savings programme. In addition, the community learns to plan and organise itself and support its members. Conflicts within the group are discussed openly, as in the case of a participant who could not afford to contribute regularly to the group’s savings. Within 6 months, Dalen’s group, consisting of 10 poor farmers and fishermen, saved 13,000 pesos (196 Euros). "The aim of her group is to gather enough money as a basis for a loan, which will be used to set up a store", says Dalen. Finances are also meant to help members of the group in case of a personal emergency, to buy medicine or pay for hospitalisation. The group has designed its savings programme to be a community-based form of health insurance.
"We hope that the communities will be stronger and support each other in the future, in the likely case of a new emergency," says Jo Fernandez, a former engineer who is now responsible for the Bayanihan Savings Programme of Operation Compassion. The NGO, founded in 2004 and supported by CBM since then, applied innovative approaches to community organisation. They hope that in the future, the community will be able to put up small-scale businesses which will make them less dependent on farming. Fernandez has asked the groups to think about a dream business they would like to start: "Operation Compassion will support them in looking for partners to establish for example a bakery or a retail gasoline station, by connecting the different savings groups together in a community joint venture."
"The effects of the savings programme has not only shown in the savings books each group keeps, but also in the way the village communities are now able to rely on their own strengths and resources", says Fernandez.
Read more: What The Soil Has To Offer - Restoration of Communities After Typhoons in the Philippines
Further information: Marks on People’s Minds - The Scars The Philippines Typhoons Disaster Left Behind
Go back: Project Reports
"We hope that the communities will be stronger and support each other in the future, in the likely case of a new emergency," says Jo Fernandez, a former engineer who is now responsible for the Bayanihan Savings Programme of Operation Compassion. The NGO, founded in 2004 and supported by CBM since then, applied innovative approaches to community organisation. They hope that in the future, the community will be able to put up small-scale businesses which will make them less dependent on farming. Fernandez has asked the groups to think about a dream business they would like to start: "Operation Compassion will support them in looking for partners to establish for example a bakery or a retail gasoline station, by connecting the different savings groups together in a community joint venture."
"The effects of the savings programme has not only shown in the savings books each group keeps, but also in the way the village communities are now able to rely on their own strengths and resources", says Fernandez.
Read more: What The Soil Has To Offer - Restoration of Communities After Typhoons in the Philippines
Further information: Marks on People’s Minds - The Scars The Philippines Typhoons Disaster Left Behind
Go back: Project Reports
