On the 8th May we will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the founding of our partner in the Philippines, Balay Mindanaw.
We have been working with Balay Mindanaw from soon after Disaster Aid Australia was formed in 2010.
Initially we worked together on disaster response for the many typhoons and earthquakes that affect their region, causing massive devastation, as shown in this photograph.
Our early aid was based on providing tents and water filters.
Our experiences taught us to find out what people really wanted, so we developed Smart Aid, and now typically buy building materials locally to help people rebuild their own homes.
Seeing the improvements in community health following the installation of our SkyHydrant water filters we then initiated our ‘Safe Water for Every Child‘ program.
With Balay Mindanaw we have now installed over 75 SkyHydrants, protecting 10’s of thousands of people across Mindanao.
It is thanks to our partnership we are able to provide cost effective aid to the Philippines.
But Balay Mindanaw does much more than work with Disaster Aid Australia.
It is a Mindanaoan-led NGO whose core peacebuilding program is supported by Misereor.
Over the years it has also evolved into a family of NGOs that is simply called the Balay Mindanaw Group
The group is engaged in community wealth creation, social enterprise, micro-finance, technical vocational courses, and sustainability initiatives.
The heart of their program is community-based and barangay (village)-focused work for equity, development, resilience and peace.
If you would like to help Disaster Aid Australia continue to deliver aid to the Philippines click on the link below;
DONATE
Charity donations of $2 or more to Disaster Aid Australia are tax-deductible in Australia.