Meet Maricel
A Mother's journey to help her family
Maricel lives with her three children and elderly mother in the Barangay of Bantayan, San Roque Municipality in the Philippines.
Her family’s home was completely destroyed in the wake of Typhoon Kammuri (known locally as Typhoon Tisoy), which hit the Philippines in December 2019.
Maricel and her family received ShelterBox aid thanks to our global supporters, including tarpaulins, tools, fixings, rope, blankets, and a solar light. She used these items to create a new shelter for her family to regain a sense of normalcy and begin the process of recovery.
The ShelterBox Monitoring and Evaluation Team went back to the Philippines in February 2020 to evaluate the success of this response. While there, they spoke with Maricel about the extent to which the support she was provided had helped in the aftermath of the typhoon.
“All of the items. But it was the tarpaulin that made the most difference.”
– Maricel, Philippines
When the team talked with Maricel, she told us that the solar light had been the most useful. Since losing her home, the family has had no electricity which makes it difficult for them to get around at night.
“We are taking good care of the solar light, because it is the only light we have.”
She explained that in this particular area people feel safer using the light to go outside because it means they can avoid tripping hazards and stepping on snakes.
At ShelterBox, we’re determined to help families like Maricel so they can recover from disaster and conflict. Thank you for helping us make this happen!