TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite -- A non-government organization (NGO) announced its plans to implement more projects that will assist and improve the social development of families and individuals frequently affected by disasters particularly those living in the vulnerable communities in the country.
In a banquet for a cause event at Hotel Dominque here on December 10, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) country director Tom Pignon said ADRA will work closely with its partner, Humanity and Inclusion, in the provinces of Benguet and Kalinga to strengthen the resilience of high-risk communities through “Empower” project.
“We will work with the communities to give them a voice and be involved in decisions on disaster and climate risk governance that directly affect them,” Pignon said in his speech during the event dubbed as “Youmanity”.
“Not only will these communities be better prepared for disaster, but when the next one comes; they will be able to recover from the impact far more quickly,” he added.
Pignon said Empower is a disaster risk reduction project to be funded by the European Union as well as financial contributions from supporters around the world of ADRA, a global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist.
Photo shows a display of Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s various assistance projects during the first annual banquet for a cause at Hotel Dominque in Tagaytay City on December 10, 2019. (PNA photo by Gladys S. Pino)
He said another project called RISE or Responsible Investment and Share Empowerment will also be initially implemented in Mindanao and the Visayas and will also be expanded into Luzon “as the project progresses”.
“Over the next year years, ADRA will be providing access to small loans for low-income individuals, farmers, micro-entrepreneurs and women to improve and grow their livelihoods,” Pignon said.
He said ADRA will also build the management capacity of the entrepreneurs and farmers and ultimately establish a microfinance institution that will ensure the sustainability of the program even beyond the three-year project.
ADRA will also conduct business education, financial management, and better livelihood practices training for farmers and entrepreneurs, and will establish business innovation and incubation laboratories with higher education institutions.
The ADRA official said Empower and RISE will build on the success of REAP (Restoring, Empowering and Protecting Livelihood) project which was used to help millions of people affected by super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
Pignon took the opportunity to thank the generous ADRA supporters who responded to the call for help for victims of a series of earthquakes that recently hit Central and Eastern Mindanao.
“There are now more than 350,000 people affected that are still in need of assistance,” he said.
“You only have to look back on the past two months to see how your generosity has enabled thousands of families affected by disaster to be helped with LifeSaver kits,” he added. (PNA)
