Philippines – The Foundation supports Enfants du Mékong

02/28/2014

On 8 November 2013, Haiyan, an unusually violent typhoon, hit the Philippines.

As part of its objectives, Fondation Pierre Fabre wanted to provide support for the populations affected by the storm.

On 8 November 2013, Haiyan, an unusually violent typhoon, hit the Philippines. Winds of more than 300 km/h and three-metre waves devastated thousands of homes in the storm’s path, leaving nearly 14 million people homeless.

As part of its objectives, Fondation Pierre Fabre wanted to provide support for the populations affected by the storm. To accomplish this mission, it approached the “Enfants du Mékong” NGO that has strong presence in the area and specialises in school sponsorship (for 60,000 children in Southeast Asia, including 3,500 in the Philippines).In the days following the disaster, “Enfants du Mékong” worked alongside local partners, implementing initiatives complementary with those of the emergency NGOs to establish a reconstruction aid programme for the poorest families.

This meant that emergency funds collected by “Enfants du Mékong” were used to finance home reconstructions and to give everyone the means to regain financial autonomy through a working tool suited to their capabilities (fishing boat, livestock, seeds, etc.). For example, the cost of a wooden or corrugated iron dwelling for a family is about €500. This means that the subsidies from Fondation Pierre Fabre provided about forty homes for the hardest-hit families.

In February 2014, the “Enfants du Mekong” NGO announced that, with the various donations received, they were able to provide assistance to more than 1,200 families in nine different areas by supplying the materials necessary for rebuilding their homes.