LOCAL people have been continuing to send help to the Philippines following the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan last month.
Leny Davies, a Filipino woman, who now lives with her husband Mike in Dilton Marsh, has been sending items of relief goods to those in need while another local couple, James Lewis and his Filipino wife Cherry, have stepped up their long-term project which provides donated computers and laptops to schools in the Philippines, which they say are now needed more than ever before.
More than 14.9million people have been affected by typhoon Haiyan after it hit the Philippines in November. Typhoon Haiyan was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded on land.
Leny and Mike Davies have thanked local people for their generous response to the appeal. Leny said, “On behalf of the Filipino community I would like to say a big thank you to the people of Westbury who responded to the typhoon Haiyan appeal.
“I also want to thank you for all the people who gave donations for relief goods (used clothing, shoes and food). My husband Mike and I managed to send eight huge boxes full of relief goods in the container, ready to shift to the poor victims.”
James and Cherry Lewis, also from Westbury, say their Project 300, which delivers donated computers and laptops to schools in the Philippines, has taken a new turn, following the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan last month.
The couple launched their Project 300 appeal last year. In September, they launched the second phase, appealing for laptops for another trip to the Philippines. They had been planning the visit for January, but moved the trip forward so they could offer support at a critical time.
As a result, old laptops and computing equipment donated by people in Westbury are now helping Filipino people rebuild their communities in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, while the team’s equipment and skills has been helping people get back on their feet.
James told the White Horse News, “I am stationed on the island of Cebu where the top portion of the island suffered the same fate as Tacloban and has massive damage as well.
“The computer project team has been doing several things. First we have been using generators to power mobile phones so that people can get back in touch with loved ones. Second, we have widened our programme for schools to start equipping the schools that have nothing, to get education going again. Small projects such as ours can do little but help the bigger picture by covering the things we know best – in this instance that is education and IT equipment.”
James would like to reassure those who have offered to donate old machines that their equipment is still very much wanted.
He said, “Batches continue to arrive in the Philippines but at present we have failed to maintain the contacts in Westbury with those people who are kind enough to donate – due to the logistics of being in two places at once. I hope there is some way we can get a message to them to be patient with us and that normal collections can start again of used IT equipment from December 10th onwards.
“What have we been doing? Well, after substantial earthquakes in the region in October and around 250 aftershocks, with some registering as high as 5.5 on the scale, we have been working in schools delivering computers from the generous donations.
“The work here is often filled with emotion when you see the how well received the goods are that would normally have been thrown away in the UK.
“This week alone we have delivered five desktops to the National High School, three desktops and two laptops to the Alternative Learning Service, along with a DVD player, music centre, laminating machine and printer. We delivered three laptops with sound systems into a local elementary school as well.
“Currently we are working on teacher packs, these are complete computers with software, printers, speakers, infant everything for the teacher to be able to start teaching classes.
“Needed are laptops that work, that can take Windows XP or higher, come with the software as well where possible. The reason for this is the security in some places is pretty poor and computers are high value items that need to be locked away at night and in some cases, where classrooms are currently portable, there needs to be an ability to move equipment easily.
“Thank you for the great support of the readers of the White Horse News. Without you we could not have helped so many children already.”
If you would like to donate an old laptop, please contact James on lewis770@icloud.com or text him on 07946 619934.
