Business leaders’ trip to the Philippines this year

Canterbury student helping organise a business leaders’ trip to the Philippines this year

January 4, 2015

A University of Canterbury student who returned from humanitarian aid work in the Philippines just in time for Christmas, has begun her support for a business leaders’ trip to the Philippines this year.

Hannah Rhodes spent much of last month helping University of Canterbury senior fellow and entrepreneur-in-residence international humanitarian aid worker Linda Cruse following a Philippines typhoon that left dozens of people dead.

The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council says 2.7 million people had been affected by this month’s super typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) with nearly 1.8 million people left sheltering in evacuation centres.

Rhodes says the planned trip of key New Zealand business leaders will connect them with local communities. They will be able to use their skills and knowledge to provide sustainable business solutions for families who are struggling.

``This model is effective because it means there are independent structures in place to provide a sustainable livelihood for people long after we leave, Rhodes says.

``We taught basic hygiene through tutorials to around school children and this involved the mothers as well. We adapted the `if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands song’ to the ‘if you’re happy and you know it, wash your hands/feet song’.

``Many villagers do not have money so they fish to provide food for their families. Last year the deadly Typhoon Haiyan ruined many of their fishing nets and boats so Linda helped find funding to replace the nets and boats so they can fish for food again and also sell some of the fish to nearby villages.

``Before typhoon Haiyan, Tarong was mainly a fishing village with very little economic diversity. Linda and her business sponsors have helped diversify the economy through a range of projects. One of the most successful projects so far is the chicken project which is a cooperative of families who all tend to a small chicken farm next to their houses.

``They originally bred the chickens for meat but have since swapped to producing eggs (they call it their egg machine) as it gives them a daily income which helps with school fees and basic goods. Another project is the community garden which is another cooperative of families who all work together to maintain the garden.

``The recent typhoon damaged some of the plants so we helped to get the garden underway again. The fruit and vegetables are used for food as well as a product to sell. All projects have a focus on making the families independent and are designed to operate long-term.

``A volleyball net and basketball court just off the main road in the village where we worked has attracted a lot of attention. The `vegetable boys’, who work in the community garden project, won the first volleyball tournament. The vegetable girls also have teams and their tournament was won by the ‘3 Angels’. We often enjoyed music from the band in the evenings, they like a range of music, including many western hits from the 1970s.

``I have just finished my honours degree in political science and have had fantastic support from the University of Canterbury’s political science department throughout my degree. A highlight was our field trip to parliament which really opened my eyes to the range of possibilities a degree in political science offers.

``I also enjoyed an arts internship in my second year with the Red Cross which spurred my passion for non-government organisation work. My trip has been partly funded by me and partly funded with my UC Innovators (nurturing student entrepreneurs) scholarship money. Part of my scholarship is to register Linda’s non-profit organisation in New Zealand. I worked closely with Linda last year and we have many projects planned for this year.’’

ENDS

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