11 Photos: Hope in the sea of despair - A journey into the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The day of reckoning finally arrived.
Three weeks before, Typhoon Haiyan hit the eastern Philippines.

I travelled from my home in India at request of World Vision’s emergency response to provide communication support. It was my first trip to the Philippines, the first time I worked on a global emergency response.

As I readied myself to witness the scenes of destruction in Leyte, an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty gripped me.

What would I witness? 
What will my reaction be in the midst of such catastrophic loss?

As I arrived in Ormoc, hope seemed far fetched.

I stared at battered houses, brutally bent metal scaffoldings, severed electric wires, clusters of people huddled together just to charge their phone.

I set out to capture the unthinkable – 'Hope in the sea of despair' – a series of photos that showed the resilience of Filipinos in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.


Hope captivated me through the life of 60-year-old Teresita who braved the scorching heat, along with other locals, to collect the relief goods. Never once did she complain or sign about the ruthless plunder of herpossessions by the typhoon.


Hope sparkled in the eyes of 8-year-old Harvy, who relentlessly painted his aspiration, a happy united family, on a piece of coloured paper at the Child Friendly Space. Braving the trauma of typhoon and separation from parents, Harvy mustered the courage to leave the familiarity of his home to attend school.


Hope beamed off the radiant faces of mothers caressing their little angelic infants to sleep at the Women and Young Children Spaces.


Shouldering the mammoth responsibility of transforming typhoon wrecked, crumbling houses into safe havens for their brood, mothers exemplified the epitome of self-sacrifice and fortitude.


In northern Cebu, I found hope among children and their parents on Christmas eve, where families celebrated the festivities despite the disaster.


It was here that I met Marvey and her charismatic family, including her son Junniel (above). Victims of Typhoon Haiyan, Marvey’s daunting testimony emulated the potency of a family unitto withstand the calamity and come out victorious. She reinforced with certainty that regardless of the chaos and destruction caused by a natural disaster; 'Family sticks together and they matter the most'.


And I saw hope shine from World Vision’s response team - an amalgamation of various personalities and different nationalities; all embracing uniqueness and warmth of helping Filipinos build back better.


As the deployment ran its end course, it dawned on me that, Typhoon Haiyan had rattled my life too. Its wind sweeping away any ounce of complacency left. With the typhoon survivors my teachers, and the affected area my classroom, I had been schooled.

Engulfed by a deep sense of gratitude, I left assured.
In the midst of despair, hope manifests itself in the spirit of the resilient survivors
validating the local saying, "Bangon"; Rise Up.