Compassion Can Rebuild What Floods Destroy

After flooding in the Philippines devastated her home and community, one 14-year-old girl continues to pursue her goals — and dream of a future beyond poverty —with the support of Holt sponsors and donors.

Last summer, 14-year-old Ashley was at home in Manila when floodwaters from Typhoon Crising began to rise. In a matter of minutes, her family’s small house was surrounded by swirling, murky water. To reach safety, Ashley had to wade through water up to her neck, a toxic mix of debris and pollution that no child should ever have to endure.

Ashley is a Holt-sponsored child who lives with her parents and two siblings in one of Manila’s most vulnerable urban communities, a densely packed area of concrete homes, narrow alleyways and low-lying streets where hundreds of families live side by side. Manila, like the rest of the Philippines, is prone to tropical storms. When the rains come, they bring not only heavy downpours, but also fear, loss and destruction to families already struggling to survive.

Glady Bunao, Executive Director of Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF), Holt’s longstanding partner in the Philippines, knows these challenges all too well. “We call them vulnerable communities,” Glady shares. “Most of the scholars we serve are among the poorest families in the city. They work hard, but life is a daily struggle, and storms make it even harder.”

Ashley’s parents are among these hardworking families. Her mother sells food outside the school, and her father assists at their small stall despite living with a disability caused by a hit-and-run accident that left permanent damage to his lower body. Their income is modest, and even before the flood, they often struggled to afford school supplies and fees.

That is where Holt sponsors make all the difference. Through the faithful support of sponsors, Ashley and hundreds of children like her have the tools they need to stay in school and to keep dreaming of a future beyond poverty.

But when Typhoon Crising struck in July last year, all of that was suddenly at risk.

The storm displaced thousands of families across the Philippines, including many children in Holt’s sponsorship program. When the waters finally receded, Ashley and her family returned home to find their belongings soaked in mud, their school supplies destroyed, and their home devastated. Even the simplest items — pens, notebooks, uniforms, things that children treasure — were ruined in the flood.

But the losses endured were more than physical.

“For Holt-sponsored children, the devastation brought by the floods wasn’t just about damaged homes — it was about shaken routines, lost belongings,” Glady explains, “and the emotional impact of a disaster no child should ever have to endure.”

After the flood, health officials and volunteers at the evacuation center provided Ashley and her family with preventive medication for leptospirosis — a disease caused by bacteria in contaminated water or soil. Thankfully, after completing the medication and being monitored at the center, Ashley and her family remained healthy and did not develop any complications.

“For Holt-sponsored children, the devastation brought by the floods wasn’t just about damaged homes — it was about shaken routines, lost belongings and the emotional impact of a disaster no child should ever have to endure.” — Glady Bunao, Executive Director of Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF), Holt’s partner in the Philippines

With so many school supplies lost to the floods, Ashley’s mother had to borrow supplies from relatives so her daughter could continue her studies. With support from Holt sponsors and donors, our partner KBF was also ultimately able to replace some, though not all, of Ashley’s supplies. One key loss that KBF did not have the budget to replace was Ashley’s cell phone, a device she relied on to do research, access digital courses, and complete and submit her schoolwork.

“Her phone was one of her most essential school tools, and losing it made her schoolwork significantly harder,” Glady says.

But despite the challenges she faced, Ashley pressed on. In the most recent grading period, she ranked Top 3 in her class. Her determination remains unshaken, her dreams still bright, even after the storm.

“When the storm washed away their belongings, hope could have been lost,” Glady says of Ashley and the many other Holt-sponsored children and families who were impacted by the floods. “But compassion can rebuild what floods destroy.”

As we approach the end of the year, one of Holt’s most urgent priorities is helping children and families when disaster strikes. Floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters affect thousands of children every year, often without warning. Your year-end gift will help provide lifesaving assistance to families like Ashley’s: emergency food, shelter, medical care, and the replacement of lost essentials such as clothing, shoes, pillows, blankets and school supplies.

Your generosity ensures that when the next storm comes, and it will, children will not face it alone.