Philippines Project 08202015

Philippines Disaster Recovery amp Empowerment Project

Hal Schroeder

August 2015

Farm on mountain of Cebu an island in Philippines


Philippine Disasters from Typhoons Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of

mine you did for merdquo (Matt2540)To My Brethren of Light and Love Manifestors and Miracle Makers of Godrsquos LoveFrom Hal Schroeder founder Ethiopian Empowerment Project

Re Philippines Disaster Recovery amp Empowerment Project

By way of introduction I am Hal Schroeder a retired superintendent of schools in the United States (Nebraska Texas) and abroad (Ethiopia) I am also a former Peace Corps volunteer and an author of five spiritual books on forgiveness

A little over a year ago Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines causing over 6000 deaths As of November 2014 14 million people are still affected many are still living in tents In some cases the impact approached that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The country is at a standstill in terms of any viable economic activity

On Nov 8 2014 USA Today reported on just how stark many Philippinos lives are one year from Typhoon Haiyan

Although there are signs of recovery just 100 of 14500 promised permanent inland homes have been built in Tacloban the worst-hit city located less than a mile from the village of Anibong Hundreds of people still live in shabby tents and thousands in crowded temporary bunkhouses mostly built by foreign non-profits

This monthTyphoon Hagupit also swept the islands in a tragic repeat of many of last years disasters

The plight of this country a year later triggered a fervent desire in me to establish a mission beachhead in the Philippines to help bring relief to those whose entire lives are still uproot-ed I can do this only with your assistanceIn return we will receive more from this service than we can ever give

Three years ago I personally led a project in the Philippines funding 5 businesses at 1000 dollars each for five individuals with large families

A dozen years ago I established a similar project in Ethiopia and started a number of busi-nesses This project also stressed education the funds were directly allocated to people through individual Coptic priests by starting small businesses and erecting homes to help them be self-sufficient

1

What I propose is a contin- uation of these earlier mis- sions along with the build- ing of homes As a private citizen I would be your mission representative I will collect funds from people of good will in the United States Then I will come to the Philippines to help those in need by starting small busi-nesses and erecting homes to help them be self-sufficient

This modest project is guided by the biblical verse ldquoTruly I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for merdquo (Matt 2540)

Let us begin today as I myself have de-layed too long in acting on this tragedy I would begin by identifying ldquothe least of theserdquo The details of this proposal are in the next column

I can be reached at halschroederaolcom References from those who have partici-pated in my Ethiopian project are readily available A biography and excerpts from my books are on the Ascensionist Press Blog(httpascensionistpressblogspotcom)

Support can be given by writing a check payable to ldquoHal Schroederrdquo and sent to

Pat Libutti Editor Ascensionist Press Box 246 The UPS Store 492-C Cedar Lane Teaneck NJ 07666

In conclusion I do know from my spiritual training of 27 years that we must love our neighbors as ourselves and that we must decide who the ldquoleast of theserdquo in our lives are to support from our abundance

All blessings grace and miracles to you

Hal Schroeder 2

--Establish small businesses from funds collect-ed to jump-start a normal existence for as many people as possible The amount of available funds will determine both the width and scope of the beginnings of the project --Use the Bangladesh model (loans are given to the most affected people to start businesses Only when self-sufficiency is attained would they be required to pay back the loans) The monies would then be used to fund additional business-es

--Establish triage procedures to determine who is most in need starting with women raising chidren

--Maintain rigorous accountability on the part of all so the funding can be expanded exponentially

---Encourage business formations that support more than one personEncourage partnerships and profit-sharing so as to develop ownership and giving to one another

--Promote ownership as a dual commitment of project and citizen so that when able the funding can be repaid to expand the business project

Project Methods

-- As a private citizen I would collect funds from people organizations and religious institutions of good will in the United States and then come to the Philippines to help those in need from these funds

Let your town or organization sing out the praises of a God of Love through us to the people of the Philippines

Goals The Philippines Recovery

amp Empowerment Project

Hal Schroeder

Earlier Ethiopian Empowerment Project

3

This is a shot of me family and friends on the steps of Negistais little 3-room house right after she died I was the only foreigner present at her funeral at which there were about 1000 mourners

This is Aden as we called her our most successful story of our projects She is now in medical school and will help the health care system in Ethiopia upon graduation I am tutoring her for what is called the leaving exam If one does not pass it after 10th grade it means onersquos educational career is over

I am with my friend Charlie Sutton teaching at Haile Selassie First University in 1967 It was a Friday so we would sing American folk songs to practice English on Fridays

1967 Ethiopia Lake Langano about two hours out of the capital Addis Ababa where I was liv-ing Of course I look younger now

In 2003 my extended family my friends and four of the Coptic priests that we were supporting had a farewell celebration Ethiopians love pictures they are a treasure to them I always printed at least 2 copies so I could give them to those in the pictures

In 1999 I carried about 500 lbs of used clothing with me to Ethi-opia It was Christmas time for those who received clothes The young lady in the picture reflects this joy Included in the picture is a new pair of sneakers I carried 35 pairs of them having noticed that the shoes worn by everyone were most uncomfortable

This is a picture of Negistai my deceased wife Thedros a university student and me in 1967 I am so glad that I look exactly the same

This is a picture of me in Father Negussiersquos little house with virtually no furniture and a mud floor The anecdote that is memorable here is that when I accepted Father Negussiersquos offer for honey in my tea he graciously put an entire honeycomb in the cup

4

3

This is Aster who received the mattress after my three month stay in 2003 When I arrived I discov-ered that there was not a mattress anywhere in the village that I could tolerate It appeared they were filled with rocks and stones When I started to plan to leave I asked Spirit within on what to do with the mattress that I had purchased in the foreign part of town The answer was find the person with the worst sleeping conditions and give that person the mattress Aster won and is decidedly happy with her gift

In 2003 as part of my humanitarian project I would walk the countryside looking for people to help with a small infusion of funds This young lady had virtually nothing so we were able to help her hopefully on a path to prosperity

This is a picture of me with two students on an annual Peace Corps project tour for teachers This is taken in the Ethiopian provisional city of Dessie The mud floor we are sleeping on is quite common

This is me and the priest of Negistai my wife during the time she was dying of cancer He would visit her daily at her house as house calls were routine for the priests

Starting small businesses for self-sufficiency is one of the major objectives of the program This picture depicts a young Ethiopian man living in a three-room house who desired a store built in front of his house depicted in the picture above You can see the actual construction of it is out of stone so strong it will probably last forever we are able to build it including all materials and labor was $600

5

Amorrsquos Family in Tents in Manilla

Here are the pictures of the living quarters of Amorrsquos family in a tent near ManillaThere are four chil-dren and their momThey sleep on the floorThe pictures indicate what chaos is in a life of poverty From sleeping on the floor to finding a place to put onersquos few possessions so one can spread out on the floor from a lack of washing and toilet facilities to a lack of places to cook onersquos life is an endless struggle for survivalThese are all people who are desirous of making a living and getting a good edu-cation but when your neck is constantly on the edge of basic survival the odds are stacked against youThis is why the emphasis in this project is getting businesses started so that a modicum amount of self-sufficiency can be achieved families cared for and the very little things we take for granted like going to a clean bathroom can be achieved

The pervading issues are mud and water There is no place for the mud and water to go Even the tents are flimsy and easily blown over The few remaining possessions are subject to the hostile elements

As you can see meals are taken outside the tents are not big enough

The Philippines Recovery ampEmpowerment Project

6

You can see stunned people just sitting looking for relief that is not comingThere are relief and aid organizations but they are only serving about 10 of those affectedbecause of the overwhelming amount of people There was also no place on higher ground to move the tents which would only provide minimal escape from the elements

15

7

Marilynrsquos Family Living in Tents in Cagayan De Oro

This is part of Marilynrsquos extended family she tries to support them with her vats of cook-ing Philippine foods Marilyn is pictured left standing in front of her new store inventory thanks to donations from individuals like you

Marilynrsquos Extended Family Nephews and NiecesThe faces reveal a family suffering from the vagaries of poverty but with strong spirits buoyed by a strong belief in an Almighty that will take care of themThe few buildings in the background are wrecks ready to fall down with the next strong breeze indicating that the infrastructure needs to be totally remedied

This is one of the projects of the Catholic Relief Services With all the aid combined only about 10 of the people are being helped so massive is the impact of the typhoonsAll we can do is to take care of one family at a time loving our neighbor as ourselves until there are none left suffering until our example spreads nationwide

8

These pictures illustrate the importance of families in the Philippines Families and children are everything If you look at the picture carefully these children are clean reasonably dressed obviously loved obvi-ously attached to one another and are the objects of deep familial devotion

Those on the right are Marilynrsquos children She not only dotes on them but has added to her responsibilities by being the head of the larger family unit seen in the pictureon p 8

Large numbers of mothers many highly educated leave their children in the capa-ble hands of aunts or ldquoaunties here and journey abroad to work as domestics in places like Taipei Singapore Hong Kong and Canada but not the US because of visa prohibitions

They work for the low wages of a maid which are low to us but dramatically much higher than in the Philippines There is al-ways the barrier of ldquoifrdquo indeed if they can find work at all

Holidays like Christmas are most joyous even without our penchant for giftsCan we modify their lives so at the least the mothers of such children can stay home and make enough money from our contributions helping to establish a small self-sustaining business

Letrsquos do the minimum and get some money flowing in these familiesrsquo lives by allowing them

Marilynrsquos Children

Marilynrsquos Nephews and Nieces

9

You can see the food she cooks in the open air and sells to others

Marilyn not only takes care of her children she cares for many in the area She cooks outside as she has no kitchen facilities and sells for a pittanceThis young woman is in charge of her little clan of 20-some people including many little children

When I asked Marilyn to prioritize a list of what she needed the first item she asked for was not rent for a small store but a bag of rice so she could better serve her clien-tele in the primitive way in which her family has become accustomed

She would love to have a small store called a Sari Sari store where she can cook inside and sell other basic necessi-ties so that they might live a more normal existence

These are pictures of what our contributions can do for the poorest of the poor From tents and cooking in large vats outside our aid has enabled Marilyn and her family to set out on the road to self-suf-ficiency by selling basic commodities to her small world while being able to provide for her family and gain our number one goal empowerment of self and family

8

Marilyn knows that once she has made it she will begin sharing her new-found riches provided by us to one-by-one outside her family hence an economy and society is built by us and our generosity

Thank you for being your brotherrsquos keeper Thank you for answering the universal concept of giving what a brother asks for With your dona-tions she has the start of her store as of April 2015

9 10

Jeras Family Recovering from Devastation to Their Livelihood

These pictures are of the Cariaga family and their farm The farm is located in the high-lands of the island of Cebu about three hours from Cebu City

The farm has been destroyed by typhoons They have had the livestock wiped out and fields of crops destroyed

This family in trying to resurrect a life of very simple means only asked for a piglet with enough money for feed so they could begin to replenish their livestock to make life more bearable

I would love to be able to help them also get chickens and a milk cow for a start even before we attack their basic living situation

Above Jerarsquos piglets financed by your donations

11

Jerarsquos FamilyIn a large family there are few of the basic necessities that we enjoy as a rite of passageThey sent pictures that show that they sleep on the floor have a kitchen with a wood-burning stove and a toilet facility in unsanitary conditions

12

Jerarsquos farmhouse is a ramshackle house that is easily blown away

Until our contributions can expand to other farms one by one this will be the farm of the Philippines Recovery amp Empower-ment Project

We can follow it closely and learn how to best cope with the prob-lems of the natural and economic disasters in the Philippines

This farm as virtually all were in the typhoon zones was decimated by the strength power and feroci-ty of the typhoons

Livestock was obliterated making survival quite tenuous

These are subsistence farms which allow as you can see from the other photos of the farm no amenities at all

Jerarsquos Farm Fields

13

Our project hopefully will allow the restocking of the farm with livestock and make the lushness of the fields that you can see somewhat profitable so the things we all take for grant-ed such as beds running water and sanitary toilets become a reality

Help us starting here to establish at least a minimal standard of existence

Allow us to look a typhoon in the face and say

ldquowe will survive and thrive due to the humanitarian spiritual and Christian efforts of our brethren who have adopted the truth that we are all our brotherrsquos keeperrdquo

14

The Ascension Seriesthrough Amazoncom amp Ascensionist Press

Support for the Philippines Recovery amp Empowerment Project can be given by purchasing these books from Halrsquos Ascensionist Series ($1295 each 80 of proceeds goes to Philippines Recovery amp Empowerment Project 20 to cost of producinhg books)

Write a check payable to ldquoHal Schroederrdquo and send it to Patricia Libutti Editor Ascensionist Press Box 246 The UPS Store 492-C Cedar LaneTeaneck NJ 07666

Ascensionist Press blog httpascensionistpressblogspotcom Email halschroederaolcom

Awakenings to AscensionThe purpose of your life is to ascend to be with Father Mother Source Awakening is the wayto Ascension described in this book

Love Letters from an Angel is a collection of essays from Angel Hal to women every-where His concern is their spiritual welfare---but he is an angel who can laugh

Ascension Is All That There Is continues Awakenings to Ascension with essential meditations on all aspects of ascending

Grace to Ascension leads you to recognize that grace is all around you each and every instant grace is in your life propelling you towards Ascension

Ascension and Nothing-ness takes you through experiencing nothingness and its role in all we believe and all we can believe


Philippine Disasters from Typhoons Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of

mine you did for merdquo (Matt2540)To My Brethren of Light and Love Manifestors and Miracle Makers of Godrsquos LoveFrom Hal Schroeder founder Ethiopian Empowerment Project

Re Philippines Disaster Recovery amp Empowerment Project

By way of introduction I am Hal Schroeder a retired superintendent of schools in the United States (Nebraska Texas) and abroad (Ethiopia) I am also a former Peace Corps volunteer and an author of five spiritual books on forgiveness

A little over a year ago Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines causing over 6000 deaths As of November 2014 14 million people are still affected many are still living in tents In some cases the impact approached that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The country is at a standstill in terms of any viable economic activity

On Nov 8 2014 USA Today reported on just how stark many Philippinos lives are one year from Typhoon Haiyan

Although there are signs of recovery just 100 of 14500 promised permanent inland homes have been built in Tacloban the worst-hit city located less than a mile from the village of Anibong Hundreds of people still live in shabby tents and thousands in crowded temporary bunkhouses mostly built by foreign non-profits

This monthTyphoon Hagupit also swept the islands in a tragic repeat of many of last years disasters

The plight of this country a year later triggered a fervent desire in me to establish a mission beachhead in the Philippines to help bring relief to those whose entire lives are still uproot-ed I can do this only with your assistanceIn return we will receive more from this service than we can ever give

Three years ago I personally led a project in the Philippines funding 5 businesses at 1000 dollars each for five individuals with large families

A dozen years ago I established a similar project in Ethiopia and started a number of busi-nesses This project also stressed education the funds were directly allocated to people through individual Coptic priests by starting small businesses and erecting homes to help them be self-sufficient

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Hal Schroeder 2






Project Methods





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Documents

Philippines Project 08202015