Every morning, Joel would wake up early to tend to his farm. He would check on his string bean plants, making sure that they were getting enough water and sunlight. He is meticulous in his work, knowing that the quality of his plants will affect his sales.
Joel Dupa has four children, and three of them are currently studying. His wife, who is 38 years old, also helps out by taking on laundry jobs from time to time to support their daily expenses.
In addition to gardening, Joel also takes on carpentry jobs on the side. He has always been handy with tools, and he enjoys the work.
Life had not been easy for Joel’s family, especially after the devastating Typhoon Yolanda hit their town. But they were blessed to be beneficiaries of Operation Blessing’s resettlement project in Tacloban, called the Community of Hope. They had been living there since 2021, and it was a new beginning for them.
To support their living, Operation Blessing had also given the beneficiaries livelihood assistance according to their capacity to sustain it. “Given the opportunity to propose a livelihood project, I requested gardening needs including a bolo and a watering tool to grow my string beans, which I sell for 30 pesos per bundle,” he explained.
Joel also intends to plant bitter gourd next time to expand his livelihood.
“The Community of Hope had truly been a blessing for me and my family,” Joel said, emotional. “Thank you, Operation Blessing, for helping us rebuild our lives. I’ve never felt more confident than when we held the deed of donation in our hands… As a Community of Hope beneficiary, I feel like I hit a jackpot better than the lottery!”
After almost 8 years of tireless effort in providing assistance to the Community of Hope beneficiaries, Operation Blessing has finally turned over the deed of donation to all 100 families in COH. The ceremony was a momentous event for the beneficiaries of the project, as it marked a new chapter in their lives as they continue to rebuild and recover from the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda.
If you want to support our mission to bring hope to disaster-hit kababayans like Joel, give at www.operationblessing.ph. #CommunityOfHope #HungerRelief #DisasterRehabilitation #TyphoonYolanda #OperationBlessing
DSWD-SB-SP-00017-2023-Nationwide. Valid until Mar 31, 2024.