Photo Stories

Project Selfie

Jim Acosta (58) stands in front of his shop in Anibong

Before typhoon Haiyan, Jim was a fisherman. His son was killed during the storm and he lost his fishing boat. “Oxfam was one of the very first agencies that came to help us. Oxfam bought clean drinking water here and it helped us in many ways. I just want to say thank you to Oxfam and all the donors. Oxfam gave us latrines and water. Oxfam is very good.” (Photo: Jim Acosta/Oxfam)

Philande (22) stands outside his house in San Jose

His family home was destroyed during typhoon Haiyan. Philande has built a new house using wood salvaged from the typhoon wreckage and a tarpaulin provided by Oxfam. Philande’s message: “We want to ask for help, especially for shelter. We want to stay near the shoreline because this is where our livelihoods are. We would like to say thank you to Oxfam for our tarpaulin.”(Photo: Philande Guinoo-Haw/Oxfam)

Joymie Arcappaga and her neighbour’s daughter Lindsey (3)

Joymie received an Oxfam Hygiene Kit and tarpaulin. She lives in Anibong. Joymie’s message: “Thank you to the donors who helped us. We are very contented with the help we have received. We need to have jobs. We want to go back to work. We want to find a long term plan. We are just waiting to hear from the government. What’s the plan? At some point the relief goods will stop. If we continue to recive relief help we are very grateful for the support.” (Photo: Joymie Arcappaga/Oxfam)

Joel (26) and May May (25) in their house in Anibong

Joel and his partner May May live in a house with stilts above the water in Rawis, Anibong Bay, Tacloban. Their home was totally destroyed by typhoon Haiyan. Joel rebuilt a house using wood salvaged from the storm wreckage and a tarpaulin provided by Oxfam. Before the typhoon, Joel was a fisherman. He lost his boat and fishing equipment during the storm. Joel’s message: “Thank you. We are thankful for the donors, especially to Oxfam who gave us this tarpaulin. Without this tarpaulin we don’t have a roof.” (Photo May May/Oxfam)

Mary Ann (10) and Mary Grace (14) stand in front of Anibong Bay in Tacloban.

Mary Ann and Mary Grace received an Oxfam Hygiene Kit in January 2014. “All of the materials in the Hygiene Kit have been useful. The bed sheets, mat and especially the soap and laundry bars – we use them to wash our clothes. We are helping our parents do household chores. We do the laundry and sometimes play with our friends. THANK YOU OXFAM.”

Urwin Coquilla (37) in Anibong, Tacloban

Oxfam has set up a clean water supply, and has built latrines and distributed hygiene kits in Anibong. “There were so many people in the water but only four of us survived. I took this picture because I want to show the world that this is where my house was. I just want to say thank you wholeheartedly for supporting us in Tacloban. Especially Oxfam and everyone outside the Philippines. Thank you for helping us in times like these so we can rebuild our lives.” (Photo:Eleanor Farmer/Oxfam)

Carla Samsung (22) and her baby Chelsea Guinoo-Han (1) outside their home in San Jose, Tacloban.

Carla and her husband Phiande received an Oxfam tarpaulin in January. Carla is pictured here with her baby Chelsea, who is resting in a hammock made from a salvaged fishing net. “It took one week to rebuild our house. The tarpaulin has helped a lot. It is the most useful thing we have received. We use it as a roof and just like now it is so hot we can use the shade. We also use it as a bed, because we don’t have any. I just want to say thank you for all the donors. We hope they will still help us while we are not able to stand on our own in Tacloban. We just want to say thankyou.”(Photo:Eleanor Farmer/Oxfam)

Tounette and her daughters Lady-Linn (9) and Mercy (4) stand in the doorway of their house in Anibong.

“I would like to ask for some help for rebuilding a new house or capital to start a business and maybe some school equipment for my children.” (Photo:Eleanor Farmer/Oxfam)

Felicito Montano, President of the Tugop Farmer’s Association in Latufa, Tanauan.

Felicito is a rice and coconut farmer. Oxfam has formed a partnership with the Tugop Farmer’s Association and has set up a sawmill operation to clear fallen coconut trees from the land and turn the wood into lumber. “Thank you to all the donors, especially Oxfam because this sawmill project has helped us a lot.”(Photo:Eleanor Farmer/Oxfam)