Beneficiaries
The Stella Maris Project has been designed to support Philippine coastal communities, particularly the fishing communities of The Peter Project.
Goal
To transform and empower coastal communities through:
- improved disaster preparedness and resilience
- heightened environmental awareness and protection
- increased economic opportunities
- empowering citizens to find and implement home-grown solutions to environmental problems and future disasters
- magnified awareness and sense of responsibility in succeeding generations
Disaster preparedness, mitigation, and rehabilitation
A natural disaster can strike anywhere, destroying life and property in its wake. Disaster mitigation is the term used for steps and activities taken to lessen the effects of a disaster. Some examples are: strengthening or rebuilding better infrastructure such as homes, buildings, bridges, etc. so that they can withstand powerful typhoons; noting areas prone to flooding and designing proper evacuation plans; planting trees to reduce erosion and floods; or cultivating a mangrove forest to protect coasts from winds and tsunamis.
Preparedness refers to ensuring that communities are properly aware of and trained to act responsibly during natural disasters. They must know how to act quickly at the first warning of a disaster (such doing the the proper evacuation procedures) so they don’t needlessly put their lives and that of others at risk. Communities that are prepared can also work more efficienty as a unit to respond to disasters and help its victims by providing emergency care and relief.
Rehabilitation covers short- and long-term recovery activities after a disaster. These include the restoration of livelihood and income opportunities, rebuilding of damanged structures, bringing back public utilities and services that might have been disrupted: water, electricity, schooling, health care.
Environment education and disaster training
NVC has identified model coastal communities in Negros Occidental with existing good practices in environmental protection that can be replicated by others. NVC will expose other coastal communities to this model through field trips and training sessions. As coastal communities strengthen their conservation practices, they will become both mentors and models to future batches of trainees. The project will also help groups to exercise their strength as communities to enforce measures that will protect their environment.
The Stella Maris Project will also work with children and students through the traditional education system, as well as using innovative strategies, to ensure that impacts last beyond one generation and are magnified by the next.
Livelihood opportunities
The Stella Maris Project will further upgrade income opportunities in Peter Project communities by helping coastal communities set up small, environmentally sustainable ventures, give access to training, and facilitate technology transfer.
Community preparedness and solutions for disasters
The Stella Maris Project has identified partners to help empower communities to prepare for and respond to storms and typhoons through early-warning devices, citizen and government alert systems, and crisis response technology. Mapping tools will allow communities to visualize disaster risks (e.g. lowland areas, areas without forest cover, etc.) and identify solutions such as natural buffers and defenses that the community can build.
How you can help
You can be a partner in big ways and small. Here’s how:
- Donate any amount. You only need to send a peso or a dollar; we will pool all Stella Maris cash donations to fund educational materials, training activities, disaster risk mapping, interactive media tools, and other related activities and initiatives. Donate online now
- Sponsor the whole program for a specific community. For this, please contact us directly so we can identify an appropriate group for you and provide approximate costs. Send us a Facebook private message or email info@nvcfoundation-ph.org.
- Share your time and talent. Get in touch and tell us about your competencies and skills, and we will respond to you in specific terms on how you can be a part of the project. Send us a Facebook private message or email info@nvcfoundation-ph.org.