Rats had eaten most of the crops of the Ata Manobo tribe of Sitio Banualay in Kapalong Davao del Norte (a province in southern Philippines). Thankfully, some bananas had survived the rodent infestation but bananas were not enough. So children climbed up coconut trees to fetch coconuts. And luckily, the river nearby yielded some fish. Things went on that way for the villagers for weeks. The rumbling in their bellies was nearly as loud as their cries for help. We are so grateful that kind souls heeded their call.

First Response

Our team recently brought a stash of Mingo Meals sponsored by Balsam Brands up to Banualay. This delivery helped quell the hunger pangs of the community till we could come back with more food. Read the story here. 

An Early Christmas

Additional donations came from all over. A friend of NVC from down under gave us provision to purchase 17 sacks of rice. Meanwhile, our community pantry partner, Bulig on Wheels (BOW), provided us resources to purchase half a ton of fruits and vegetables. Incidentally, one of our Farmers of Hope communities had grown the vegetables that we sent over. The team also brought up more Mingo Meals from Balsam Brands. And to replace the crops that had been lost, the Department of Agriculture sent over three cans of seeds.

In addition to donating six sacks of rice, Kapalong Mayor Tess Timbol let us use the city’s dump truck. We used it to carry the goods up to where roads ended. After the roads ended, there were still 10 rivers to cross and oh so many more kilometers to trek but our team marched on. 85 bags of food each filled with 10 kgs of rice plus an assortment of fruits and vegetables had to be carried the rest of the way. As the bags were red and green, our team probably looked like Santa’s elves to the village residents.

A Debt of Gratitude

Thank you to everyone who made this early Christmas gift possible! Because of your generosity, the residents of Banualay in Kapalong, Davao del Norte will finally be able to enjoy hearty meals again!