Neighboring Heifer Communities Come Together To Help Families In Need

When a wind woke Noel Apan on December 4, 2012, he wasn’t worried. Typhoons always hit farther north than his village of Sayon. He even joked with his family, saying, “How’s the wind?”

Seven hours later, Apan, his wife Rosalyn, their two children and over 400 other families already involved with Heifer projects had been hit by Typoon Bopha, losing homes and livestock. Word of the damage reached neighboring Heifer communities, and in just 10 days, Heifer was able to provide each family with corrugated iron roofing, 100-pounds of rice, dried fish, canned goods, and instant coffee. All the supplies came from neighboring communities.

Apan and his family lived in a tent and under tarps until December 26. He and his brothers were able to save about 75 percent of the wood and other materials from his home. Shortly after the storm, his sow had two piglets. Apan sold them and used the money to buy material and rebuild his family’s home. He saved the rest to pay for his children’s schooling. Apan has started working again on his rice farm and as a motorcycle taxi driver, and though his future is not yet secure, he still has his pig. “The pig is a big help for us. It’s part of our livelihood. I treasure the pig because it’s a gift from another family.” He says he is grateful to have the pig as a resource and he looks forward to passing on future piglets and training to other families so they can become resilient, too.