Artists and Linked Friends (ALFA) delivered its promise of assistance to the typhoon survivors in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro despite delayed implementation and setbacks beyond its control. The group’s project dubbed as Small Change, Big Chance raised $13,000 through the sold-out ~ONE~ album which exceeded its original target of $5,000.
ALFA was also successful in obtaining an additional grant of $5,000 through Kellyville Rotary, which was granted on the condition that this amount and $10,000 of ALFA money were to be spent on badly needed classrooms and toilets. This gave a total of $18,000 to fund projects which are helping the residents in rebuilding their lives.
Over 500 students of Dalamas Elementary School, 16 kilometres southeast of Iligan City, will get a building of five classrooms and two toilets repaired and fitted out through the $15,000 funding. The project also provides livelihood to groups of residents who are engaged in making the students’ armchairs from locally sourced bamboo. This project is supervised by Lady Vicky Hamoy of Rotary Iligan East.
ALFA also formed partnerships with Rotary Cagayan de Oro and the Water, Agroforestry, Nutrition and Development (WAND) Foundation to assist the community of Indahag in its Permanent Resettlement project benefitting 3,947 household through its micro-credit programs with the provision of $3,000.
Rotary CDO was given the opportunity to apply for the share of the $15,000 but they opted for expanding their thriving micro-finance projects. CDO Rotary President Ferdie Bernasor collaborates with Elmer V. Sayre, In-house Adviser, WAND Foundation in the implementation and monitoring of ALFA’S donation for the resettlement project.
After Iliganons & Lanaonons In Sydney Australia (ILISA, Inc) returned the $13,000 cheque in December 2012 that was entrusted to them five months earlier to implement projects, ALFA looked at other avenues to achieve its objectives to closely monitor the funds and ensure that they are invested on long-term projects. Bless Salonga of ALFA contacted Rotary Kellyvile while spokesperson Mitchell Badelles visited Iligan's ground zero and approached Rotary Iligan. On Badelles' return to Sydney, he forwarded the proposal of Rotary Iligan to Rotary Kellyville to apply for a matching grant. Rotary Kellyville agreed with the new partnership and formed a special committee to oversee this project; the cheque for $13,000 was handed to them in February 2013 for safekeeping while waiting for the outcome of the application for grant. Rotary Iligan have missed the deadline for submission for grant application last March 2013. Thereafter, the grant application criteria were being reviewed in Rotary Australia while various projects were being introduced for ALFA's consideration between May - June through continued e-mail communication. In July, Rotary Kellyville submitted a grant application on ALFA's behalf. By August 23, an additional funds of $5,000 was granted for "school fit-outs and toilets" giving the ALFA a boosted funds of $18,000 in total. Proposals (with quotes) were all approved last September 2013; documents and provision of cheques to Iligan City Rotary and Cagayan de Oro Rotary were all finalised in October 2013. Earlier in August 2012, $600 which was a donation from an interview by a magazine benefitted sixty five of the poorest families in Mandulog resettlement community. The funds were used for water purification, personal hygiene packs and other sundries. Iligan Disaster Rehabilitation Coordination Centre provided the helicopter used for the distribution. For more info - go to www.onealbum.weebly.com
press release