In her May 2021 Newsletter, Dani Bristow, Community Program Coordinator at ShelterBox Canada, discusses how Shelter is more than just a roof - it’s the foundation for life, for families, for communities, for safety. She adds that ShelterBox aid has a real and immediate impact on thousands of families who are recovering from disaster or conflict, giving them a place to call home. Here's more of her newsletter.....
ShelterBox Update May 2021:
Shelter is more than just a roof - it’s the foundation for life, for families, for communities, for safety. ShelterBox aid has a real and immediate impact on thousands of families who are recovering from disaster or conflict, giving them a place to call home. Find out more about our latest responses:
Ethiopia
In early November 2020, escalating tension between Ethiopia’s federal government and the regional leadership in Tigray erupted into armed conflict. Working with our partner IOM, we’re supporting people who’ve fled their homes within Tigray with emergency shelter, household essentials and hygiene items. We’re also providing washbasins, soap, and water jugs, to help prevent a devastating outbreak of coronavirus.
Sudan
Sudan has been affected by the worst flooding in decades. Together with our partner, the United Peace Organisation (UPO), we’ve been working to support communities in the Gadaref. Distributions are now complete and post-distribution monitoring is currently underway.
India
Most Indian states experienced torrential monsoon rains and severe flash flooding from June until October in 2020. We’re working with our partner Habitat for Humanity India to support communities in two districts of Odisha state. Aid distributions are now complete.
Honduras
Hurricane Eta and Iota left families reeling after they battered Central America last November. We are working in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Honduras and the Rotary Club of San Pedro Sula. Together we’re supporting families with shelter kits, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, blankets, water carriers and water filters, solar lights and other essential items. Aid distributions are ongoing and post-distribution monitoring has started.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in Africa. Almost 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to extremist violence. This year we have been working with our partner HELP to support more families with tarpaulins, kitchen sets, sleeping mats, blankets, soap and buckets.
Lake Chad Basin (Nigeria & Cameroon)
Since 2009, Boko Haram has been waging an insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin region. Around 10.7 million people in the Lake Chad region are in need of relief assistance. In Nigeria, we have been working with our partner ACTED to support nearly 2,000 internally displaced families with shelter kits. In Cameroon, we have supported nearly 15,000 families since 2015. Right now, we’re working on a new project with IEDA Relief to support even more refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country.
Get the latest updates from the field: https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/operations-update
WHERE WE'RE WORKING NOW:
Read our Current Operations to see more countries your support is working in.
For more information about ShelterBox and to learn more about where we are responding, visit us at www.shelterboxcanada.org/operations-update
Shelterbox and Rotary - Partnership In Action: Together, ShelterBox and Rotary are providing hope, security and the means to recover after disasters strike.See, and hear, what this looks like on the ground. This video shows some of our most recent responses where this partnership has made a world of difference.
In Sri Lanka, Rotarians supported us with translation, transportation, local knowledge and connections with local authorities to provide shelter for communities after landslides caused mass devastation. In Peru, Rotary not only helped us identify families in need of support following heavy rainfall and flooding, but aided us in distributing ShelterKits to repair and rebuild homes.
An exciting new development in our partnership is the creation of a new operations base in the Philippines. This in-country office was created by working closely with Rotary groups, and will allow us to get vital emergency shelter to vulnerable families even quicker.
ShelterBox has responded to disasters in the Philippines 25 times and we have worked together with Rotary in every response. Collaborating with Rotary to create ShelterBox Operations Philippines was a natural next step.
Dani Bristow
Community Program Coordinator, ShelterBox Canada
Member of the Rotaract Club of Sarnia-Lambton
Click here to read more about your impact on families
GET CONNECTED: Join the conversation :
Did you know that there is a Rotary and ShelterBox Support Group on Facebook? It is a group that brings together Rotarians, ShelterBox Supporters, Staff and ShelterBox Response Teams to discuss all things ShelterBox and Rotary. It is a great place to see the latest operations updates, Rotary deployment information and video content to share with your Rotary Club. If you would like to join the group and conversation, please search for “Rotary and ShelterBox Support Group” on Facebook and ask to join the conversation!
A SHELTERBOX SPEAKER FOR YOUR ROTARY CLUB MEETING:
Looking for speakers this Rotary year? We would love to tell your club even more about ShelterBox and the impact Rotarians make. Request a speaker: https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/actiontoolkit/request-a-speaker/
SHELTERBOX OPERATIONS UPDATE:
JOIN US EVERY TUESDAY ON FACEBOOK FOR LIVE OPERATIONS UPDATES FROM SHELTERBOX HQ. JOIN US LIVE
NEWS
The Coronavirus is still affecting how aid is delivered, but disasters haven't stopped! Distributions are still on their way to families surviving disaster, and now include soap and wash buckets to reduce the spread and our partners are adapting to social distancing measures. Check out our current operations to see how you are still helping families recover. Learn More
ShelterBox has responded in the Philippines more often than any other country.: In 2017, ShelterBox Operations Philippines (SBOP) was established as a locally registered NGO. See how SBOP allows us to respond faster and distribute your aid quickly and efficiently within the country, as soon as disaster strikes. Read More
REBUILDING AFTER CYCLONE HAROLD : Cyclone Harold devastated communities across the island of Vanuatu last year. But thanks to your support, families and communities have been able to rebuild their homes, their livelihoods, and their communities. Community togetherness is so important to the survival and growth of a village after a disaster such as Cyclone Harold. The neighbours of Hotwota community worked together to rebuild, but the tools and support you provided allowed them to build back quick and stronger. Please read Shelley's story of survival to see how your support has helped Shelley, her son, and her entire village rebuild after the devastating affects of Cyclone Harold. Read Shelley's Story
About ShelterBox Canada: Canada is a registered charity that has been a part of the global ShelterBox network since 2010. We have a team of over 120 volunteers across the country who share their passion with us and help us raise awareness and fundraise across the country. There are ten Canadian ShelterBox Response Team members who work tirelessly with the rest of the International Response Team to deliver aid to families who need it around the world. To learn more about our board and staff click here .
ShelterBox and Rotary are official project partners in international disaster relief. ShelterBox is a registered charity independent of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation. Since 2012, we have been neighbours, friends and community leaders. Their aim is to create positive, lasting change in communities at home and all over the world.project partners with Rotary International, a global community of 1.2 million. Rotary has supported ShelterBox from the start when a local club championed the simple idea to package up essential shelter items in our now-iconic ShelterBoxes. As ShelterBox grew, so did Rotary support, and we are now international project partners in disaster relief. This partnership has helped us to become who we are today. Our global network of ShelterBox affiliates, which provides all-round assistance, evolved from Rotary relationships.
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E: support@shelterboxcanada.org T: 647.352.1930 www.shelterboxcanada.org
ShelterBox Canada – 159 Jane Street, Office 2, Toronto, ON M6S 3Y8
Is your club interested in having a ShelterBox Presentation at an upcoming meeting? Let us know at support@shelterboxcanada.org