Hi Mumsnet!
My very late feedback is below! Thanks again for this opportunity - it was great, can't believe I got to chat to the head of Humanitarian relief at Action Aid. A real eye opener into the complexity of relief work and rebuilding people's lives and livelihoods.
The event was primarily an initiative to thank corporate sponsors and major donors (day 1) and supporters and fundraisers (day 2). It's the first time they'd run something like this as they are looking at improving ways of communicating the impact that our fundraising has.
It was held in a rather grungy disused warehouse space which worked v well for such an immersive experience.
Stage 1 - the disaster
A dark room where we experienced the sounds following the Philippines typhoon - storm winds, debris flying, people shouting which was very effective.
Stage 2 - DEC meeting
A staged committee meeting presenting information received about the situation and deciding whether to launch an appeal At the time it was hard to get a picture early due to loss of life in local teams as well as the extensive disruption caused by the tornado. Corporate partner BT also sent a response team. Supporters of DEC charities had already started ringing in offering support and donations.
Reports were presented from partner agencies, their humanitarian directors were heading out to assess alongside local teams. There was a huge need in a very poor area. The DEC were also in the process of engaging with the BBC to determine ongoing coverage. Director General of the BBC and other media heads were prepped ahead of the public launch of the appeal. It was queried whether DfiD would aid match - likely.
Anyhow in Philippines case it was an easy decision to launch an appeal.
DEC have just teamed up with Western Union money transfer company who are waiving fees to transfer money to such localities to be ready for when UK and other international staff arrive, making their lives easier.
Stage 3: Fundraising
So once appeal launched, fundraising took place via:
Collection on London Underground, phone line, press office booked news and adverts, individuals fundraising on the ground. In total there were 40 ways people could donate.
Stage 4: The money's in - how to spend it?
We looked at a simplified single issue scenario - how to provide water?
A) It can be trucked in - this is fast but expensive, roads damaged/destroyed, access to fuel disrupted and not everyone can get to the truck.
B) Provide hygiene kits - cheap and make water safe to drink. Family kits also contain sanitary products, nappies etc. However big queues form, there is confusion around the use of tablets (chlorinated). These kits need to be accompanied with training.
C) Fund local engineers to repair infrastructure, eg broken pipes - this is a long term solution.
In reality a mix of options is undertaken. The DEC can be very flexible, so if they source corporate or public funding for one option (eg trucking) then they can quickly switch their resources to other options.
General comments.
I've followed development issues over the last few decades. Historically (50-100 years ago for example) we used to approach such situations quite paternalistically, sending people and (our) solutions. Over time this has changed to working extensively with local partners. Now it is being proved (via research) that providing local people with cash is one of the most effective means of rebuilding after such a disaster. Local people know best what they need and how to source it and money goes straight into the local economy.
One story I was struck by was when the ActionAid team arrived at the Philippines tornado site, driving towards the worse hit areas, increasingly trees and buildings destroyed. On arrival they saw a local pig farmer and what was left of his farm. His needs were obviously for himself and his family, but also in order to maintain his livelihood, how to look after the pigs who were overheating as their shade had been destroyed, providing animal food and water too. Clearly the situation on the ground is more complex than we an imagine and it made sense to hear that many experts from DEC member's humanitarian teams have a public health/water/ sanitation/construction background which is vital. Many other skills are also needed as part of rebuilding, from psychology to law.
I was very impressed with the day, the professionalism of the DEC and the fundraising staff running this day, and it has definitely confirmed for me that this is a great consortium of charities doing amazing work.
Anything mumsnet can do to support their efforts would imo be fab!
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