Typhoon Haiyan: The Gift of Light

Click Here to Donate – Give the Gift of Light

When Night Falls

On November 9, 2013, the Philippines was struck by one of the most powerful storms in recorded history, taking thousands of lives, and wiping out entire islands, towns, and villages from the face of the earth.  With over 3 million people across 44 provinces, 539 municipalities and 56 cities displaced, the survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan’s aftermath are in desperate need of help.

Over 500,000 families were forced to flee as the storm’s wide swath of destruction leveled their homes and most everything else in its path.  Critical infrastructure in the affected areas providing electricity, water, and communications have been largely demolished with no hope for repair for months to come.

As the sun sets each night, the landscape is plunged into total darkness.

At night, rescue efforts are hampered, the search for food and shelter becomes impossible, families and their children cower and huddle in the dark.

Sending Light & Hope

We are quickly mobilizing efforts to provide portable, effective lighting solutions to typhoon victims and relief groups.  Through partnerships with European and Manila-based private sector groups and organizations, we are able to source and obtain a large amount of rugged, efficient solar-rechargeable lanterns with built-in USB cellular phone chargers.  These solar lanterns were designed for use in tough rural and field conditions and are the same models in use by various international organizations in their efforts to provide lighting to remote communities in Africa and Asia.

After a day of charging in the sunlight, each lamp gains the capacity to provide lighting for 9, 21, or 100 hours in its 3 power settings.  The ability to recharge cellular phones opens up badly needed communications between families and relief workers as mobile cellular sites have now been deployed.

An initial effort to deploy 1,000 units has been successful in distributing these directly to relief organizations, hospitals, and communities by soliciting the help of private sector individuals and their access to aircraft and helicopters to deliver supplies directly to the affected areas.  In many cases, these efforts were able to mobilize much faster than many larger relief groups.

But with over 300 towns and cities affected by the typhoon and thousands of families still in danger, the need is overwhelming.

Our Goal

With your help, we are making it our goal to send at least 1,000 more of these lamps to those in need.  The cost to deploy one lamp and solar panel charger is $50.  With your help we are hoping to raise $50,000 to source, purchase, and immediately distribute the lamps directly within the affected areas.

What You Can Do

Please follow this link to our donation page.  To the victims of the storm, every $50 we raise provides one more light to cut through the darkness.

Click Here to Donate – Give the Gift of Light

Current Donor List (updates daily):

About the Campaign

The Gift of Light campaign is sponsored by the Philippine Aid Network with support from the Philippine Consulate General of San Francisco

For more information, please contact: info@philippineaidnetwork.com

Note: US Tax Deductible Donations: 
All donors will receive a receipt.  All donations are eligible for tax exemption.  Our 501(c)(3) non-profit fund custodian:
Science & Technology Advisory Council
TAX (ID 94-3161336), 
447 Sutter Street, Suite 518, 
San Francisco, CA 94108

The Science & Technology Advisory Council (STAC) is a partner of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade & Industry and the Department of Science & Technology in helping develop a startup ecosystem and promote technology entrepreneurship in the Philippines.