Have you ever wanted to live in a place where the beautiful view of the sea lights up from your window? Have you ever wished to feel the fresh breeze coming from its embrace your cheeks, play with your hair, and bring a smile to your lips? You will be eager every day to watch the light roll on a long night.

There is an inexplicable satisfaction of watching the sunrise and set that will give you hope to continue. What if you would experience the opposite of what you are visualizing? What if instead of fresh air in the morning, it is something else? What if your beachfront dream life is not what you want it to be?

I ran into Nancy Orgaya, 53, a housewife from Barangay Sumaoy, Garchitorena, Camarines. She is one of those residents whose house is just meters from the sea, divided and protected by the dike. However, the dike cannot protect them against the faulty odor caused by uncivilized human behavior. Because they are inefficacious to provide decent places to get rid of their feces, they have no choice but to release their stools on the sea. This kind of liberty tarnishes the cleanliness of the ocean. It contaminates the air they breathe. They have been doing this for a long time.

It is good that Nancy has a lavatory; only she is not lucky to be around neighbors who do not. Living in a region where hygiene and sanitation are poor may result in disease and environmental pollution. The ADRA recognized the need for immediate action to educate the public on appropriate waste disposal and remediation practices, aware of their professional misconduct.

    As a result, in recent years, ADRA has provided washrooms to households without them. Nancy does not feel bad for not having any. She is more than grateful that eventually, the days of breathing the unsolicited scent ended.

Nevertheless, the challenges of life never cease to amaze us.

Not too long ago, her husband bid farewell. In accession to her mourning, storms inflicted damage to her humble little abode. From the interior of their house, you can see the blue sky and possibly the stars at night. They have long endured the devastation caused by these unfriendly storms.  “Even though this is the situation of our house, we go along with it. I have no choice. We have nothing. I am thankful to ADRA for teaching us how to plant and introducing BULSA for I can save, even if it’s a small amount. ” There’s a glimpse of hope in her smile. And, that is what matters. In a house torn apart by the storm, physically and spiritually, there is a God on high who knows our needs. He will give us a haven of complete peace. Storms, death, and disease make a man fall to his knees in surrender to God.

– JOYDLYNN P. RIVERO, ADRA Volunteer Writer