The people of the Philippines are suffering a second recent disaster, the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, and the pleas for help are being heard around the world; the question is, will the people of Canada (and Weyburn) step up to lend a hand?
Canadians, like the rest of the world, have heard of many huge disasters where the country affected is simply overwhelmed by the immensity of the damage, and the immensity of the need to respond. In recent years, these incidents have included the tsunami at Sri Lanka, the earthquake in Haiti, and Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, the latter two which caused much devastation in the United States.
The Philippines was recently hit with an earthquake, and then what meteorologists are calling a "super-typhoon" hit, a storm that was actually bigger than either Sandy or Katrina, with the storm as big as the huge archipelago of the Philippines, with winds gusting well over 300 km an hour and wiping out whole cities, towns and villages.
As with the earthquake that devastated Haiti, the sheer immensity of the damage caused in the Philippines is overwhelming, as are images of entire cities lying in ruins with bodies in the street and people desperate for food, water and shelter, and some cities and towns haven't even been reached yet to find out the extent of damage there.
People should not see so much the size and breadth of the devastation as they should see a need that we as Canadians can contribute to, and help uplift our friends and neighbours from that country who now make their homes in Weyburn and in surrounding communities, all seeking a better life.
Canada has sent two DART teams in with soldiers, to assist the efforts being coordinated by the U.S. Marines and numerous other countries and agencies who are pitching in, plus the federal government has said they will match dollar-for-dollar all contributions made by Canadians towards assisting in the relief efforts.
It would be too easy for residents to be discouraged by the sheer need for help that exists in the Philippines, but people should realize that every little bit helps, and it all adds up. Much like in an election, every contribution of every person who is able to help is needed, as there are people who have been left with literally nothing in terms of a home, food or water. Let us reach out and help as much as we can.
