Happy International Women’s Day! Jenelle Eli has traveled to the Philippines with the Red Cross multiple times to help with Typhoon Haiyan recovery. She sat down with us to share the story of typhoon survivor Fe Potente.
Potente’s home in the Philippines was built by local workers with funds from the American Red Cross. Elevated from the ground, the house will be less prone to flooding and storm surges. The Red Cross has also installed a new latrine for Fe, so her family doesn’t need to walk to a relative’s house in the middle of the night. In the year since Fe moved into her new home, she has planted a beautiful flower garden and sells vegetables and bananas that grow in her yard. She wants to own a piggery one day and her biggest hope is for her children to go to school.
“We would never have been able to afford to build a house without the Red Cross,” says Fe, who is glad that her four children can sleep comfortably in a home.
Listen to Jenelle tell Fe’s story
Images of our International Women’s Day spotlight, Fe Potente
Photos by Niki Clark/American Red Cross 2015
Psst! Looking for more inspiration? Read some interesting facts and quotes from our founder, Clara Barton, for International Women’s Day.