'I prayed and prayed. I was terrified.' - Philippines Typhoon Appeal - Christian Aid'I prayed and prayed. I was terrified.' - Philippines Typhoon Appeal - Christian Aid













 




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Eyewitness: ‘I prayed and prayed. I was terrified.’



18 November 2013Mary Theresa Convrares used to live with her husband in their coastal home in Barangy Punta, Ormoc. They have five children and three grandchildren.  Mary recalls the moment Haiyan struck; she tells us in her own words how the winds tore her home apart.The darkness comesThe typhoon hit Friday morning.  It became incredibly dark as the wind grew stronger.  It got so dark that I could barely make out our house from across the road. All I could see was our roof being torn off by the wind.I prayed and prayed that we would be okay. I was terrified.I knew we had to try and get to the evacuation centre, but with so much debris flying around and electricity poles falling down everywhere, my family and I couldn’t make it.We ran to a neighbour’s house across the road, which is much sturdier than our house.Left with nothingWe have nothing left; the typhoon ripped our house apart, leaving only the floor intact.We’re surviving on rations of rice and canned sardines. I worked as a food vendor before the typhoon, but as the schools and offices are shut and there is no food available to sell and with no electricity, I’m unable to work. My husband is too old to work, so we have no money to repair our home.  We cannot stay in our house as it is no longer safe, so we have to sleep at a neighbour’s house every night.The most important thing for us is to get the roof of our house fixed. We can’t continue like this.Help to rebuild livesYou can help people like Mary Theresa to begin to rebuild their lives by donating to the Philippines Typhoon Appeal.
 

















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