One year after Typhoon Haiyan: Resilience rebuilds the Philippines - CNN.comOne year after Typhoon Haiyan: Resilience rebuilds the Philippines - CNN.comBreaking NewsPlease select your default edition:InternationalU.S.MexicoU.S. EditionU.S.InternationalArabicEspañolMexicoSet edition preferenceSign inNewsU.S.WorldPoliticsTechHealthEntertainmentLivingTravelMoneySportsVideoCNNgoLatest NewsMust Watch VideosDigital StudiosTVCNNgoScheduleCNN FilmsShows A-ZAnchors and Reporters A-ZOpinionsPolitical Op-EdsSocial CommentaryiReportMore…PhotosLongformInvestigationsCNN profiles A-Z CNN Films: Life ItselfMorgan Spurlock: Inside ManCity of TomorrowCNN 10: Big IdeasThe Guns ProjectCNNMoney: Most Innovative CitiesChange the ListCNN HeroesImpact Your WorldQuick LinksPhotosLongformInvestigationsCNN profiles A-Z One year after Typhoon Haiyan: Resilience rebuilds the PhilippinesBy Sofia Klemming Nordenskiöld, Special to CNNUpdated 8:43 PM ET, Thu November 6, 2014Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – "When we heard the warning my mother said: 'Brace yourself, a typhoon is coming'," says 11-year-old Jednel. "We ran onto the roof of the house of our neighbor. We were so terribly scared and cold in the rain and the wind. The lips of my little brother became black from the cold, and we though he was going to die. But he survived."  Tanauan, December 2013.Hide Caption 1 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in the early morning of November 8, 2013, with wind speeds of more than 230 kph. Following the storm was a 6 meter tall storm surge that washed away entire communities more than 1 kilometer inland. Around 6,000 people lost their lives. Of these, around half were children. Tanuan, December 2013.Hide Caption 2 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Among the demolished beds, broken flower pots, clothes, cutlery and toys lies a portrait. The destiny of a family. We do not know what has happened to these people. Their framed photo was among the 1 meter tall piles of debris in the harbor of Tacloban. In the harbor lived thousands of fishing families. Tacloban, December 2013.Hide Caption 3 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – A woman wanders around her neighborhood three weeks after the typhoon. Four million people lost their homes due to Haiyan. People made fires to get rid of the piles of rubbish and debris. Legaspi, December 2013.Hide Caption 4 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – A father walks with his children through the village of San Antonio in Western Samar. The little fishing village was crushed by the storm surge after Haiyan and the majority of the inhabitants lost their homes. During times of disaster the vulnerability of children to illnesses, accidents and violence increases. In San Antonio, 50 people died and bodies were still found a month after the typhoon.  San Antonio, December 2013.Hide Caption 5 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – A month after the typhoon, bodies were still being found in the rubble. Every day, trucks arrived with new body bags at the improvised burial site by the church in the coastal village of Palo. Palo, December 2013.Hide Caption 6 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Amid the debris, clothes hang to dry. Although people lacked water and shelter, everyday life went on. Tanauan, December 2013.Hide Caption 7 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – "I was so scared and thought we were going to die. My husband was away that morning. I stood alone on our rooftop for hours, tightly embracing my 8-week-old twin sons to prevent them from drowning in the storm surge. It is a miracle that neither Jun nor John was hurt. All I can think of is that we all survived." Legaspi, December 2013.Hide Caption 8 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Children renovate the benches in San Antonio Depardua Mission Center Church in Western Samar. "Children, youth and adults from the village come here every day to help repair their church. It's a kind of stress therapy instead of just roaming around. It gives the days a routine," says Armida Reposar, an elementary school teacher who took up the role as youth coordinator while her school was closed. San Antonio, December 2013.Hide Caption 9 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Jobe and Jeoffrey Stoyle lost their two sons and Jeoffrey's grandparents in Typhoon Haiyan. Several times a week they visit the family grave, which is situated in the middle of a roundabout. Jobe was happy to be pregnant again.  Tanauan, May 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – A father rests with his daughter in the shadow of a stranded ship in the harbor of Tacloban. After six months, 2 million people were still living in tents or temporary shelters. In September, the typhoon season began again. Tacloban, May 2014.Hide Caption 11 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – "This is my favorite place. There is a sense of freedom here, where my family can live and be happy and proud. After the typhoon we were not allowed to play outside because of all the dangerous waste. But now we can play on the beach again. We play 'Tumbalata,' a game where two teams compete by hitting soda bottles with their flip-flops in the sand," says Jednel. After six months, most of the rubble had been cleared by hand by community members. Tanauan, May 2014.Hide Caption 12 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Children on summer holiday participate in a Catholic procession to honor the Virgin Mary. Maintaining traditions during times of disaster can play a role in regaining a sense of everyday life and normality. In June, school started again. Tacloban, May 2014.Hide Caption 13 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – "I feel better now and don't think about the typhoon that often anymore," says  Jednel. "But every time it rains I get scared. We have been evacuated three times since Haiyan due to storm warnings. Then we rush to my teacher's roof terrace. It is very scary. I was happy when the school opened again in January. We have lessons in a tent, but it doesn't matter. It is fun to meet all friends, school is like a family." Tanauan, May 2014.Hide Caption 14 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – Santo Nino Elementary School in Tanauan was washed away by the 6-meter tall storm surge that followed Typhoon Haiyan. The school was an evacuation center and many died when the water swept inland. It is important to quickly set up temporary schools in tents after a disaster to provide children with protection and security. The children in Santo Nino began lessons in tents in January. During the rain and typhoon season, water leaked in and the wind pulled the canvas. "Many children still get very scared when there is a storm and start to cry. It brings back the memories from Haiyan," says Marlon C. Tangpuz, school principal. Tanauan, September 2014Hide Caption 15 of 16Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan – A Saturday morning in the coastal community of Santo Nino. Jednel, Sheremae and their friends throw themselves with clothes on into the balmy Pacific Ocean. Here, the sea has always played a crucial role. Besides the vital fish, the sea has also been an obvious playground for children. Typoon Haiyan changed all this. When the storm surge hit, boats and bodies floated ashore, fishing and playing stopped. After 10 months, children were allowed to play in the sea again.  Tanauan, September 2014.Hide Caption 16 of 16Story highlightsSpirit of Filipinos remains strong one year after typhoon made landfall November 8, 2013Typhoon Haiyan is one of strongest cyclones ever recorded More than 6,000 people were killed, whole villages swept away by wind, waterStorm surges flooded low-lying coastal regions, destroying homes and businessesIt's 7 a.m. in Tanauan, the Philippines, and the church bells are ringing for Sunday mass.It's May 2014 and I'm accompanying 11-year-old Jednel and his parents to the weekly service. Jednel is one of the children I have got to know through my work with children's charity Plan International. When Typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc across the Philippines in November 2013, I was deployed to support the team.Jednel lives in a coastal village in Leyte, which was badly destroyed by the tsunami-like waves that followed the storm.Many of the people attending the church service lost family members and friends, many of whom are now buried in the mass grave outside on the main square. When the minister calls for prayers, the air is thick with sorrow.There is a common experience that, as an outsider, I cannot fully grasp. Everyone in here has sensed the risk of death. They have been so close to the end, but they have survived.Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – Typhoon Haiyan, which ripped through the Philippines on November 9, 2013, has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. A year later, people continue to repair their lives. Here, a general view of the destroyed coastline in Tacloban City on November 17, 2013, in Leyte. Hide Caption 1 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A year later, much of the debris in Magallanes district has been cleaned up in Tacloban City. The island of Leyte is about 350 miles southeast of Manila. Hide Caption 2 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – Bodies are seen on a road before being placed in a mass grave on the outskirts of Tacloban City on November 20, 2013. Hide Caption 3 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View from Basper Cemetery one year later. Hide Caption 4 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A man waits for transport in San Roque, Tolosa district, on November 19, 2013. Countries all over the world pledged relief aid to help support those affected by the typhoon, but damage to the airport and roads made moving the aid into the most affected areas very difficult.Hide Caption 5 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A new paint job brightens the entrance to San Roque Elementary School one year later. Hide Caption 6 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – Residents clear debris away on November 17, 2013.Hide Caption 7 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – This view of the main road in Anibong district shows great improvement. Hide Caption 8 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A single tree is left standing amid the rubble in Tacloban City  on November 18, 2013.Hide Caption 9 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View of residential area in Magallanes district one year after.Hide Caption 10 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A group of boys plays with replica guns in Tacloban City on November 17, 2013.Hide Caption 11 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View of the main road in Anibong district.Hide Caption 12 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – Bodies are seen on a road before being placed in a mass grave on the outskirts of Tacloban City on November 20, 2013.Hide Caption 13 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View of Basper Cemetary one year after.Hide Caption 14 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – Children play on the street in front of the Tacloban City Convention Center on November 20, 2013.Hide Caption 15 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – The Tacloban City Convention Center is in much better shape now.Hide Caption 16 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – Bodies are seen in a mass grave on the outskirts of Tacloban City on November 20, 2013.Hide Caption 17 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View of the mass grave site at Basper Cemetary. Hide Caption 18 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A body waits to be collect on the side of the road in Tacloban City on November 14, 2013.Hide Caption 19 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View along the road from the airport one year later. Hide Caption 20 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – A homemade casket is seen on the side of the road as curfew approaches on November 14, 2013.Hide Caption 21 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View along the road from the airport.Hide Caption 22 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – People line up for relief handouts outside the Tacloban Stadium on November 15, 2013.Hide Caption 23 of 24Philippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan 24 photosPhilippines: A year after Typhoon Haiyan – View of the grounds of the Tacloban City Convention Center one year later.Hide Caption 24 of 24EXPAND GALLERYJust WatchedWhy was Haiyan so powerful?replayMore Videos ...Why was Haiyan so powerful? 02:25PLAY VIDEOJust WatchedRebuilding after Typhoon HaiyanreplayMore Videos ...Rebuilding after Typhoon Haiyan 03:10PLAY VIDEOJust WatchedRebuilding still underway after typhoonreplayMore Videos ...Rebuilding still underway after typhoon 02:57PLAY VIDEOSoon the air fills with a sense of power and energy. When the minister cracks a joke, laughter echoes out through the open doors.Now, having visited the Philippines three times over the past year (in November 2013, and then May and September, 2014), I truly believe the disaster recovery has come this far because of the remarkable resilience and spirit of the Filipino people.IMAGES: Before and After, six months onRush to rebuildWhen I first arrived in Western Samar in November 2013, just three weeks after the typhoon, all I could see was piles of debris, reminiscent of apocalyptic destruction.Yet, in the middle of the rubble and burning waste, I could hear the sound of people hammering, already in the process of rebuilding their houses. Women were washing their clothes and hanging it between the few walls that were left of their homes. Children were running around in flip-flops looking for scrap metal and old glasses they could sell to help their families get food. I even heard people singing. A year later and a lot has happened; Jednel's school is being rebuilt, he is attending a temporary school, and plays with his friends on the weekend.The rubble and fallen trees have been cleared and the vegetation is lush and green. Shops have reopened and the streets are crowded with cars, bicycles and taxis, while the community is out in full force, selling fruit and sweets. Children can play freely on the beach and they are finally allowed to go swimming in the sea once again.READ: Revisting Tacloban, six months after HaiyanChildren among most vulnerableJednel has grown a great deal since last November. Now he is a confident, relaxed boy who welcomes me to the house of his great grandmother. He says he's still afraid of storms and bad weather, but the nightmares come more seldom.Plan International's priority is protecting children who are among those worst affected by a disaster, and among the most vulnerable after.Just WatchedAerial view of life before, after HaiyanreplayMore Videos ...Aerial view of life before, after Haiyan 00:57PLAY VIDEOJust WatchedTacloban's small businesses still hurtingreplayMore Videos ...Tacloban's small businesses still hurting 02:56PLAY VIDEOAfter Haiyan, Plan set up "Child Friendly Spaces," providing a safe space for 21,000 children to play, learn and get much-needed emotional support -- while nearly 10,000 parents, children and community members were trained on how to avoid violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.Over the past year, Plan has helped more than 40,000 children to return to school with its "Back to School" kits -- including bags, books and pens -- or by rebuilding classrooms, training teachers and supplying school equipment.Although we've come a long way from the devastating scenes my colleagues and I witnessed a year ago, work still remains.In Tacloban City, one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan, Plan's "Building Back Better" project is working with the government and community members to help residents build a community that's better able to withstand the next powerful storm.As for Jednel, he now dreams of becoming a scientist and learning more about typhoons and climate change.We look out towards the calm ocean and I ask him what it's like to live in the Philippines, where a natural disaster never seems too far away.Jednel replies: "This is my favorite place. 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