Field Stories

Daw Lin Lin’s home was badly damaged in the March 2025 earthquake that struck Myanmar, forcing her family to live in a nearby field. Cash support helped the family undertake repairs so they could return home.

Through Disaster READY, CARE has worked with Sulphur Bay and five other nearby communities to form and strengthen local CDCCCs—grassroots structures that are reshaping how disasters are understood and managed at the village level. The program has helped transform disaster planning from something reactive and ad hoc into something proactive and inclusive.

19-year-old Tasmin took a chance for climate smart agricultural training supported by AHP and has turned it into a diverse set of small businesses that are now supporting her whole family. With earnings from her garden, Tasnim bought a goat, a sewing machine, and has even leased land to expand her cultivation. She hopes she can inspire other girls with her entrepreneurial efforts.

Former Socceroo captain Craig Foster, Rohingya refugee advocate Noor Azizah, and Dr Graham Thom from the Refugee Council of Australia recently visited an AHP-supported centre for children and youth in Cox’s Bazar.

Erichom Bakery in Northwestern Kenya has become a community hub, breaking down stigma and providing support for people affected by HIV/AIDS. The bakery is also supporting a savings and loans association, in turn improving the nutrition and health of its members.

Multipurpose cash assistance helped Ma Nu Nu to get her son the medical care he needed after contracting Hepatitis A in the aftermath of the destructive Myanmar earthquake.

Participation in a Cash for Work program to improve the disaster resilience of camps in Cox’s Bazar was transformative for Mojiullah, who lives with a mobility disability. He took his earnings to start a small business, and then started his own family, moving from isolation and dependence to a new life.

“When my son first called me ‘Amma’ (mother), I couldn’t hold back my tears. It was the first time he ever said it, after so many years of silence.” Inclusive education in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, supported through AHP has helped Sadek find his voice.

In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, training on homestead gardening along with a start up kit has boosted the nutrition of Naju’s family, and also supported them to earn an income.

Shazeda had forgotten the taste of icecream — the simple treat was an unaffordable luxury for her refugee family struggling to survive day-to-day. After attending women’s leadership training and opening a small shop, Shazeda is now a confident entrepreneur — treating herself to her first icecream in years with her earnings.

Before Disaster READY partners installed a clean water system, Julieta and her community had had enough: “It made us tired and discouraged. We couldn’t continue growing crops during the dry season, and that affected our family’s economy.”

"We are working with all humanitarian responders at national, provincial and area council level to strengthen two-way information communication with affected communities,” Frida said. “By building accountability and transparency, we are enabling communities to have a say in how they prepare, how they respond, and how they can rebuild. It makes a huge difference."

In PNG, Disaster READY partners are helping communities to think differently about crop harvesting and storing, by exploring techniques that mean food is available through the leaner months.

“Now we know how to act. We are not helpless anymore. We are ready.” Learn how Anticipatory Action training in Timor-Leste meant Monica and her family were safe during a recent flooding event.

Since Pastor John arrived in his community six years ago, he has witnessed eight deaths from people drinking contaminated water. John worked quickly to mobilise his community, reaching out to Disaster READY parter, Baptist Union, for support.

Celene is a person with disability living in Vanuatu. She was appointed the lead of her Community Disaster and Climate Change Committee. “In every community, there’s always someone living with a disability. That’s why it’s important to have women in CDCCC—because mothers have a beautiful heart to listen to them and better assist.”

After Typhoon Yagi brought heavy rain and flooding to Northern Vietnam, cash support through the AHP response helped families regroup. For 13-year-old Thanh, having money to replace damaged school books and uniforms ensured she could continue learning.

For years, Jay Nasilasila, current chair of Fiji’s Disaster READY Country Committee in Fiji, has been inspiring us with unrelenting advocacy for strengthened disability inclusion in disaster preparedness.

Dignity kits filled with essential hygiene supplies are helping adolescent girls in conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia to continue their education with confidence.

Children impacted by ongoing conflict in Ethiopia are being supported with socio-emotional learning, case management and child-friendly activities at Child Friendly Spaces, made possible through AHP and World Vision.

Save the Children’s primary health clinic in Cox’s Bazar, staffed by compassionate professionals and supported by AHP, has become a trusted place for women in the Rohingya community to seek maternal healthcare, offering a sense of dignity and hope.

“Disaster preparedness isn’t just about me—it’s about everyone in my family knowing what to do. This training has transformed how we approach emergencies, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with my community.”