When Jenelyn Refuerzo managed to make it to her family’s farm, ravaged by the Philippines’ deadliest typhoon, her first thought was: “How can we ever stand up again?”

Eight months on her extended family is back on its feet and the farm is blooming with the help of funds collected in Malta.

“The needs are endless, but it’s nice to see that an organisation like SOS Malta can really change the life of some people,” Celine Cervi told The Sunday Times of Malta.

When the typhoon hit in November, SOS Malta sought a cost-effective way to transfer its funds raised through an emergency appeal.

Its efforts are being coordinated by Ms Cervi, the wife of Maltese EU diplomat Julian Vassallo. A former political director at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, she has been in Manila for more than two years.

Initially, in partnership with the Filipino Springboard Foundation, it provided relief goods such as nappies, milk and medicine.

Since then the NGO has supported two extended families, two schools and a maternity health clinic in Dulag.

“The minute you put a family on their feet, they can start helping others as they will then be able to employ people from their community. This creates a ripple effect,” said SOS Malta’s CEO Claudia Taylor-East.

One of the families is that of Yolanda Ancheta, who worked in Malta as a caregiver and left for Babatngon, off Tacloban City, when the typhoon hit.

She has rebuilt her farm and the family is now planning to open a health shop in the city.

When Ms Cervi last visited Tacloban in June, the airport was still in shambles and yet a team of porters greeted her with a song and applause.

On the streets people were actively rebuilding houses from wood or cement. Some can only afford to build a shelter out of corrugated iron.

“It breaks your heart to see how solid houses were destroyed and are now in a dire state,” she said, noting the place was like a warzone – in some places there is still no hot water or means of communication.

The NGO has also supported the Refuerzo family which lives in Takin. Ms Refuerzo was in Manila when the typhoon hit and could not get hold of her family.

“I reached the farm 10 days later. It was completely destroyed but I was so grateful that all my family was alive.

“My first thought was: how can we ever stand up again? We’re so thankful that people all the way from Malta helped us.”

Ms Cervi noted that the Filipinos she met were always grateful and not expecting help. But if people are willing, there is still a lot to do. International aid has still not reached everyone.

In Takin, SOS Malta also supported a school with its refurbishment and provided an electricity generator, a photocopier and textbooks.

Another school, in the Burauen village, used funds collected in Malta to build bathrooms and a roof. Both schools managed to reopen their doors last month.

Funds for these two schools were raised by St Aloysius Primary school and St Catherine’s High School in Pembroke and Ms Taylor-East is urging other schools to twin with those in need.

She also appealed to Rotary clubs to reach out and support the maternity clinic.

So far, 35,000 has been transferred. More information on how to donate is available at www.sosmalta.org/donate_now.

Ms Cervi can be contacted directly at celinecervi@hotmail.com.