Emergency in the Philippines

Hello my name is James and I am fundraising for Maychel Cruz Santos of Conel, a small hamlet North of General Santos City in the Philippines.

Maychel lived with her aged aunt Mira until mid March 2023 and Maychel's Mum, and Mira's sister, died of Covid in 2020. They lived from what Maychel has earned in her job as a shop assistant, less than $10 dollars per day, while she continues her study. They live in a traditional Philippine house, on a 700 metre block which was inherited from Mira's sister, and Maychel's mum, and was originally handed down by her grandfather.

Maychel has recently experienced major life trauma. Maychel lost her job but was lucky enough to get offered another on the same day in mid March. Then almost as soon as she commenced working at her new job she was struck by appendicitis and had to have an emergency operation. The emergency operation required all of her available funds, and the last of Mira's money, for the operation, a few days in hospital, and the medicines necessary to take home to recover. She was only able to raise about three quarters of her hospital bill, but her new boss has offered some help (but didnt have the money to help more).

While trying to work out how to fund the operation, and thinking of selling or mortgaging her block of land, Maychel learned from her aunt that Maychel's mum had taken out a mortgage for 30000 Philippine pesos - about $800 Australian dollars - when Covid had first struck and the customers for her street business had vanished. Maychel's mum died without telling her daughter. More alarmingly she discovered that the interest on the mortgage meant that she now had a debt of about 68 thousand Philippine pesos - about $1850 Australian dollars - which needed to be serviced by April 2023, and owed land tax.

To make matters worse a storm damaged the roof of their home and also damaged Maychels ancient laptop computer, affecting the work she is going to be doing as well as her study.

An initial GoFundMe campaign raised $2700 AUD which paid off the mortgage, paid off the remaining hospital bill, and went to replacing the iron sheeting on the roof of her house.

After that Maychel's aunt died after a short spell in the hospital which necessitated a further 37000 PHP and about 9000 PHP burial costs (about $1200 AUD). At the same time she became aware that the Land Tax Bill which she had thought was about 15000 PHP (about $500 AUD) was actually - 4 years instead of one year - about 63000 PHP (about $1700 AUD).

The only reason I know of this couple is because a connection through their local church in the Philippines who was an exchange student in Australia for a year.

The important thing is to try and raise money quickly, and that is why they are seeking help. Maychel would like to pay the lawyer and the Land Tax Bill, and get her laptop computer replaced so she can resume study and do some work.

Please give if you can. I dare say there are many situations like this around the world. But in this instance a young woman who has been the sole support for her aunt, who has recently died, and is now trying to sort out the financial mess she has inherited, while overcoming an emergency hospitalisation.

She is not asking for large sums of money and understands that there are needy people around the world. But she is asking for a chance to get her life back on track while keeping her home.

Please help her if you can.