2022 Climate Action Internship Report
Crowdfunding Practice, Typhoon Odette Relief and Environmental Support in the Philippines
In 2022, Helping Hands and Hearts Japan carried out a climate action internship connected to Typhoon Odette relief, environmental recovery and crowdfunding for communities in the Philippines.
The interns planned and communicated a crowdfunding project to support the creation of flower gardens in public spaces in affected communities. Through the activity, they learned how to research social issues, design a support project, communicate to potential supporters and think about environmental recovery after a disaster.
The 2022 climate action internship focused on disaster recovery, environmental support and public communication. The activity was connected to communities in the Philippines affected by Super Typhoon Odette.
The interns worked on a crowdfunding project designed to support the creation of flower gardens in public spaces. The project aimed not only to provide environmental support, but also to help local communities regain color, hope and a sense of recovery after the typhoon.
Super Typhoon Odette caused severe damage in parts of the Philippines. The internship activity was planned in response to the need for recovery and support in affected communities.
The interns learned that disaster recovery is not only about rebuilding buildings and infrastructure. Emotional recovery, environmental recovery and the restoration of public spaces are also important for communities that have experienced serious damage.
The project focused on supporting flower gardens in public spaces. Flowers may seem small compared with the scale of a disaster, but they can help bring color, comfort and hope back to communities. This idea became the basis of the crowdfunding project.
In cooperation with the WAND Foundation, the project considered public spaces in the Dinagat Islands that had been affected by Typhoon Odette as potential locations for flower gardens.
The idea was to create small areas of color and greenery in spaces used by local residents, supporting both the recovery of the local environment and a more positive atmosphere during the rebuilding process.
Public space considered as a support location
Public space used by local residents
Area considered for a flower garden
The 2022 internship included research, project planning, target setting, page structure design, message creation and crowdfunding communication.
The interns learned about Typhoon Odette and the situation in affected communities. They considered what kind of support would be meaningful after a major disaster.
The project aimed to support the creation of flower gardens in public spaces in the Philippines. The interns learned how environmental support can also become emotional and community support.
The interns worked on the structure and message of the crowdfunding project. They thought about how to explain the background, purpose and value of the project to supporters.
As part of the project, special English lessons related to climate change were also prepared. These lessons connected language learning with environmental awareness.
The flower garden project was based on the idea that recovery is not only material, but also emotional and communal. After a disaster, public spaces can become symbols of hope when people see color and life return to their surroundings.
Flowers can help restore a sense of beauty, peace and community pride in damaged areas. Through this project, the interns learned how small environmental actions can carry emotional meaning and support the recovery of local communities.
The interns learned how a social support project is created by moving from research to planning, page creation and public communication.
The interns researched typhoon damage and considered the needs of affected communities.
They organized the idea of supporting flower gardens in public spaces as a concrete recovery project.
They considered how to communicate the meaning of the project to people who might support it.
They learned how crowdfunding requires clear explanation, trust and continuous communication.
The following photos were used in the Japanese version of this activity page and show the background and context of the 2022 climate action internship.
Area affected by Super Typhoon Odette
Disaster damage and the need for recovery support
Flower support as a symbol of recovery and hope
Community environment connected to the support project
Public space connected to environmental support
Student-led communication and project planning
The crowdfunding project was a valuable learning experience for the interns. The project did not reach its funding target, but it gave the students a practical opportunity to learn how difficult it is to communicate social issues, reach supporters and turn a support idea into public action. Because the target was not reached, the support reservations on READYFOR were cancelled.
Amount of support received
Original target amount
Supporters
Although the crowdfunding target was not achieved, the process itself became an important learning outcome. The interns experienced the difficulty of explaining a project clearly, reaching the right audience, building trust and encouraging people to take action.
As part of the project, special English lessons related to climate change were also prepared. These lessons connected English communication with environmental awareness and social action.
The activity showed how language education can become a way to discuss global issues such as climate change, disasters and international cooperation.
The special lessons helped participants learn English while thinking about climate change and environmental issues. This approach connected HHAHJ’s language education activities with its environmental and international cooperation activities.
Crowdfunding required the interns to explain clearly what had happened locally, why support was needed and how the proposed project could help.
It was important not only to communicate the seriousness of the typhoon damage, but also to explain how a relatively small and positive action—creating flower gardens—could connect with emotional recovery, environmental improvement and community rebuilding.
The interns learned that public communication requires more than showing damage. A support project must explain its purpose, the people it is intended to help and the meaning of the proposed action in a way supporters can understand.
The project was planned in cooperation with the WAND Foundation, a local partner that HHAHJ had worked with in the Philippines. Information from the local side helped the interns understand the conditions in affected communities and the significance of creating flower gardens in public spaces.
While emergency relief normally gives priority to shelters, food and medical support, the project also considered the psychological and social situation of families affected by the disaster. The flower garden proposal was designed as a small form of environmental support that could contribute to hope, community pride and the rebuilding of daily life.
Meeting related to project implementation
Planning the flower support project
Cooperation with the local partner
Within a short internship period, the students worked in parallel on project planning, meetings with the local partner, the crowdfunding application, publication and preparation of the return program.
The interns organized the project purpose, support content, page structure, return program and target audience.
The team confirmed the local situation, potential support locations and the meaning of the flower garden project.
The interns prepared the information and text needed for publication on READYFOR.
The crowdfunding page was published on READYFOR.
The team reviewed the situation after publication and discussed the next steps.
During the 2022 internship, the interns organized and published their own external page about Typhoon Odette relief, the crowdfunding project and environmental support.
This HHHJapan page records the background, process, result and learning from the organization’s perspective. The student-created page preserves how the interns themselves understood the support project, structured the message and presented their work at the time.
The page presents the Typhoon Odette support project and the planned flower gardens in public spaces from the interns’ own perspective.
The external Peraichi site opens in a new tab.
Through this internship, the students learned how to connect disaster recovery, environmental support, public communication and education. They experienced both the potential and difficulty of creating a project that asks people for support.
The interns learned that recovery after a disaster includes not only physical rebuilding, but also emotional, environmental and community recovery.
The interns learned how to turn a social issue into a concrete support project with a clear purpose, target and message.
The interns learned that even a meaningful project needs clear, trustworthy and repeated communication to reach people.
Through the special English lessons, the interns learned that education can become a way to communicate environmental issues and encourage social awareness.
The 2022 climate action internship was important because it gave students an opportunity to learn from a real social challenge. The activity connected environmental recovery, typhoon relief, crowdfunding, language education and international cooperation.
Even though the crowdfunding target was not reached, the process showed the value of student-led learning. The interns researched, planned, wrote, designed and communicated a project based on a real issue, gaining practical experience that could not be learned from observation alone.
This activity shows that internships can be meaningful even when a project does not achieve all of its goals. The process of trying, communicating and reflecting became an important learning experience for the students.
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