Community Love and Rebuilding Siargao with Lokal Lab's Kara Rosas

On December 16th, 2021, the unimaginable happened. Our small island of Siargao was hit by Typhoon Odette — one of the strongest storms on Earth that year and declared Category 5, with winds that reached over 260 kph. 95% of Siargao was completely destroyed, including the homes, businesses and livelihood of the local communities. With signal down for days and no communications from the island, Lokal Lab, a non-profit organization based in Siargao, led the charge and took action to get relief goods and shelter to the island fast. In this episode, we speak with Kara Rosas, co-founder and president of Lokal Lab and the main point of contact in Siargao’s relief operations. Kara shares her experience and takes us behind the scenes of the relief operations from her perspective. We learn about Lokal Lab, its mission, projects and ultimate dream of empowering the local community to create a self-sustainable island. We also hear about incredible stories on the ground of local individuals finding smart and resourceful ways to help as many people in their own communities. At the time of recording, it has been exactly one month after Typhoon Odette landed in Siargao. The reality of the situation is that there is still so much to be done and still so much pain and trauma that lingers, especially from those who experienced the storm first hand. But there is hope and it’s so inspiring to see the strength and love in Siargao’s community that there is no doubt we will rebuild from this and only come back stronger. Donate to Lokal Lab and its ongoing efforts in Siargao here.