KamayAtPuso

Kamay at Puso is an award winning not-for-profit organization committed to providing support and raising awareness for communities that have been adversely affected by their social and physical surroundings.HISTORY BEHIND KAMAY AT PUSOWhen Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it left the surrounding towns uninhabitable and covered in lahar (ash). As a solution, the Philippines government relocated the town's communities to a former United States military base. They were placed in CABCOM, a former motor pool and site of toxic waste dumping. As a result of this dumping, the water supply system of CABCOM was contaminated with deadly toxins. These toxins were an everyday reality for the people of CABCOM, who had no choice but to consume it with their drinking water. These toxins went on to cause serious birth defects, still-births, leukemia, skin diseases, and mental disabilities. In response, the Philippine government has moved this community out of CABCOM and into a local town of Madapdap. Despite the move, the people of Madapdap, especially the children, continue to suffer. While neither the U.S. nor the Philippine governments are willing to take responsibility for the effects of these toxins, they continue to spread into the water systems of neighboring towns, including Madapdap.HOW KAMAY AT PUSO GOT STARTED:In 2003, 34 Pilipino American participants of Tagalog on Site Summer 2003 had started a fund to provide physical therapy for the children of Madapdap in the Philippines. As toxic waste victims, these children suffer from conditions including congenital heart disease, leukemia and cerebral palsy and have never received medical attention. It is kamay at puso's goal to support and empower the Madapdap community by providing medical assistance for their community and educating people about their struggle.