At 17, Allona knows her community is situated in a flood-prone area. She may have not experienced waking up to a flooded house, but she has witnessed how her neighbours and friends wade into the murky floodwater during typhoons or rainy seasons.

For a long time, Allona accepted this as the norm. However her actions on flood response have changed since she became a youth innovator in ‍Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) NGO Plan International Australia’s Urban Nexus project.

The Urban Nexus project focuses on developing, designing, and implementing a gender-transformative urban Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) program. Implemented in the cities of Manila and Pasay, the project supports the development of youth innovation projects on DRRM and climate change adaptation.

“I’ve been participating in several activities and webinars with the Manila City DRRM Office. I’ve learned about hazards and disasters. Now, my family has a go-bag because we’ve realised its importance in case of emergencies,” she says.

Aside from her newfound knowledge, she has become more self-aware of her actions towards the environment. Allona and her fellow Youth Innovators are planning to implement a clean-up drive.

Their community project was conceptualised after a series of risk-assessment activities, which helped them understand the situation in their area.

“Every group in our barangay [local area] is trying to help our local government in addressing flooding. For our group, we have proposed a clean-up drive program where the youth will help in removing garbage in drainages and other areas,” she says.

For Allona, knowing that there is a problem she can help solve is reason enough to step up. “We aim to minimise the flooding in our area. I may not be personally affected by this problem, but I want to help my community.”