Over a year since the end of the Marawi Siege has passed, and most of the residents of Lanao Del Sur are still reeling from the effects of the five-month battle between government forces and the ISIL terror group composed of the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist organizations. While the long road to recovery is expected to take years, there are organizations stepping up to the challenge to help in the rehabilitation of those affected by implementing and supporting various livelihood projects.
Rebuilding Lives: Livelihood and Rehabilitation Projects by #ForMindanao
One leading organization driving this charge is called #ForMindanao.
What Is #ForMindanao?
As part of its continuing response to the Marawi crisis, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, through Naawan HELPS, Inc., has launched the #ForMindanao campaign. This initiative supports projects throughout Mindanao led by Philippine alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchanges, many of whom have already played a crucial role in responding to humanitarian needs in Marawi and surrounding areas.
Some of the ongoing projects supported by #ForMindanao include:
KulturAKO and The Maranao Collectibles
KulturAKO is a livelihood project that aims to provide job security to locals through a training program that teaches the traditional art form of weaving. Aside from providing economic opportunity, it also aspires to revive the fading culture of Langkit weaving in Lanao Del Sur.
Today, KulturAKO has partnered with The Maranao Collectibles, led by the husband-and-wife tandem of Salika and Jardin, in training university students and out-of-school youths to learn the craft of weaving. In fact, during the Marawi Siege—armed only with improvised weaving tools hastily built inside the evacuation center—the couple trained dozens of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to learn the intricate craftsmanship of Langkit.
"Gusto namin mabura sa isip ng mga tao na pag sinabi mo Maranao – sa ngayon – terrorista. Gusto namin ipakita na meron din kaming kultura na ipinagmamalaki," (We want to erase the idea from people's minds that when you say Maranao, it automatically means terrorist today. We want to show that we have a proud culture), said Salika Samad.
Palapa sa Lumba
"Palapa" is a traditional Maranao dish made of native shallots, chili, and ginger. Preparing it involves mixing the ingredients together and beating them into a pulpy texture before cooking them in a low-heat pan. It is a highly popular side dish in the region. In the town of Lumba-Bayabao, Lanao del Sur, where the land is fertile and perfect for farming shallots, #ForMindanao is supporting a group of Maranao women to mass-produce this traditional condiment.
Today, most of the volunteers are women engaging in backyard farming to produce palapa. They have now begun accepting bulk orders online through their community Facebook page, Super Lumba.
S.P.E.L.L. Peace in Butig
The SPELL Peace Project (Strengthen, Promote, and Encourage Love and Loyalty for PEACE in Butig) consists of a series of activities such as an informative drive campaign on peace, seminar-workshops on peace education, tree planting, family days, and expressions of pledges of commitment that encourage community participation in becoming active agents of peace.
Peace Crops
"Drop seeds, not bombs," say the members of Peace Crops—a volunteer organization composed of youth and community leaders promoting agro-enterprise development among young people. The program specifically targets those who are vulnerable to being recruited by terror groups.
By setting up demo farms in the fertile lands of Marantao, Lanao Del Sur, #ForMindanao and Peace Crops aim to train young people into becoming successful farmers and self-sustaining agricultural entrepreneurs.
Sound Intervention for Young Advocates of Peace (SIYAP)
Project "Siyap," which translates to "Protection" in Maranao, is a social and livelihood program aimed at helping the families of indigent detainees. A detainee can face a trial lasting for many years, often leaving behind family members—especially children who become out-of-school youths. By undergoing training in financial literacy and entrepreneurship, the family members of a detainee can find alternative ways to avoid further financial, social, and emotional suffering.
According to #ForMindanao: "Each family of indigent detention prisoners of the Provincial Jail in Tampilong, Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur, shall be provided with start-up capital and mentored on how to start their own businesses."
These are just some of the more than a dozen projects currently being funded and monitored by #ForMindanao, in coordination with various volunteer organizations spread across the provinces of Lanao Del Sur and Lanao Del Norte, to ease the devastating effects of the Marawi Siege. With the help of these livelihood and psychosocial programs, #ForMindanao hopes to spark radical improvement in the lives of those heavily affected by the Battle of Marawi.
