Mindanaotoday.com | A new dawn: Stories of survival and hope rise amid conflict in the Philippines
THOUSANDS of people from Mindanao, Philippines, have been fleeing their homes for decades because of protracted armed conflicts. Among the different levels of impact on their everyday lives, their displacement has resulted in lost livelihood opportunities for many residents.
Here is a story that gives us a peek at the hope and courage that people affected by conflict muster every day to deal with their challenges.
A mother’s dream fulfilled
When Lita’s* youngest son went missing, it felt like the end of her world.
He was studying in Marawi in 2017 and was about to graduate that year. He had planned to work in Iloilo.
“My son was a working student. He told me that he would be staying a few more days in Marawi to help prepare for the town fiesta before coming home. That phone call was my last conversation with him,” says Lita, who has not heard from him in the last five years.
She kept herself busy by taking care of her grandchildren and tending to her corner store in Surigao del Sur. But life threw her another curveball when the pandemic struck, forcing her to close the store and seek other means of livelihood.
“We wanted to start a piggery because we had raised animals like cows and goats when we were still living in Visayas,” she says, adding that they bought a few piglets, which they intend to raise and sell in a few months.
“The assistance from the ICRC was a big help to jump-start our livelihood. Once we sell the pigs, we intend to buy another batch of piglets to keep the income flowing. My husband and I are happy doing this job,” she says. (ICRC PH)
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