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Community Development in the Camps

Community Development in the Camps (71)

Thursday, 20 June 2019 06:08

Staff for new orphanage begins work

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The chosen thirteen (13) to take responsibility for the management of the newly opened orphanage center in Cotabato City have already begun working on June 15, 2019 a day after the orientation to them about the BDA and orphanage, the Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH) as the donor partner and about their roles and responsibilities.

They are social workers, finance assistant, cook, laundry, cleaner, and tutor and security officer.

The said orphanage center is the second institution to operate in Cotabato City for the Moro orphans, with the support of the IHH and the BDA as local partner.

For the past years, nights were darker in the remote areas of Brgy. Datalpandan, Guindulungan, Maguindanao. Now that the community received solar panel project, better and safer nights are possible.

“We are thankful for this project given to us, the indigenous people (IP) community”, Sanny Sevio said, who is the president of the group.

Another IP member told “there have been laws for the IPs but we never felt the essence, only through this project on solar panel that we feel, we belong”.

The IP community formally received the said light-electricity project on February 11, 2019 where various stakeholders of the project attended the ceremonial turnover.

Said project is under the under the Mindanao Trust Fund-Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTFRDP/2), a program partnership signed between the BDA and CFSI, which aim is to improve access of targeted communities in the conflict-affected areas in Mindanao to basic socio-economic infrastructure and alternative learning system.

Each of the thirty units of solar panel was distributed to each of the thirty IP households of the barangay.

The device will not only provide light to the beneficiaries but can also be a source of electricity that will also be useful for a remote community.

MTFRDP/2 covers selected communities in the six major camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) namely Camp Bushra, Camp Bilal, Camp Abubakar as-Siddique, Camp Rajamuda, Camp Badar and Camp Omar.

It is in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) of March 2014 intends to identify priority actions that will intensify socio-economic development in conflict-affected areas, including transforming the six major MILF camps into peaceful and productive communities.

BDA is managing the project implementation in partnership with the Community and Family Services International (CFSI).

The Mindanao Trust Fund (MTF) supports this program with various donors such as the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank, which also serves as Trust Fund Administrator and Secretariat.

The Spanish Development Cooperation in the Philippines (AECID) is also a donor-partner of the program.

Easy road to education, to market and towards a better life- are the primary benefits that the road project in Brgy. Tabuan in Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur can give to its people. This one lane concrete road, a project supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) is now officially turned over to the community today, August 13, 2019.

Stakeholders and representatives from various sectors in the community attended the ceremony such as barangay local government unit, contractor, Task Force on Camp Transformation (TFCT), Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), Community and Family Services International (CFSI), community members, women, elderly and children.

During the event, the People’s Organization formally received certificate of turnover that stated of the official acceptance of the responsibility over the project such as operation, management and sustainability.

PO President expressed thanks to the project given to them and shared commitment together with his fellows of taking care of the road to benefit the next generation.

TFCT of Camp Abubakar namely Alex Sulay, Shuaib Adam and Mamariong Hadjinasser spoke of the unity, cooperation and support of everyone in the community that made the project successful.

“This project is not of the MILF nor the government but this is for the community. We must remember that this a fruit of our struggle, of us who all experience war and displacement”, TFCT member said.

Contractor Engr. Mahid Palawan lauded the BDA and CFSI management of the project in the aspect of working with third-party service provider and the TFCT and the community as a whole for the support on safety and security that made them feel comfortable and confident in completing the road project.

BDA also highlighted the project as a product of the GPH-MILF peace process and shared hope with the community to more development aid coming.

CFSI mentioned about the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) as basis of the project specifically on its Normalization Aspect.

The project is under the MTFRDP/2-AECID which overall goal is to transform communities from conflict into peaceful and productive communities. 

Community members of two villages in Maguindanao particularly Brgy. Saniag in Ampatuan and Brgy. Tuayan in Datu Hoffer rejoiced as they formally received development projects that will help improve their access to basic services towards a better life.

In Brgy. Saniag, the project installed was water system that is expected to provide clean water for the beneficiaries. The project will also help reduce time of getting water from the distance, since tap stands were built nearby the households. It also gives clean and safe water that will be good for the health of the recipients.

In Brgy. Tuayan, the road project is beneficial towards the community development of the village.

Community beneficiaries will have better road for easy transportation whether of local products, of pregnant women, schoolchildren and among others.

Project stakeholders attended the turnover ceremonies of the said projects on February 16, 2019 and shared the joy with the community members of both Brgy. Saniag and Brgy. Tuayan.

They are officials and representatives from the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), Community and Family Services International (CFSI), Joint Task Forces on Camp Transformation (JTFCT), local government units (LGUs), people’s organizations (PO), private contractors and others.

The water system project in Saniag is funded through the Mindanao Trust Fund administered by the World Bank while the road project is supported by the Spanish Cooperation for International Development (AECID).

 

 

 

Every year, thousand families in the poorest of the poor communities in the Bangsamoro receive free beef through the Qurbani Program where hundreds of cattle are sacrificed in observance of the Eid’l Adha (feast of sacrifice), an annual event of the Muslim Ummah worldwide.

Since 2014, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) through the support of humanitarian foundations from Turkey facilitate Qurban Program to share blessings to the poor, an act encouraged among Muslim as part of worship.

“We facilitate the implementation of the Qurban Program in gratitude and assistance of our Turkey brothers who donated these cows for distribution to the poor families”, BDA executive director Mohammad S. Yacob stated.

In the welcome meeting for the Turkey visitors, BDA disclosed that programs such the Qurban is very useful for the communities and it helps in making them feel the essence of the peace process.

Rhadzni Taalim, head of BDA program operations division mentioned about the recently signed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to the visitors and discussed briefly how development programs helps keep the faith of the communities over the peace process.

Over the years, the BDA as development arm of the MILF implement similar projects that helps address huge development gaps in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao where thousands of families and individuals are benefiting.

This year, the Qurbani Program with over 200 hundreds of cows is made possible with the support of Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), Turkiye Dyanet Vakfi (TDV), Deniz Fereri and Sadaqatasi, all humanitarian organizations from Turkey.

The program is being implemented from August 21-23, 2018 in selected communities in the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.

 

 

 

 

The Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) met with the Regional Planning and Development Office (RPDO-BARMM) on October 29, 2019 at the latter's office in Cotabato City to discuss possible collaboration for the camp transformation development plan. 

M’ranao communities in the barangays of Barit in Balindong and Lalapung in Lumbatan all in the province of Lanao del Sur formally received development projects from Mindanao Trust Fund- Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II and Supporting Access to Basic Services and Building Institutional Capacity in Conflict-affected Communities Mindanao (MTFRDP/2-AECID) on August 14-15, 2019.

In Brgy. Lalapung, the project was warehouse with solar dryer and post-harvest facilities and 150M concrete pathway, funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Community members were happy that they finally received the project and can now store their crops properly, which has been outside before the completion and turnover of the post-harvest facility.

One mother was emotional during the event as she was reminded of his son who was killed during the war.

In Brgy. Barit, the project was the 1.06KM concrete pathway funded by the MTFRDP/2 with various donors such as such as the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank, which also serves as Trust Fund Administrator and Secretariat.

H.Abdullah “Bravo’ Macapaar, member of the BARMM parliament attended the turnover ceremony and spoke of the Bangsamoro struggle, the sacrifice of those martyrs of war, which fruit is the on-going development in the Bangsamoro.

He told that the project is a trust to Bangsamoro, therefore everyone must work together to take care of it. He also talked about good governance, the proper management of project and the fight against corruption.

During the turnover ceremony, the people’s organization received certificate of turnover that officially handed them the operation, maintenance and sustainability of the project.

Various stakeholders attended the gathering such as the barangay local government unit, MILF political committee, Task Force on Camp Transformation (TFCT), some BIAF members, the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and the Community and Family Services International (CFSI).

 

Hanadia Mohammad, 13 lost her father when she was two years old due to war in Mindanao. Since then, her mother Guiamisa Kedal solely manage taking care of their family through farming.

In 2015, her mother learned about the orphan care program of IHH Turkey with BDA as local partner and decided to send Hanadia and the other older sister to the orphanage to get full support for their education.

“Even that I am alone now without their father, I am really working hard to send them, their other siblings to school to get education, which I believe will help them to have better future”, the mother said.

With the achievements of her children like Hanadia who completed Arabic education as top one in the class along with other awards, Mrs. Guiamisa is blessed enough for her sacrifices.

Hanadia’s sister is one of the scholars brought to Turkey to pursue high school education where she has to maintain required grades to avail the program.

Hanadia is just one of the eleven graduates of elementary Arabic education under the orphan care program.

The closing ceremony was held on April 5, 2019 at the IHH Orphanage Complex in Tamontaka 1, Cotabato City, where the joint celebration for the completion and graduation of other orphans for secular education was also conducted.

There were twenty graduates for elementary level, two for junior high school and five completers for kinder garten.

On the said day, the orphanage complex were set up colorfully with big umbrellas, the ornamentals plants and the creative hijab of the orphans.

Children received their respective awards for their academic and non-academic performances together with their mothers, guardians and relatives.  

Omer Kesmen, IHH representative together with Hashim Manticayan, BDA deputy executive director handed over the certificates of the graduates and the medals of the well-performing orphans.

In her closing message, Ustadza Anisa Taha, orphanage director congratulated the graduates and the student-orphans for their achievements.

She also thanked the parents and the BDA for their support to the children who accordingly are the hope of the future.

Ustadza Anisa likewise commended her colleagues at the orphanage center, the staff, drivers, Arabic teachers, cook and laundry for their dedication and love for the orphans.

Further, she expressed deep gratitude to Omer and asked the children to pray for him and the rest of the IHH and other donors for their continuing assistance.

“We pray for their good health because they are living to help not only here in the Bangsamoro but also other countries in the world”, Ustadza Anisa stated.

This orphan care program is supported by the Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a humanitarian foundation in Turkey and locally managed with the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA).

The orphanage complex was officially inaugurated in May 2015 and since then, has been taking care of children orphaned by war in Mindanao.

With the Bangsamoro Government now running, the orphans only has common prayer that there shall be no more children orphaned by war.

In an inauguration of the other orphanage center on December 2018, Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, MILF chairman was emotional for the orphans in saying “it should be our government that is taking care of these children but we cannot because we do not have our own government yet”.

Ebrahim, now Ahod “Murad” B. Ibrahim is the appointed interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the new political entity in Mindanao, Philippines that shall give way for the Bangsamoro to govern themselves according to their beliefs and traditions.

 

One hundred forty one boys aged from 10-17 years old benefited from free circumcision program of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) in partnership with the Bangsamoro Medical Society (BMS) and Dar-al Uloom wal Hikmah on April 21, 2019 at the latter's school covered court.

Friday, 25 January 2019 09:45

MILF Modest Food Relief off to Marawi City

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Staff and volunteers of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) jumped off this morning, January 25, 2019 from Cotabato City to deliver the food packs intended for the people of Marawi City who were in recovery from the effect of the crisis happened in their city in 2017.

The mission dubbed as “Modest Food Relief from MILF Leadership to the victims of Marawi Crisis” will benefit 5,000 people coming from eight selected communities in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and Lanao Norte.

Distribution of the food items will be facilitated by the BDA in coordination with the MILF Political Committee, Social Welfare Committee and the BIAF on January 26, 2019.

 

 

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