in , , ,

Philippines: New Opportunities for Children of the Civil War

A civil war has been smoldering on the Philippine island of Mindanao for more than 40 years - the children in particular remain traumatized and have to live with memories of death and displacement. A Kindernothilfe project creates safe places for the little ones with children's centers, training courses and peace education. Kindernothilfe employee Jennifer Rings was there and was allowed to take part in a study lesson.

"ISA, DALAWA, TATLO, APAT - ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR."

The children count in a loud chant, first in Tagalog, then in English, while the teacher points at the numbers with the pointer on the blackboard. "Lima, amin, pito, walo - five, six, seven eight." When asked which geometric shape you see in front of you, the babble of children's voices becomes even louder, you can hear different dialects, occasionally English. With a courageous clap, the teacher brings calm back into the class, asks a little five-year-old to come forward, and has the circle and square shown. The preschoolers cheer loudly, and the little pupil returns visibly proud to his seat.

We are sitting in the middle of a class of three to five year old girls and boys in the Day Care Center, the children's center of Aleosan, a community on the Philippine island of Mindanao. Some of the mothers of the 20 children we looked after were also scattered between us. As supervisors to help teacher Vivienne. And more importantly: to translate between the children and the teacher. Here, in the south of the second largest Philippine island Mindanao, Maguindanao, a group of Muslim immigrants, live together with the Christian-oriented Bisaya. Numerous independent languages ​​and even more dialects are spoken in addition to English and Tagalog - the children often only understand their own language, the official languages ​​Tagalog and English have to be learned first. And here, too, in the region of civil war where the conflict between rebels and government has been smoldering for 40 years, it cannot be taken for granted. Only with the establishment of the day care center is it possible to send preschool children to early intervention in Aleosan.

WITH THE HELP OF MOTHER

“Every day I look forward to standing in front of the class and preparing the small children for elementary school,” teacher Vivienne tells us after the lesson. “The lessons in English and Tagalog are very important because the children only speak the different local dialects and can barely or not at all communicate with one another. This is the only way they can be prepared for school. ”Vivienne laughs, of course, that it is not easy to keep such a bunch of children - there are up to 30 who are cared for here in the Day Care Center - happy. "But some of the mothers who are here at the day-care center all day support me."

While we are still chatting, everyone is busy preparing. There is lunch, the first meal of the day for most children and the only warm meal they will have today. Again it is the mothers who are actively involved here: the soup has been simmering for hours on the open fireplace in the communal kitchen next door.

The fact that the day care center, lunch and even the small kitchen garden of the day care center are available at all is thanks to the more than 40 women's self-help groups with more than 500 members who have been active in the surrounding villages for many years. Supervised by the Kindernothilfe project partner Balay Rehabilitation Center, the groups meet weekly, save together, take part in workshops, invest in small business ideas, cook and garden in the day care center - and work every day for better livelihoods for themselves and their families.

OF BANANA CHIPS AND GOAT BREEDING

In any case, a steady income is required for a better life. In appropriate training courses, the women are trained to develop viable business ideas. Rosita, for example, now makes banana chips and sells them in the village and on the market, and proudly shows us her packaging idea: the banana chips are sold in paper instead of plastic. This was also the subject of several training courses organized by the project. It was about environmentally friendly, sustainable packaging, labeling and sales of the products made by the women. Malinda owns a small shop made of wooden planks that not only sells Rosita's banana chips, but also rice and other groceries. An advantage for many villagers - they no longer have to walk to the market for small errands. Another source of income is goat and chicken breeding. Some women in the self-help groups were allowed to participate in 28-day training courses in goat breeding. And: They were also able to win over the community veterinarian to examine their livestock, he now comes to the villages regularly.

Apropos examinations: The women's self-help groups are also responsible for the community's new health center, they proudly tell us. What was previously associated with hours of walking is now easy to do in the building next door: preventive medical check-ups, vaccinations, advice on contraception and also weight and nutrition monitoring of small children are available here. Hygiene training is carried out with the children. Two nurses are always on site, helping with minor illnesses and injuries that have been repaired.

TOGETHER FOR PEACE

In addition to all the improvements in everyday life, the main task of the self-help groups is to create a peaceful coexistence for all villagers. "Our self-help group initiated international understanding here in the village," recalls Bobasan. Her face is very furrowed, marked by the many fearful situations she has already been through. For four decades the violent conflicts between the Philippine government and the Muslim minorities in Mindanao have been simmering. “After we heard the first explosions and gunfire, we immediately prepared to flee. We only took our animals and our most important possessions with us, ”said the other mothers of their traumatic war experiences. Thanks to the self-help group work, these are now a thing of the past here in the village: “Our village is used as a safe place, so to speak, where everyone can gather in the event of a conflict and families can be evacuated. We even bought a vehicle to quickly evacuate families from other areas and bring them here. "

 

The self-help groups regularly organize peace talks between the various religious communities. There are peace camps and theater workshops in which Muslim and Catholic children take part together. Mixed self-help groups are now also possible: “If we want to have peace among our ethnic groups, then we have to start with understanding and with mutual respect in our group,” the women know. Their friendship is the best example, emphasizes Bobasan with a view to the woman sitting next to her. She herself is a Muslim, her friend a Catholic. “Something like this would have been unthinkable in the past,” she says, and they both laugh.

www.kinderothilfe.at

This post was created by the Option Community. Join in and post your message!

ON THE CONTRIBUTION TO OPTION AUSTRIA

Written by Kindernothilfe

Strengthen children. Protect children. Children participate.

Kinderothilfe Austria helps children in need worldwide and works for their rights. Our goal is achieved when they and their families live a dignified life. Support us! www.kinderothilfe.at/shop

Follow us on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram!

Leave a Comment