Peace and Reconciliation Philippines Project #6879

Invest in Muslim youth volunteering for peace

by Kapamagogopa Incorporated

Invest in Muslim youth volunteering for peace

Project Report | May 14, 2015
The youth are not sleeping

By Mariam Barandia | Executive Director

Participants at the recruitment roadshow

Dear friends and supporters,

Thank you for all the generous donations we have received in the past months. Some of the donations given go towards recruiting our new volunteers. I would like to tell you how we do this.
How do young people in Mindanao get to find out about our program? Apart from through social media and the grapevine, every summer KI holds a roadshow so that young people can find out what it means to become a peace builder and a KI volunteer. So last April 21 2015, KI staff travelled to Cotobato City to conduct an orientation, we were amazed by the response with 157 participants (104F, 53M) who came from all over South-Western Mindanao
Despite the extreme humidity that suppressed the room, not a single participant attempted to leave such was their interest in our program. The orientation lasted for more than 3 hours which also included an open forum facilitated by Hasna, a KI Alumni volunteer, who is now working with a local women's organization in Cotabato City. The event would not have been possible without the help of the Alumni volunteers who did most of the organizing and publicizing. Many of our former volunteers stay engaged with peacebuilding and development long after they have finished their placements.
The numbers of participants who attended the orientation shows that, amidst all crises that Mindanao and its people are experiencing, the youth are not sleeping. The youth are not only aware of what is happening, they want to be part of something that will change the fate of Mindanaowans. They just need to have a space and a right avenue where they can express themselves in helping to bring peace in Mindanao. This is exactly the goal of KI to give an opportunity for young Muslim youth to foster a better understanding among diverse culture and faiths.

Your contributions are invaluable in helping us to achieve our dream of peace.

Thank you

Mariam

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Feb 18, 2015
A young woman working for peace

By Mariam Barandia | Executive Director

Conducting community consulation on peace process

Dear supporters,

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who has recently donated to our project.

This is a difficult time in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. The images and portrayal of Muslims, especially the youth, is often negative and biased. Our project has always aimed to show our young people in a more positive light and that they can affect change through peace and dialogue.

For this report, I would like to tell you about one of our current volunteers, Ms. Naslia "Babylove" Sanggoyod from Malabang, Lanao del Sur. Babylove grew up in a very protective family which meant that her experience of the world around her was limited, however she managed to persuade her parents for permission to apply to KI. She was a successful candidate in the assessment process and with assurances given by KI management, she was able to become a KI volunteer.

Babylove has grasped her opportunity well. She has showed a lot of maturity and dedication to her work, so much so that KI gave her the role of project assistant here in the office.

In the latter part of 2014, Babylove with other KI staff visited rural communities in Lanao del Norte to hold consultations and orientate them with accurate and up to date information of the current situation in the Peace Process. Due to the lack of information and/or misinformation it is imperative that communities are able to fully understand the implications of the new laws currently being discussed by the Government. Babylove was able to discuss matters with the communities in their local language and in terms that they comprehend so that they were able to fully understand the situation.

Since this January, Babylove has been working with women and youth from Lumbatan in a remote area of Lanao del Sur which is the poorest province in the Philippines. In turn, Lumbatan is one of the poorest municipalities in Lanao del Sur. It has suffered greatly due to conflict As part of the normalization process, she is helping them to get organized so that they can work on their own projects to assist their community in terms of livelihood, education and health.

Your donations are not only providing young people like Babylove with an opportunity to show what good can be done you are also helping poor communities to help themselves.

Thank you

Mariam

Babylove (in grey) with the women of Lumbatan

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Nov 18, 2014
The Dynamic Dozen go forth

By Mariam Barandia | Executive Director

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