Invest in Muslim youth volunteering for peace

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Project Update:

As we enter a new calendar year, I would like to give my warm wishes and a big thank you to all of you who helped our program. In 2019, KI volunteers helped to improve the lives of 14,978 people and they contributed more than 20,000 hours of work on Peace and Development issues. Through your donations, you are helping to improve the lives of young people from Mindanao and to reduce some of the factors that are drivers for conflict here in the Southern Philippines.

Our current batch of 10 young women and men will soon be halfway through their placement year. Here is the story of one of them.

Bidaya's Story

Bidaya is 23 years old from Lanao del Norte. She graduated with a BS in Education and is a licenced teacher. She planned to work in the Department of Education. “Although I am a licensed teacher, it is hard for me to be employed in a government agency. (due to corrupt practices ed) I waited more than a year to for the result of my application but unfortunately, I never received any response. My friends invited me to apply to Kapamagogopa Inc. At first, I was not interested because it might not work for me however, I still submitted my application. When I was in KI Office, one of the staff explained what is KI, the works of KI, and the processes in the screening of the aspirant volunteers. It made me think that this is not an ordinary volunteering work and that made me interested.

Those explanations enlightened me to pursue my application in KI. I was able to pass the written and interview process, the one day assessment with mixed emotions and of course the one month capacity development training. I feel so blessed and proud when we were introduced as 13th batch volunteer of KI (MASAKAW BATCH). I was deployed in KI and became a project support staff in one of their projects. I assist on the Social Enterprise Project to Internally Displaced Persons. I was able to learn how to interact with high personality people and meet different NGO workers.

 I am very thankful because of the learnings, knowledge and skilled given by this organization. It is not about the allowance/salaries received but because of the contributions and dimensions that they have had shared to us.”