Monday, October 09, 2006
Extra-special Ramadan for villagers
RAMADAN is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. Throughout this month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening, eat small meals and visit friends and family.
It is a time of worship and contemplation, of cleansing, enlightenment and hope, and of strengthening of family and community ties.
Ramadan this year started last September 23.
From a community living in the throes of war between the government and the MILF and bereft of the most basic necessities such as electricity, potable water and health facilities, for which Ramadan used to be a desperate plea for help, Kilangan is now celebrating Ramadan with prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings of peace, electricity, better education, and an empowered community association.
Ali Dimalungan recounts how his family was nearly wiped out when fierce fighting between the MILF and military troops erupted in Kilangan several years ago.
For weeks, they lived in evacuation camps along the highway of Pagalungan, but eagerly went back home as soon as the fighting settled.
They were later motivated by the entry of development agencies that helped them rise from the ashes.
"It is good that peace has come at last to our place. We love this place and we will work together for peace and strive to develop the land," Ali said.
Last year, the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy program came to Kilangan to bring light and hope to the village.
Ali heads the village association organized by the alliance, called the Barangay Renewable Energy and Community Development Association (Brecda).
As part of his job, he administers the energy systems installed in the community, about 30 households in all, where each home owns photovoltaic systems.
Specifically, he oversees the operation and maintenance of the panels and is steering the association into becoming a mini-electric cooperative.
Ali said the association has accumulated almost P100,000 from its collection of monthly user fees from its members and plans to "spread the light" by buying additional solar systems that they will sell to the other villagers on a lease-to-own basis.
Barangay Kilangan's elementary and high schools are also beneficiaries of the Real World Alliance, a group aiming to improved English proficiency.
Recently, Amore installed a solar photovoltaic system in each of the schools in line with the thrust of Real World.
The system is capable of powering lamps, cassette recorders and a compact disc player.
Miralam Tillah, senior operations manager of Amore, expects the electricity that they are providing to the schools would substantially improve the quality of education of the children, as well as the teachers, to realize a developed and peaceful community.
"Education is the foundation of peace. If you don't build on human infrastructure, which is education, it would be very hard for the path of peace to be achieved," he said.
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(October 9, 2006 issue)
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