Sunday, July 08, 2007 Children of conflict now building homes
MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato -- Children of former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) are now engaged in a different--building homes for the homeless.
Now rebuilding the devastated St. Bernard, Ginsaugon in Southern Leyte are sons of MNLF members, who have been exposed to several battles themselves, following a basic construction training they underwent recently.
At least 77 out-of-school youths (OSY) from Lower Glad, Sadaan and Tumbras in Midsayap and Nalapaan and Balatikan in Pikit underwent the training. Of said number, 27 were exposed to armed conflicts. At least 100 other OSYs in South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat also completed their training on carpentry, masonry and basic electricity.
The Habitat for Humanity commissioned the young men, all out-of-school youths, after their completion of the basic construction skills training and upon the certification given to them by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Habitat for Humanity Project Manager Eliezer Vicente Bañarez said they sought the services of the graduates to give them the opportunity to be productive.
"Most of the out-of-school youths in areas where we are working were unproductive. We needed a pool of workers and we thought of making the youth our partners in delivering services to the same community we want to develop," Bañarez said.
The training was done through the complementation and partnership of the Habitat for Humanity-Philippines, Alternative for Planning Initiatives (Alterplan), and the GOP-UN ACT for Peace Program.
Habitat for Humanity, on the other hand, is a program supported by the European Commission. For its Build for Peace project, Habitat targets to build 1000 houses in areas declared as Peace and Development Communities in South Central Mindanao.
It has also provided low-cost houses for homeless communities in other parts of the country.
For the Southern Leyte project, Habitat will rebuild the flood-stricken village of St. Bernard.
Alterplan, a non-government organization that partners with community-based organizations in building capacities to analyze, implement, plan and steer area-based development, is known to organize experts on technical services. The group was formed in 1990 by architects and planners.
Eduardo Yap, a Peace and Development Advocate who also works as site coordinator of Alterplan, said the partnership did not only provide the youth with the in-demand skills but also with livelihood.
The training graduates will also have their chance to work for other projects of the Habitat for Humanity in Manila and Cebu.
Before he was sent to Leyte, Alkhosari Zacaria, 21, expressed how happy he was undergoing the training as he considers it a blessing especially in this most trying of times.
"Sobrang saya ko kasi talagang malaki ang maitutulong nito sa amin. Sino ba naman ang mag-aakala na matututo ako ng gawaing ito...marunong pala akong gumawa ng bahay. Ngayon, pwede ko na rin itong pagkakitaan. Sino ba naman ang hindi matutuwa niyan (I'm happy as the training helps us a lot. Who would have thought I would learn to build houses? Now, I can earn from it)," Zacaria said.
Like Zacaria's parents, the parents of the other training graduates were all happy to see their children involved in something productive.
The training program provides the participants with marketable skills in construction through classroom and hand-on sessions.
"By creating a significant pool of out-of school youth skilled workers in the civil trades in conflict-related areas in Mindanao, this partnership aims to stimulate economic activity and contribute to the social rebuilding of communities that have been long torn apart by armed conflict," according to the partnership agreement signed by the three organizations.
Secretary Jesus Dureza said the program can become a "model for the synergy of efforts of a civil society organization and non-government organization."
"No better than today to start providing assistance to out-of-school-youths in peace and development communities in a manner consistent with the program's principle of convergence for integrated programs and services that complement resources of partner-institutions to achieve greater impact at the community level," Dureza said.
"The partnership can surely enhance all the existing arrangements with the partners and greatly enhance the desired impact on the community level," Dureza added.
Implemented by the Mindanao Economic Development Council, the ACT for Peace Program provides assistance to sustain conflict transformation and peace-building efforts in 229 Peace and Development Communities in Southern Philippines. The program is supported by the governments of Australia, New Zealand and Spain.
