I DON’T know how the internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in tents and temporary shelters have been going by day by day, but I have always been amazed at how they manage to not just hold on, but to actually live.
By now, they have gone beyond surviving and getting by, despite no proper roof over their heads and a home to truly call their own after losing theirs because of the Marawi Siege in 2017.
I have been working in Community and Family Services International’s (CFSI) Marawi Recovery Project (MRP) for about half a year now. However, I am not directly involved with handing over support, help, nor intervention, being a communications personnel.
But every time I get sent to the field, I get awed at every visit to see how the Meranaws have been persisting in life.
Personally, I can’t imagine living in a tent for more than two years already. Still, the IDPs taking shelter in Sarimanok Tent City and Bito Buadi Itowa Evacuation Center in Marawi City manage to do so.
Some have even managed to put up small livelihoods in the area and are already on the way to rebuilding their lives back.
I would then like to personally encourage individuals to invest in Marawi. If you would not be able to give to charity, we hope that you would participate in activities or events that involve them.
One of the ways you could also help is by patronizing the goods and services that the IDPs who offer such can give.
But this doesn’t mean that we only rely on the IDPs resilience to bring them back to their feet.
We still hope that the government do their promise and part in rehabilitating the most affected parts of the City and to provide permanent houses for those who have lost their homes.
(rizsunio@gmail.com)