Dogs take the title, but cows could be a family’s best friend too.
The Munte family in Marawi City found joy in the company of their three-year-old cow friend. Last December, the cow has given birth to its first calf and the family even threw a small party for it.
For them, the cow brings happiness as they cope with their losses after the Marawi Siege.
Maimona Kunte is grateful for the cow they received as livelihood support from the Marawi Recovery Project, which is now three years old.
Kunto Munte and his wife Maimona received the farm animal as livelihood support in 2018 from the Marawi Recovery Project (MRP) of the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The project caters to survivors of the Marawi Siege, the five-month-long battle in 2017 between the government forces and militant groups.
Kunto’s family used to live in Barangay Bibong Lilod, one of the villages heavily affected by the war and is now known as Marawi City’s Most Affected Area. He used to drive a tricycle for a living.
In an effort to find safety from the Marawi Siege, they abandoned their home and moved from one evacuation center to another.
Kunto Munte receiving the cow during the 2018 hand-over ceremony.
They found refuge in Sarimanok Tent City where they lived for more than two years. During the first months, they solely relied on relief goods given to internally displaced persons (IDPs). Maimona has just given birth at that time to their fifth child.
With the increasing needs of their growing family, the couple opened a sari-sari store in an effort to gain income and make ends meet. They have also taken care of the cow at their best to help in agricultural activities. They bring it every day to a nearby grassy place where it could get lots of grass and water.
Last year, they were transferred to Rorogagus Transitory Shelter where their cow gave birth to its first calf. This is a good start to their plan of raising more cattle as a source of livelihood.
The first calf of the cow they received from 2018.
Maimona also added ducks to their growing farm family to gain more income. They also started growing vegetables to have ready food to eat and they use the cow’s dung as fertilizer for their plants. Indeed, the cow has become their dear companion in life. #
Maimona became fond of raising farm animals and has now included ducks in the family.
This article was written by Sorainie Sowaib, a field assistant of CFSI under the Marawi Recovery Project