This article was written by Yukie Dangcal, a community organizer of CFSI under the Marawi Recovery Project (MRP).
Mangondaya, 65, had just come out of the hospital from a minor operation when I visited him. Despite the post-surgery pains, he still welcomed me during our regular home visits in the Municipality of Ditsaan-Ramain, Lanao del Sur.
Working as a farmer, Mangondaya shared that before the Marawi siege, business was good for him. But things went downhill when Marawi was barricaded in 2017.
Finances were tight for Mangondaya who needed to feed his family, with two of his kids needing special attention. However, the circumstances did not stop him from helping others who were affected by the conflict. He welcomed people who fled from the city into his home and selflessly provided for 12 displaced families or roughly about 50 persons.
His humble heroism was not in vain. For hosting displayed persons in his home, Mangondaya and his family was selected to become participants of the Marawi Recovery Project (MRP). Through the MRP, Mangondaya received agricultural livelihood support facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO). Moreover, his son, Abdulazis, 14 and with special needs for mobility, was given a wheelchair. Mangondaya and his wife greatly appreciated this support, sharing that they can now easily take Abdulazis outside to get some sunlight and air.
That morning, even while he was enduring the stitches on his side, he happily shared how thankful he was with the help given to him and his family.
The Marawi Recovery Project, implemented by CFSI, is supported by the Australian Government. The project promotes the protection, psychosocial, and economic recovery of around 6,500 households (approximately 32,500 individuals) affected by the Marawi siege.
To learn more about the MRP, you may view the MRP Project Brief at https://cfsi.ph/marawi-recovery-project-mrp-project-brief/