Asgar was a sidecar driver in Marawi City before the Siege of 2017. When fighting broke out, he and his family were uprooted and had to leave everything behind – including the sidecar that provided his livelihood. They have since been displaced, and are currently residing at the Rorogagus Transitory Shelter.

In the same year, CFSI responded to the immediate needs of displaced communities with shelter and non-food items, livelihood assistance, and civil document registrations through the Marawi Recovery Project (MRP), which was supported by the Australian Government. Under the project, Asgar received a new sidecar at his request, in order for him to restart his livelihood and support his family once more.  He was also an active participant in capacity building trainings held by CFSI for project partners, and took the opportunity to apply for birth certificates for his family, ensuring that they could access educational, health, and welfare support from local government.

Asgar receiving his livelihood package

As a family, they had started to get back on their feet. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, however, he had to stop driving his sidecar in order to comply with the strict health and safety measures taken to protect themselves and their community. While this was necessary, it also took away the family’s sole source of income for a second time – less than five years since he lost his first sidecar as a result of war.

When CFSI launched the Marawi COVID Recovery Project (MCRP) that followed the MRP, it aimed to support vulnerable families – survivors of the Marawi Siege – who were made even more vulnerable due to the compounded effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions.

Asgar and his family, once again, were identified to be some of the most vulnerable. Asgar knew that driving his sidecar would no longer thrive, especially at the height of the pandemic. Because of this, he transformed his sidecar into a cart, and instead started fish vending after he saw a market for it in his community.

Asgar with his former sidecar, transformed into a fish vending business

At present, Asgar continues the strategies and good practices he’s learned from his years of having to be resilient as well as form trainings with CFSI. Once again, his family is starting to rebuild their lives, becoming more financially independent as a direct result of working together and Asgar’s hard work.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa CFSI at sa [DFAT] sa binigay ninyong hanapbuhay at sa [mga certificate of live birth] para sa amin na mga IDP. Sana po marami pa kayong matulungan na mga katulad namin.”

(I would like to thank CFSI and the Australian Government for the livelihood and certificates of live birth that you gave us IDPs. I hope you can help more people like us.)