An international NGO in Cotabato City helps women build peace
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WOMEN EMPOWERMENT. Vrinda Dar, Relief International country director, speaks during her visit to Cotabato City on Tuesday (Oct. 3, 2023). She met with city officials before the unveiling of the women's peace marker installed at the City Hall grounds and later in the day inaugurated a livelihood for peace project in the city. (Photo courtesy of Relief International)
MindanaoHerald | An international NGO in Cotabato City helps women build peace | COTABATO CITY – An foreign NGO that works in Mindanao has teamed up with the city government to help women in the community learn new skills and get involved in building peace.
“This is in support of the efforts of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to sustain the peace dividends in the region,” a statement from Relief International, a non-profit that works with vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities to save lives, said Wednesday.
The women’s peace marker was unveiled at the City Hall grounds here on Tuesday afternoon by Vrinda Dar, who is the country head of Relief International Philippines, and Abdulwahab Midtimbang, who is the administrator of Cotabato City.
“Ina, linawag ka sa walay; Babay, tyakap ka sa kalilintad” (Mothers, we are the light in our homes; Women, we care for peace) was written on the marking.
Dar said, “This represents the brave work of women in the BARMM to protect the gains of the peace agreement and promote peace in the community.”
She also said that Relief International is dedicated to “Bayanihan” with the Bangsamoro to ensure the health and happiness of its people and to turn dangerous areas into peaceful communities.
In a separate statement, Mayor Mohammad Ali Matabalao of Cotabato City acknowledged how important women are to building peace.
He also said that everyone needs to support women’s efforts to bring peace to the neighborhood.
Matabalao said, “Mothers are real leaders; they speak for the family and uphold our values.”
Our organization, Relief International, is working with the Balay Mindanaw Foundation to build peace in eight towns in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Special Geographic Areas. The project is called “Women Engaged in Responsive Solutions to Conflicts and Violence in Mindanao (WE RESOLVE).”
The German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) is funding the project, which aims to create peaceful communities in these places, which are known for their proneness to armed conflicts.
Jules Benitez, who is in charge of marketing for Relief International, said that their group and GFFO have helped 90 peace communities in BARMM since 2020.
At the moment, the WE RESOLVE project is working on 40 projects that help people make a living and 40 projects that promote peace in these places.
The project helps about 6,000 women in the neighborhood.
Relief International is also helping with the reaction to the 2019 coronavirus disease and regular immunizations for the most vulnerable children in the BARMM to keep them safe. (via PNA)
