Rebels recently attacked the coastal communities of Zamboanga City in the Philippines, taking civilians hostage and using them as human shields. After several weeks of fighting, the government quelled the attacks and security is returning to the area.
ChildFund works in six communities in and around Zamboanga City. Although children enrolled in ChildFund programs were not directly affected by the fighting, ChildFund’s local partner organisation, the Holy Rosary Family Centre, under the leadership of Sister Nini, set up Child-Centred Spaces to ensure children had a safe place to gather, play and express any fears.
This is a day in the life of Sister Nini (pictured above, wearing white and black headpiece) during the standoff…
Sister Nini is used to getting up at dawn. Like other Dominican sisters in her order, she takes her morning prayers silently before dawn. It`s been more than a week since fighting erupted in the Philippines’ Zamboanga City and there`s much work to be done.
Within an hour of waking, Sister Nini has already picked up seven volunteer mothers and youth. Though it’s a tight squeeze, everyone fits in the cabin of her order’s pickup truck. Laughter fills whatever space is left, as her company tries to keep their spirits up and their legs from falling asleep. Thankfully, their destination, Boalan – an elementary school that has doubled as an evacuation centre – is not far. Though they are far enough from where the fighting continues in Zamboanga, Sister Nini is always wary of the possibility of danger on the road.
This year I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Benedict, the young boy from the Philippines I have been sponsoring for the past four years.
I planned a two-week trip. First up was three days in the capital, Manila, then a flight to the region where Benedict lives. Unfortunately, the day before I left for my trip, my flight to Benedict’s area was cancelled. With Benedict living nearly 500km away from Manila, I almost had to cancel my visit to meet him, but I am glad I didn’t because it truly was an unforgettable day.
My short 40-minute flight was replaced by a 10-hour overnight bus ride, which was interesting to say the least.
After checking in to a hotel, I was met by the local ChildFund staff who told me I would be spending the day at a Kids’ Camp. I was quite surprised about this as I had never even heard of a Kids’ Camp before! The staff explained that they run a three-day camp each year for all ChildFund-sponsored children in the area to come play games and have fun in their school holidays.
When we arrived it was the last day of the camp and there were about 50 children waiting inside the front gate to greet me. They were holding up a big sign they had made, which said “Welcome Sarah Horgan”. I was definitely not expecting all of this for me. I felt like a celebrity!
Even though I only sponsor Benedict, all of the children were so excited to meet me. It was such a lovely experience to be a part of. Once we had all met each other, the show really began! All of the kids performed dances and sang songs that they had been working on. They also got me up to dance with them. While all the fun was happening, I sat with Benedict, his mother and his father.
