Hi Steemians! 🤗 

As promised from my last blog, here is a post about the Marawi Siege and how can we help them. (If you still haven't read my #introduceyourself post, click here)

MARAWI: A BRIEF BACKGROUND

Marawi City has the most number of population in the province of Lanao del Sur with more than 200,000 people. It is the spiritual center for the Maranao, the most devoted among the three major Muslim groups in the Philippines which makes the city 90% Muslims. Usually, the city is called as the "Summer Capital of the South" and the "Heart of Mindanao".

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MARAWI SIEGE

May 23, 2017 was definitely a day of terror to all of our brothers and sisters in Marawi. The heart of Mindanao became brokenhearted as the members of the rebel group Maute had a conflict with the Philippine Government Security Forces. Reports said that foreign members and Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon were also part of the rebellion.

Some of the establishments in the area with the Philippine Flag were replaced with black flags by armed rebels. They were charged for the crime of rebellion, murder, kidnapping, and espionage as President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao. The president even offered bounty for Isnilon Hapilon and Maute brothers, Abdullah and Omar. 

Marines and soldiers were found dead as the crisis in Marawi continued. Government forces recovered millions of cash and checks in some of the places camped by the Maute fighters. Posts from Marawi evacuees said that there were people being slaughtered and institutions being burned. They've been through a lot of sleepless nights and heartbreaking struggles but the Philippine soldiers did not fail our country. The military retook places that were used by the rebels as bases and they also killed the significant leaders of the said siege. 

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After a 5-month-long crisis in Marawi, President Duterte had 7 visits in the city and in his 7th visit, he declared the liberation of Marawi. Some soldiers who fought the terrorists in Marawi returned home and all combat operations in the city has been terminated by the government.

SPROUT MARAWI

As mentioned in my last blog, I was chosen as one of the Sponsorship, Partnership, Finance Committee members of SPROUT Marawi. I will share to you the goal of the mission and how can you help us raise the fund we need in order to provide a quality mental health mission for our brothers and sisters in Marawi. 

• WHAT IS SPROUT AND ITS GOAL?

SPROUT: Speak Out, Reach Out is a mental health mission in Marawi brought to us by Youth for Mental Health Coalition, International Youth United, and Angat Buhay Youth. The aim of the project is to provide psychological first aid to trauma victims, referrals to psychiatric/psychological services, and activities for youth mental health advocates in the area. Sprout believes that even at the first hit of calamity, though basic necessities are important, addressing trauma should be included in the disaster response system to victims.

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• WHY HELP MARAWI THROUGH SPROUT?

SPROUT Marawi is addressing what have been neglected by other volunteer operations for many years. Normally, they focus on material donations and physical health but do not address mental health, when it is one of the most crucial things that we must prioritize. Taking care of mental health is equally as important as taking care of physical health. We should also give attention and assistance to victims who are experiencing fear, anxiety, and depression due to the devastating effects of the war. Being mentally unhealthy deters overall health. 

Through this kind of mission, we'll be able to help in pushing for the mainstreaming of mental health services and bring them to the people, especially to those in disaster-prone areas. This mission will also be beneficial since youth is the primary target beneficiaries. These youth, who may have experiences psychological trouble since the turn of events, still have a bright future ahead of them and they can lead the next generations of Marawi residents by sharing them what they learned from the experiences they got from the Marawi Siege. SPROUT can help them realize that they can still stand up from this atrocities to become a part of tomorrow's roster of good leaders who are willing to make a change.

• HOW TO HELP?

Interested parties/individuals may donate online through GoFundMe (click here). 

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Also, the Marawi Mental Health Mission is now open for sponsorship and partnership! Interested companies/organizations may e-mail us at [email protected] to see our sponsorship package or partnership kit.

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For more details, you can visit the Official Facebook account of SPROUT: Speak Out, Reach Out!
You can also message me through my facebook account or e-mail me at [email protected]

OUR TIME TO HELP

The disheartening Marawi tragedy is finally over. Burnt homes and establishments, ruined livelihoods, and departed family members have affected the lives of the victims. They have lost so much hope to what may happen in their lives in the in the future. However, everything happens for a reason and there's always a rainbow after the ran. As innately highly-spirited Filipinos, there is no disaster we never surpassed. 

It is never too late to help Marawi. I am knocking on your hearts to bring back their smiles again. Hand in hand, let's give them the hope and the courage to rise up from the crisis. Keep the faith, #KayaNgMarawi! 

P.S

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