It is hard to articulate all that is happening here because I’m still processing it myself. So, I’ll set the scene and in a future post, I’ll share my experiences. I arrived in Surigao on Friday afternoon. The convent where I am staying is in a gated community, but don’t be fooled by that term. It is nothing like a gated community at home. It is relatively quiet and I am thankful that I’ve been able to sleep well. It’s possible that it’s because I am exhausted but whatever the reason I’ll take it.
I’ll be here for about three weeks and the Badjao community is the main reason for my trip. I’ve been working with the Sisters and the community for a number of years now. The aim is to establish a community education centre for the people, many of whom are marginalised on an number of counts. They are not locals but rather often referred to as sea gypsies. They are indigenous and they are not Christian, in a very Christian country. None of these things should make a difference, but sadly, they do. In December 2019, the actual building of the community centre was opened. In March 2020, COVID and lockdowns followed. Then, in December 2021, Typhoon Odette hit, literally flattening the homes of all the people. The community centre, locacated up the hill, suffered minimal damage. For months, the community lived on the side of the road. Not back from the curb, (If there was a curb) but right at the road’s edge. As you can imagine, this was not ideal, especially with a lot of young children around. When some people were hurt, the community took matters into their own hands and moved back to their old place, reconstructing their homes with whatever materials they could find, despite the local government’s order not to do so. The housing debate still rages, so we meet the people where they are at and do what we can.
So who are the we. The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart are an amazing order of nuns who work with the community on a daily basis. Currently, Sr Cathy and Sr Sally are working here. They’ve been amazing and continue to work for justice and equality for the people. They do so with the blessing of the Badjao community. They don’t have the resources to do it alone. I’ve been assisting where I can in terms of education. Throughout lockdown and following Odette, I’ve been able to record some online sessions relating to health, gardening and sewing to assist the community. Then there are many amazing people, friends and strangers, young and old and, students and teachers who have been assisting financially. None of this would be possible without them.
I leave you with some pictures of both the community and the community centre – name the Centre (Center) of Hope. Tomorrow, I will start some face-to-face sewing sessions for 5-6 women who have shown a keen desire to learn and hone their skills. It’s a small step, but it’s a step.
So Now From Here 