Indigenous and local communities still vulnerable to natural disasters aggravated by climate change.
A month after the devastating category 5 typhoon Odette (Rai) last December 16, 2021, affected communities are focused on their recovery. Through the urgent action grant mechanism, Samdhana Institute was able to contribute to the relief and recovery efforts of community partners.
The Panlablaba Youth Association (PAYO) and the Kababaihan sa Panlablaba (KASAP) women’s group planted trees together last May 23, 2021, in Awang, Misamis Oriental. At that time PAYO, with the help of their Elder, Datu Marcus, already had around 4,000 seedlings of various endemic species. They had started their tree nursery in 2019, and last year, at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, the youth spent their time expanding their nurseries. They still plan to re-plant the surrounding hills in their sitio (village) which had become barren over the years.
Shela Matuod Uray, an indigenous woman from the Higaonon in the Philippines, really felt the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on their lives. Before that, the Higaonon people lived in peace as a community that was free to enter and exit rural areas, now it is difficult.
“We can't go to our fields because of restrictions. If we can't go to our plantations, what can we do? We don't have enough foodstuffs, "he said in a discussion some time ago.
Decabobo Ancestral Domain, Coron, Palawan
Chairperson Rosemarie Sanicoy, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative Asencio Carpiano, and Apung Dakulu Rogelio Novero lead the distribution of emergency food relief to the Tagbanwa members of Decabobo Katutubong Tagbanwa in the Decawewe ancestral domain in Coron, Palawan. This relief is in response to the difficult times that Calamian Tagbanwa families experienced in the wake of community quarantines brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A webinar co-hosted with International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP).
Join us with community members from Indonesia and Philippines as they share their experiences in taking action during this time of the pandemic.
Wednesday 17th June 2020
7:00-8:00AM PDT/ 10:00-11:00AM EDT/
9:00-10:00 PM JKT Time/ 10:00-11:00 PH Time
More Info & Registration: https://tinyurl.com/SamdhanaJune2020
That afternoon on Saturday, March 28, 2020, the sky in Maumere, the capital of Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) was bright as usual in the first quarter of each year. The atmosphere in the traditional market was just like any other, busy and vibrant like Maumere’s citizens, although the impact of COVID-19 was increasingly apparent.
We are sharing a compilation of updates from Rights & Resources Initiative on the situation of Indigenous Peoples around the globe. The updates also link to other articles.
Learn more:
https://samdhana.org/sites/default/files/stories/document/RRI%20update%201.pdf
A meeting amongst the manigerekelen, the clan heads of the Calamian Tagbanwa indigenous community of Pali, in Coron, Palawan, was called by the oldest, Apung Dakulu Pablo. Such is the custom of the Tagbanwa: to talk and decide on what is best to do about matters that concern the community. In this case, it was about an emergency relief assistance needed because of the enforced community quarantine due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19. The assistance came from the LBC Foundation, facilitated by The Samdhana Institute.
Volunteers of the Mong Pan Youth Association (MPYA) and Nam Khone Alumni Network went around the communities in Ywar Ngan and Kalaw Townships and some villages in Taunggyi District in Southern Shan State, Myanmar, to raise awareness on the COVID-19 pandemic in the early weeks of April. As the government imposed a lockdown in the country, these active youth groups took initiative to inform the citizenry in the villages where information was not very well disseminated nor accessible.
SMK Swasta Arjuna Laguboti Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (vocational high school) distributed 3,000 bottles of hand sanitizers to neighboring villages in Tobasa District. The hand sanitizers were proudly locally produced by the students of SMK Arjuna. The school is one of the old private schools in Laguboti, offering courses in Pharmacy and Tourism. Their students are mostly young Batak women. The hand sanitizers were produced in Arjuna’s very own laboratory facilities.