8 #KwentongBABAYEnihan in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental

BABAYEnihan against COVID-19 has reached Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental

Don Salvador Benedicto is a beautiful town, with a string of tourist sites to visit. The Ata Bukidnon people living here rely heavily on their land and forest for food and livelihood. When the lockdown happened, the Ata Bukidnon in Brgy. Bunga have already harvested their palay. And so they have rice to store, and share with the others who have none. But other than that, they have nothing else. The Ata Bukidnon women who earn from making wallets, bags, and other crafts from uway or rattan, are not able to go up the forest to harvest rattan because of the lockdown.  The information on the help that they were expecting from their local government was very confusing, and very slow to come. For the first month of lockdown, they were surviving on garden vegetables that they would share with one another.  

So the little help from BABAYEnihan allowed them to buy food, coffee, and much needed bars of soap. 

Nanay Remedios, now 88 years old, one of the eldest Ata Bukidnon in the village  used to be very active in the advocacy for the recognition of their ancestral domain.  She was in the very first national indigenous women gathering  which led to the formation of LILAK. But now, it is her daughter who continues the organizing of indigenous women in their village. And they extend their thanks to the support and solidarity from BABAYEnihan. Thank you! We feel the love!

We will continue to share with you stories and photos when available of how your support has reached our indigenous women partners and families.