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Real Life Heroes: Juhaina Ebus

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Juhaina Ebus, our Protection Assistant for the REACH Project, chooses to #BreaktheBias through empowering women in vulnerable communities. She does this by engaging them to participate in active decision-making.  Her passion is advocating for people’s rights and giving help to those who need it the most. This is one of the many reasons why she’s certainly one of our Real Life Heroes.

Get to know Juhaina and her inspiring take on being a humanitarian worker:

What is your role in Action Against Hunger?

I conduct assessments on the protection needs or gaps in the communities I serve and advocate for their rights. I’ve also been raising awareness on how to live a safe and healthy life during this COVID-19 pandemic while providing emergency humanitarian assistance when needed.

Juhaina in one of the Legal Mission activities of REACH in Lanao del Sur. (Photo courtesy of Juhaina Ebus)

How long have you been working as a humanitarian worker?

I have been in this industry for more than 3 years. My first job with Action against Hunger was as a Psychosocial Support Assistant under the Marawi Siege Emergency Response project funded by the USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) in Cotabato City back in 2018.

From then on, I have responded to different emergency interventions such as Maguindanao Armed Conflict Response in 2019 as WASH Assistant; COVID-19 Response in Kidapawan in 2020 as a Hygiene Promotion Assistant. Since last year, I’ve been working as the Protection Assistant for the ‘Response to the Unmet Humanitarian Needs of the Most Vulnerable Populations in Conflict, Disasters, and the COVID-19 Pandemic’ project or REACH.

What motivates you to become a humanitarian worker?

Seeing smiles on their faces, having to hear different stories, and helping without expecting anything in return are some of the reasons why I find my work with the vulnerable population to be fulfilling.

My main motivation has always been my passion-driven attitude towards them—to contribute good lasting changes in terms of their behavioral, spiritual, & emotional aspect in looking at life. I also learned to be more patient and understanding of the fact that each of us has our own capacities.

Photo courtesy of Juhaina Ebus

Why are you making this sacrifice?

I pursued this path because it is my passion. As a registered social worker, I made sure to expose myself to the realities on the ground and further improve my skills depending on the evolving needs of the community. Life is never simple but helping improve the lives of others day by day is a work that I passionately enjoy.

What have been the challenges to your work?

Being away from my family is challenging but I always remind myself that sometimes independence means pursuing your passion by helping those in need and gradually contributing to making the world a better place.

What motivates you to keep doing your work even with these challenges?

To be able to really feel and see the lasting change on the overall social development of the beneficiaries and the underserved communities.

In photo: Juhaina (wearing black) conducts an orientation for the participants of the legal mission activity in Lanao del Sur. (Photo courtesy of Juhaina Ebus)

What are you most proud of?

Being a part of Action Against Hunger is a blessing because I can really say that there is an improvement in the fight against hunger & malnutrition within vulnerable communities.

How do you #BreaktheBias in your line of work and/or on a daily basis?

I will equally treat everyone with respect regardless of gender preference and will always be open to working collaboratively without prejudice.

Imagine a gender-equal world. What do you see?

A gender-equal world is a world wherein everyone is treated fairly, regardless of gender or religion; a gender-equal world equates to a healthy society.

In photo: Juhaina (wearing black) conducts an orientation for the participants of the legal mission activity in Lanao del Sur. (Photo courtesy of Juhaina Ebus)

The ‘Response to the Unmet Humanitarian Needs of the Most Vulnerable Populations in Mindanao and the Visayas Affected by Conflict, Disasters, and the COVID-19 Pandemic’ (REACH) Project is funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and is implemented by ACCORD Incorporated, Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, Community Organizers Multiversity, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) Inc., Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), United Youth of the Philippines-Women and Oxfam Pilipinas.

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Real Life Heroes: Lea Añora

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Last December, Lea Añora and the rest of our Tandag Field team were immediately deployed to Surigao City mere hours after Typhoon Odette made landfall—an experience that made her feel the proudest in being part of the most “hardworking humanitarian force of Action Against Hunger.”
On a regular day, Lea dedicates her time as a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Supervisor in our AECID-funded PROact Project while empowering women in her field to break free from stereotypes.
Get to know Lea and what makes her one of our Real Life Heroes.

What is your role in Action Against Hunger?

I am part of the PROAct Project that aims to improve disaster and climate change resilience in communities. As DRR Supervisor, I lead in facilitating skills and capacity training, spearheading community drills, provision of DRR Equipment and Early Warning Devices, facilitating, assisting our partner local government units in crafting and enhancing their DRR-CCA and Development plans, implementing Alternative Resilient livelihoods including the provision of technical support to partner Peoples Organization and conducting emergency response to disaster-affected areas, especially within the AOR of the base and neighboring provinces.

How long have you been working as a humanitarian worker?

It’ll be my 5th year in the organization this coming March 2022

What motivates you to become a humanitarian worker?

The trust and confidence of our partners, believing us and the organization that we WILL and CAN make significant changes in their lives and into their communities.

Photo by Dale Divinagracia for Action Against Hunger

Why are you making this sacrifice?

To see more faces of hope and joy, encouraging others to be an instrument of positive change despite the cruelty of the world.

In photo: Lea (third from the right) in one of the activities of ProACT.

What have been the challenges to your work?

Engaging in a diverse environment, with people having different beliefs, stand-points, and characters.

What motivates you to keep doing your work even with these challenges?

Having the experience of being genuinely appreciated by the people that we are helping fuels me every day to do more beyond what is expected from me to accomplish.

What are you most proud of?

Recently, during our Typhoon Odette Emergency Response, I was part of the team that was deployed to Surigao City immediately after the aftermath of the typhoon. Everyone in our team, including our drivers, worked so hard that a 4-hour sleep and eating a full day’s meal was a luxury. There were times when we were all drenched in rain and in sweat during the first wave of our assessment and relief distribution. These challenges never stopped us.

Everyone extended an extra mile of heartful labor to aid the immediate needs of the typhoon survivors. This experience made me the PROUDEST – to be part of the most hardworking humanitarian force of Action Against Hunger.

In photo: Lea hands over a hygiene kit during one of the Typhoon Odette Emergency Response distributions in Surigao City. (Photo by Dale Divinagracia for Action Against Hunger)

As a DRR Supervisor, what climate change impact have you seen with your own eyes?

Taking to countless farmers and fisherfolks through the years, the common lament is that their yield has been dwindling.  This is due to the extreme weather conditions that we are all experiencing today; change of weather pattern, severe heavy rainfall, long periods of the dry season, and rising sea level.  These not only directly affect the livelihood of the farmers and fisherfolks, but also of the average customer because of rising prices for food.

 

Photo by Nino Kim Diez for Action Against Hunger

How do you help in combating climate change?

It is a challenge fighting against climate change. We can’t stop it.  But, we can mitigate its impact. Strengthened advocacies on DRR-CCA, people’s increased resiliency, and capacities, and strong support from our local government units, concerned national government agencies, and non-government agencies or organizations are one of the most important keys in executing projects, programs, and activities that directly address the adverse impact of climate change in our communities.

In photo: Lea helps load the sacks of rice for distribution to Typhoon Odette survivors in Surigao City (Photo by Nino Kim Diez for Action Against Hunger)

How do you #BreaktheBias in your line of work or day-to-day activities?

In the humanitarian world, there is no room for discrimination. Each of us is given the opportunity and responsibility in helping the needs of the people, especially in times of crisis. I myself work without any bias towards my gender, for my attitude and passion define my work ethic which radiates to the people that I am working with.

How do you envision a gender-equal world?

A gender-equal world is a world that gives rights, independence, power, and responsibilities to both women and men without discrimination and segregation.

Photo courtesy of Lea Anora

‘Advancing Climate and Disaster Resilience Transformation in the Provinces of Agusan Del Sur, Surigao Del Sur, and Davao de Oro’ (ProACT) is a consortium project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and implemented by Action Against Hunger & Fundacion CODESPA.

Promoting inclusive household decision-making to empower rural women

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MINDANAO — Women and girls in rural communities have been providing invaluable contributions in development, particularly towards nutrition, food security, and building climate resilience. However, gender and development indicators have consistently shown that rural women and girls are generally more vulnerable to poverty and the impacts of climate change as compared to rural men and women in urban communities.

In 2019, Action Against Hunger Philippines with the guidance of our International Gender Desk conducted a gender analysis within our partner communities at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The results of the analysis showed that roles in Mindanao seem to have changed from traditionally assigned gender roles and responsibilities, with women now being more involved in productive activities. However, this does not seem to have reduced the allotted time women dedicate to reproductive work. With women spending more time on productive tasks, but not less reproductive ones, a significant increase in their overall workload was noted.

Door-to-door nutrition and hygiene promotion sessions in Lanao Del Sur | Photo by Theresa Cortes for Action Against Hunger (Lanao del Sur, Philippines © 2020)

The gender analysis also noted that although both women and men participate in income-generating activities and decide together on some key issues, key decisions like mobility, heritage, what specific work is assigned to each person, and the use of family land, etc. still fall under the decision of men. Evidently, this is one of the factors barring women’s access to income-generating activities since farming is considered the region’s main source of income. Agricultural labor like tending to the fields is mainly considered as the responsibility of men. Therefore, it comes with no surprise that men also present the highest percentages of agriculture knowledge.

Because of our commitment to mainstream gender equality in all our programs, we are aiming to maximize project outcomes while promoting gender empowerment. To do this, we plan to integrate interventions that are influencing household decision-making into existing food security & livelihoods programming.

HHDM Session in Calanogas facilitated by the project team | Photo by DRR-BHA Project Team for Action Against Hunger (Calanogas, Philippines © 2021)

Household decision-making impacts child health and nutrition in multiple ways. It influences underlying causes of undernutrition: decisions related to household production, household consumption, and caregiving practices. Household decision-making can also lead to improvements in women’s mobility; control of own time and income; men’s trust, confidence, and respect for women; women’s own self-confidence; and the sharing of household chores.

Photo by Rosa May Maitem for Action Against Hunger (Maguindanao, Philippines © 2013)

Using the Household Decision-Making (HHDM) Approach, we aim to shift household behaviors regarding decision-making and distribution of household work by spotlighting the work performed by women at reproductive and productive levels and adding more value to their contributions. The HHDM approach will hopefully encourage family members to contribute equitably—allowing each member to learn, cope, adapt and transform in the face of shocks and stresses and therefore increase household and community resilience in the long run.

“This innovative approach will enhance our FSL strategies making it more inclusive and gender transformative,” – Menchie Lacson

The HHDM approach is based on the household dialogue toolkit developed by Mercy Corps, which we’ve adapted appropriately to the context of Filipino communities, particularly in Mindanao. This was made possible through the support and guidance of Bishnu Bahadur Khatri, a seasoned international expert, and researcher on household dialogue along with human rights, child rights, social inclusion, gender-based violence, climate change, and gender equality among many others.

HHDM Session in Calanogas facilitated by the project team | Photo by DRR-BHA Project Team for Action Against Hunger (Calanogas, Philippines © 2021)

A Household Decision Making Approach Facilitator Guidebook is currently in the works, which we will be piloting through our USAID-funded disaster risk reduction project. In the meantime, the HHDM approach nonetheless has since been implemented following an online ‘training of trainers’ (ToT) on Family and Household Dialogue. The five-day training was facilitated by Bishnu Khatri last from April 8-12, 2021 and was participated by Action Against Hunger staff from the Philippines’ Manila head office, Cotabato field office, and international headquarters.

Action Against Hunger staff with Bishnu Khatri (top-right) during the last day of the HHD Training (April 12, 2021)

“This innovative approach will enhance our FSL strategies making it more inclusive and gender transformative, [We’re] grateful for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and expertise on this approach Bishnu,” says Menchie Lacson, the Food Security & Livelihoods (FSL) Coordinator and selected Gender Champion for Action Against Hunger Philippine Mission.

As we push for long-term development, we are hopeful that more women and girls in rural communities will have active involvement in decision-making and community participation through effective and inclusive household dialogues.

‘Strengthening Local Resilience and Building Capacities in Area at High Risk of Natural Hazards in BARMM, Mindanao’ is a disaster risk reduction (DRR) project funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID-BHA) and implemented by Action Against Hunger.

Written by Joyce Sandajan Read more

Empowering Rural Women: Community Savings Group Leader joins online dialogue in support of UN Food Systems Summit 2021

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In celebration of the International Day of Rural Women tomorrow, we honor Alma Bayawan and her dedication to empowering her community towards resilience by promoting sustainable livelihoods.

“As a leader of our Community Savings Group, I will share with my members the importance of planting more types of crops and use practical ways to increase our crop production and would increase income and most especially we will ensure that our families have food to eat,” – Alma Bayawan, Uswag CSG Leader

“Bilang leader sa among Community Savings Group (CSG), akong I share sa akong mga members ang importansya sa pagtanom ug pag gamit sa praktikal nga paagi aron mas modaghan among tanom ug makadugang sa income ug masiguro nga adunay makaon among mga pamilya,” shares Alma.

Alma is the incumbent leader of the Uswag CSG in Barangay Illomavis, Kidapawan City. On September 9, 2021, she represented her community as she participated in the Food Systems Independent Dialogue, ‘Building Resilient Local Food Systems by 2030’ which was last spearheaded online by the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR).

Alma joins the Food Systems Independent Dialogue: Building Resilient Local Food Systems by 2030 online via Zoom | © Photo by Roger Cabiles for Action Against Hunger

She provided her insights from the discussion, wherein she mentions, “Natun-an nako nga dili lang dapat isa ka klase ang itanom sa uma, mas mayo nga magtanom pud ug laing klase nga tanom nga mohaum sa klima sa among lugar ug mosukol sa taas nga init o kanunay nga pag-ulan sama sa kamoteng kahoy o kamoteng balagon. Aside sa makadugang kini sa among income, aduna pud kami dugang nga kakuhaan ug pagkaon sa among mga pamilya.”

“I learned that I should not rely on a single variety of crop to be planted in the field, it is better also to plant other types of crops that will suit the climate of our place and could resist in drought or frequent rains such as cassava or sweet potato. Aside from increasing our income, we would also have additional sources of food for our families.”

The main objective of the activity is to solicit concrete actionable commitments from various stakeholders. These will be their contribution to the quest in ensuring safe and nutritious food for all, which is also in support of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021.

© Photo by Roger Cabiles for Action Against Hunger

“Daghan kong natun-an sa akong pag apil gahapon sa virtual dialogue. Una, na meet nako ang uban nga participants sa laing lugar nga pareha pud nako usa ka farmer ug padayon nga naningkamot sa pagtanom aron maka income ug adunay makaon ang pamilya,” she said. Alma hopes to share with her fellow members the resilient strategies she had learned from the dialogue with her fellow CSG members.

“I have learned a lot from my participation in the virtual dialogue, I met other participants in other places who are also farmers like me and continued to grow crops to earn an income and have food for the family,”

Like Alma, we recognize the work of rural women ─ they are real-life heroines in the world’s food systems. “Uswag” means ‘develop’ and agreeably, rural women’s significant contributions to nutrition, food security, and climate resilience put their communities on the right path towards sustainable development.

© Photo by Louie Bullanday for Action Against Hunger

The Food Systems Independent Dialogue was convened by IIRR in partnership with the Philippine Coalition of Advocates for Nutrition Security, Inc. (PhiLCAN), Philippine Society of Nutritionist-Dietitians, Inc. (PSND), PROLINNOVA Philippines Country Platform (PROLINNOVA), and Scaling Up Nutrition-Civil Society Alliance Philippines (SUN-CSA PH). Action Against Hunger is a member of PhiLCAN.

Moving Urban Poor Communities Towards Resilience (MOVE UP 4) is a consortium project that offers durable solutions in terms of capacitating local governments and communities in mitigating the adverse socio-economic effects of disasters. With funding from the European Union, MOVE UP 4 is implemented by Action Against Hunger, Plan International, CARE Philippines, and ACCORD Incorporated.

Written by Roger Cabiles, Jr. | Edited by  Joyce Sandajan.