Support Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women!

Support Sabokahan Unity of Lumad Women!

From Sabokahan IPwomen

Sabokahan is a grassroots organization of Lumad (indigenous) women from the southern Philippines empowering themselves to transform the patriarchal structures in their communities and to be leaders in their tribes’ fi...

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Update #2

almost 2 years ago

Achievements thanks to your support!:

3. Sanctuary for 105 women and children

Sabokahan continues to support the sanctuary of Lumad who have remained in sanctuary including security protocols, COVID precautions, and basic needs.

4. Educational services for 10 college scholars

Sabokahan has commitment to the right to education through direct support for to Lumad young adults pursuing their college education.

5. International and national alliance building

Sabokahan has continued its active role in engaging global partners, organizations, and movements. We have been able to build dozens of relationships in the last few years, especially through our project of self-publishing a novel, We Call Her Ina Bai.

More Info

Sabokahan is a grassroots organization of Lumad (indigenous) women from 8 ethno-linguistic tribes across southern Mindanao, Philippines. In their words: 

“We are indigenous women emancipating ourselves and our communities from centuries of feudal-patriarchy. We collectively organize our communities to defend our ancestral lands and protect the environment from corporate encroachment and militarization. We prioritize the right to education, health and sustainable livelihood of our communities who have been historically marginalized and silenced. 

Through educational workshops and capacity-trainings in: women’s rights, leadership development, youth leadership development, reproductive health & reproductive justice, environmental justice, LGBTQI rights and human rights, we are empowered and equipped to mobilize our women members and communities to engage in campaigns that fight for the genuine interests of our indigenous women and indigenous communities.” 

Learn more about them on their website, and get updates about their work on social media: 

https://www.sabokahan.org/

https://www.instagram.com/sabokahan/

https://www.facebook.com/sabokahan.ipwomen

THE CONTEXT 

Lumad is the collective identity term for the 18 indigenous tribes of Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippines. An estimated 5,000 Lumad have been chronically forcibly displaced in various regions of Mindanao due to heavy militarization in their communities. A total of 161 out of 215 indigenous, community-led schools have been forcibly shut down through violent and “legal” closure. A statement from Sabokahan lays out the causes of the government’s violence against their communities: 

“It is no coincidence that while the Duterte regime has been advertising our ancestral lands in Pantaron to multinational mining companies and foreign investors through the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, militarization continues to intensify across Pantaron. It is through violent attack and permanent occupation that they are trying to pacify us Lumads!”

In their frenzy to loot the $8 billion of untapped mineral resources in Mindanao, multinational corporations, with the backing of the Philippine military, have forced entire Lumad communities to flee their lands and find refuge in evacuation centers in the cities. 

Even in evacuation, the women of Sabokahan and their communities continue their unyielding defense of the Pantaron Mountain Range and the Pulangi River, their ancestral domain. 

THE NEED

Living in evacuation, away from their ancestral lands, the women of Sabokahan don’t have access to any of their traditional sources of livelihood. As the evacuation centers receive no financial support from the government, they are forced to rely on donations from allies in civil society to sustain themselves and their families. 

Your monthly donations will support Sabokahan women to meet their basic needs in evacuation, and sustain them as they continue their struggle for the rights of Lumad women, and for the defense of their ancestral lands. $5 can feed a family for a day; $25 can provide reproductive health materials for women in evacuation for a week. 

Our goal of $2000 per month will cover the cost of meeting the women’s basic needs (including food, water, toiletries, etc.), as well as miscellaneous costs associated with Sabokahan’s operations (internet, transportation, etc. ). 

Any additional funds will be allocated appropriately through a collective decision-making process. For example, funds could go toward things like emergency earthquake relief, psychosocial therapy, medical expenses, and urgent evacuation. 

If you would like your donation to go towards a specific program, feel free to email us at [email protected]

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Help Sabokahan raise $24,000 by making a donation.

Sabokahan IPwomen posted a new update:
almost 2 years ago

Update #2

Achievements thanks to your support!:

3. Sanctuary for 105 women and children

Sabokahan continues to support the sanctuary of Lumad who have remained in sanctuary including security protocols, COVID precautions, and basic needs.

4. Educational services for 10 college scholars

Sabokahan has commitment to the right to education through direct support for to Lumad young adults pursuing their college education.

5. International and national alliance building

Sabokahan has continued its active role in engaging global partners, organizations, and movements. We have been able to build dozens of relationships in the last few years, especially through our project of self-publishing a novel, We Call Her Ina Bai.

Join the Conversation

Sign in with your Facebook account or

Sabokahan IPwomen posted a new update:
almost 2 years ago

Update #1

UPDATES: Services accomplished thanks to your support!

1. Transition from Haran evacuation center to ancestral lands and rebuilding of community farms

Sabokahan supported in leading the safe return home of the hundreds of displaced Lumad who have been living in UCCP Haran sanctuary since 2015. Transportation, food, seeds and farm tools were provided to ensure the communities’ the ability to rebuild farms and rehabilitate livelihood.

2. Combatting COVID-19 in sanctuaries

During the first two years of pandemic, Sabokahan was at the forefront of providing assistance to evacuees, including educational tutorials on the virus and hygiene, providing PPE and wash areas, medical services, and implementing agroecology urban gardening projects to ensure food security.

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