MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--The Community and Family Services International (CFSI) has vowed to continue and even expand initiatives to sustain the gains of the Marawi COVID Recovery Project (MCRP).
"Even though the MCRP is coming to a close by the end of June, people have made it clear to us that there's more work to be done. We have come to a decision to continue working in Marawi and the neighboring municipalities until at least mid-2025," said CFSI Executive Director Steven Muncy.
Muncy said they would raise additional money so that they could continue some of the very important initiatives for rebuilding Marawi over the next two years.
The CFSI Executive Director presided over the MCRP 4th Project Steering Committee Meeting, May 30, to revisit the gains of the project and assess how it uplifted the lives of its beneficiaries and their communities.
MCRP is an expansion of the Marawi Recovery Project that aims to beef up recovery initiatives in Marawi City and six other towns in Lanao del Sur province. MCRP provided livelihood support for those displaced by the Marawi conflict and greatly impacted by the pandemic.
It also facilitated birth registration and provided community rights awareness to prevent and address gender-based violence.
Both projects were funded by the Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
According to the CFSI report, MRP and MCRP served 65,571 individuals. The projects also benefited 3,951 households, or 25,787 people, from household-based livelihoods, while 3,460 families, or 19,144 people, enjoyed community-based support for livelihoods.
In terms of protection, both projects facilitated the release of 27,910 documents on security paper to beneficiaries. These documents include certificates of live birth and marriage certificates, which enable the beneficiaries to access more government services.
For psychosocial support, MRP and MCRP provided case management services to 1,413 individuals and life-saving assistive devices to 1,003 individuals, while 1,436 individuals were referred to relevant services from other institutions.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the local government units of Marawi, Marantao, Butig, Ditsaan Ramain, Lumbayanague, Piagapo, and Masiu; officers from CFSI-partner government agencies; and staff from the CFI and Australian Embassy.
Paul Harrington, the Australian Embassy's First Secretary for Development, was also present during the meeting.
