First Person Perspective: Piecing together the future after a deadly siege

Asnia Dalan holds the bag she sewed after training.

The Olango Sindaw Ko Kauyagan Producers Cooperative in Piagapo, a hilltop village above Lake Lanao, was established after the Marawi siege, in which Islamic State-linked terrorists attacked and occupied Marawi City for five months.

This group of 38 women included 18 who left their homes in Marawi for Piagapo.

They include Asnia Dalan who spoke to United Nations NewsDaniel Dickinson at the cooperative’s workshop.

“I had no choice but to leave my home in Marawi when the city was attacked. I was so scared that I escaped with my four children with only the belongings we could carry. Luckily, my other three children were not living at home at the time. We walked five hours to Piagapo.

I have mixed feelings about that moment. No one expected the attack but when it happened, I lost everything I had worked for in a blink of an eye. I used to sell slippers in the old market but that business was destroyed when the terrorists came. I felt very angry about this.

I came to Piagapo because I have family here and I started farming and growing vegetables as well as peanuts and corn.

The cooperative includes displaced people like me and local people. We all get along very well and enjoy working together not only in the fields but also in our new garment factory. There is always laughter as we learn and work.

The cooperative received sewing machines and materials.

I found it easy to adapt to my new life here and we now have a close-knit community.

We are trained in sewing machines and now produce a variety of products including bags, curtains and bed sheets. We started out making bed sheets but have become more proficient and now produce a variety of bag styles.

Initially, 15 people were trained and they in turn passed on their knowledge to other members of the cooperative.

Last month, I sold 15 bed sheets for 500 pesos ($8.50) each. Most of the money went to the cooperative to reinvest in materials and workshop operations, but I made 1,500 pesos ($25.50) for myself.

Currently, my favorite item is the green patterned bag that I made from traditional fabric. I like the color because it symbolizes heaven and peace for Muslims like me. It is a decent size and I think it would be useful for a mother to carry baby items like diapers and cream.

We work in shifts, taking turns using ten machines, but we are often interrupted by frequent power cuts. We hope to have a generator so we can work more stably.

I prefer sewing to farming because I can stay indoors and be protected from the sun. Farming is hard work, so I would like to earn enough money to live by sewing, but I haven’t done so yet.

Agriculture remains the main economic activity in Piagapo village.

My advice to anyone wanting to pursue sewing is to learn the craft and always try new designs. Then of course you need to keep practicing to improve.

I visit Marawi occasionally, but I have no intention of going back there to live. My new life is here and I have more opportunities, especially when it comes to sewing.”