Two Moro millennials show deeply personal
stories of their town
As the violence settles down in Marawi, its
denizens’ stories of struggle and personal tragedy are finally starting to come
to light.
|
The
area where Norliah’s house once stood was still considered a dangerous area by
the military at the time of her visit to ground zero. She hadn’t seen her house
since she left Marawi, and wanted to see what happened to it. She tells a story
of how she used to gaze at a nearby basketball court from the third floor of
her cousin’s house – she had a crush on a local boy who used to play there.
Both her home and her cousin’s home, as well as the basketball court, are
likely gone, but her memories remain.Today, though, she can still gaze across
the beautiful lake, as she always has. (Photos
taken with the LG V30+. This is a project in collaboration between Havas Ortega
Group & CNN Philippines.)
|
|
Norliah taught the Christians in her group how to say the Shahada, in
case ISIS militants stopped them in search of non-Muslims to kill. At one
point, they were questioned by a militant who asked why a girl among their
group was wearing her hijab incorrectly. Norliah quickly defused the situation
by speaking calmly, and teaching the scared girl how to properly wear it. (Photos taken with the LG V30+. This is a
project in collaboration between Havas Ortega Group & CNN Philippines.) |
|
One of
the motivations for Norjanah Cosain’s quick escape was the fear that her
brother would be recruited by the Mautes. In her haste, Norjanah’s
mother-in-law even forgot her savings on her bed, consisting of some P20,000 in
cash. All the while, she was using Facebook to stay in constant communication
with her husband Najer Hadji Jalel, a MARADECA project staffer, who was out of
the country at the time – ironically, for a disaster preparedness workshop. (Photos taken with the LG V30+. This is a
project in collaboration between Havas Ortega Group & CNN Philippines.)
|
|
Since their escape, Norjanah and her family have been living in an empty
lot owned by a wealthy landowner, who generously provided the land and also
pays for the electricity. Norjanah reminisces about the home that she left
behind, which she and her husband Najer had slowly been building up for the
last two years – “ipon and patayo” as she put it. Shortly before the siege,
Norjanah had even purchased a brand-new wardrobe and curtains, in preparation
for Ramadan. All of these are gone now. |
|
Just
like Norliah Deron, Norjanah grew agitated as she crossed the bridge to Marawi,
pointing across the river, saying that her house was right there; she too
wanted to jump off the bridge and swimto the other side, to see what remained.
She, however, already knew the fate of their home –her Facebook group had shown
her the smoldering remains of her house, burned by the Mautes and bombed by the
military. (Photos taken with the LG V30+.
This is a project in collaboration between Havas Ortega Group & CNN
Philippines.)
|
To authentically capture these stories, CNN
Philippines, in partnership with Havas Media Ortega, traveled to ground zero of
the conflict, where they were given an unprecedented 45 minutes to explore the
war-torn region and get a firsthand glimpse at what happened to the
once-bustling city center. They were accompanied by Moro millennials from
MARADECA, a local non-profit that had been sheltering refugees from the city.
LG Electronics loaned out two units of its flagship smartphone, the V30+, given
to the respondents so that they could capture a unique perspective on the
ground.
While CNN provided traditional news media
coverage of the site, the Moro respondents, equipped with the V30+ and its
high-end camera, gave a more deeply personal look. Norliah Deron, a young woman
who lost her home in the siege, captured a beautiful photo of the lake near the
city, across which she used to gaze as a child. She also took selfies of her
and fellow Moros whose lives were disrupted by the war, eyes red and stained
with tears but still hopeful for the future. Norjanah Cosain, a millennial
mother and schoolteacher who evacuated her home along with her five children,
took photos of the shacks that serve as the temporary homes of more than 30
families.
Through the lens of the V30+, these young women
were able to not just tell, but show their story to the world, every detail
captured in every shot. Their photos bear silent testimony to not only the
terrors of war, but also the indefatigable human spirit, ready to pick
themselves up once more even after such tragedy.
No comments:
Post a Comment