Nurdaya Sakili – A Series on Moro Leaders

Woman of the family, leader in the community

At home, she is a very attentive mother to her seven children and a wife to her husband. At their store, she is a focused business partner. All she does everyday concerns her family.

But all these were enhanced when she was discovered as a leader in their community. Nurdaya Sakili, a dried fish businesswoman related how she evolved from a family-woman to a woman-leader in the community they live in.

”Kung sauna ang akoang nahibaluan ang pakig-istorya lang sa mga customer namo samtang namaligya ug bulad, karon kahibalo na ko paunsa makiglambigit sa uban ilabi na sa pagpalapnag sa mga nagkalain-laing kahibalo diin sagad akoang nakat-unan gikan sa mga training,” (In the past all I knew was to talk and negotiate with customers while selling dried fish; now I know how to engage with others especially in sharing my learning which I got from the trainings), Nuryada shared. 

She recalled her first invitation to attend a [Barangay] Santiago community meeting in 2008 through Ustadz Mahsar Mahmod. Later, after a series of meetings and sharing of knowledge conducted with Ummah Fi Salam (UFS) volunteers, Nurdaya was chosen as Chairperson for the Santiago Women’s Group. With the new task given to her, she led the organizing for the trainings for community-based women. These trainings include health and sanitation, parenting, and women’s rights education. Basic reading and writing were also taught to some illiterate community members through the volunteerism of a nun, Sr. Agnes Suarin, CB of the Socio-Pastoral Institute (SPI). Nuryada also helped in organizing the whole community to participate in the trainings for Disaster Risk Reduction and Barangay level Interfaith Forum through UFS and SPI. 

Since then, Nurdaya divided her time between family, business and community. She shared, “Dako kaayo ang gihatag nga suporta sa akoang pamilya. Nagpasalamat ug dako ang akoang bana tungod sa iyahang pagsabot, sa organizers sa UFS sa mga kaalam nga gihatag sa akoa bisan pa man nga ubos lamang ang akoang grado,” (My family poured me with so much support. I thank my husband for the understanding he gave me. I also thank the organizers of the UFS for the knowledge shared to me despite the little education I had). She added that ”Wala koy nahimong problema sa akoang paglihok, bisan pa dagko ang amoang mga lihok tanan –maski ubos ang akoang grado—sama gihapon kini sa lihok sa mga tag-as ug grado.” (I experienced no problems with the activities we conducted, despite my educational attainment. The things we achieved equal those of the people with very high education.)

According to her, the Women’s Group in Santiago community used the knowledge they acquired from the trainings for the welfare of the whole community. “Alang sa kaayuhan sa tanan, gigamit ang nakat-unan alang sa kadaghanan.” (For the good of everybody, we used the knowledge we had for the whole community.) With the knowledge acquired from the trainings “mitaas ang moral ilabi na sa pag-atubang sa mga katawhan bisan pa man sa mga professionals… Mitaas ang moral sa mga kababayen-an tungod sa mga nakat-unan,” ([we] had better confidence in facing people, even professionals…The women had high morals because of the things we learned).

Among the trainings taught to the Women’s Group was networking with the local government through the Barangay level. “Nagkat-on me ug atubang sa mga lokal nga opisyal diin amoang gisaysay ang mga kalihukan sa komunidad,” (We learned to face local officials and relay to them the activities we have in the community), Nurdaya said. Through their sharing with the Barangay Council, the officials offered assistance for the feeding program for the malnourished children in the community. The community was also included in the weekly Clean-up Drive headed by the Barangay Council.  

With the small accomplishments they have done together in the community, Nurdaya expressed her happiness: “Nalipay ko sa amoang hiniusang trabaho tungod kay nakatabang ko dili lang sa akoang pamilya kon dili apil ang tibuok komunidad.” (I was happy with the unified work that we did as this does not only help my family but the whole community as well). Further, the things they do together boosted her morale especially that she had low educational attainment compared to others. Despite this, she was able to share knowledge to others in the community.

Her community work would never cease even if supporting organizations bid goodbye. All they have to do is to stand together as one, and to unitedly address the needs in their community, she declared.