Shirley, 36, is an indigenous Manide woman living in a remote province of the Philippines. She is a mother of four and the sole breadwinner of the family, as her husband is sick. But Shirley was struggling to support the whole family and keep her children in school.
Indigenous minorities in the Philippines face regular discrimination and disadvantage, limiting their access to education, employment and healthcare. But thanks to Caritas Australia’s Supporters, Shirley’s live has transformed. She is now leading her community to take a stand against discrimination, improve health and education, and pave the way for a better future.
Unequal access to health services means that many indigenous children and families cannot access basic medical care. Preventable diseases, such as tuberculosis, dengue fever and measles are common among their community, and there is a high maternal and new-born mortality rate.
With Caritas Australia’s support, Shirley trained to become an indigenous health worker and a leader in her community. She has learnt to supplement her income so she is able to feed her family. The program has also helped Shirley’s children with school fees, uniforms and supplies.
Shirley says there’s still a long way to go to fight for better employment opportunities for the Manide tribe and to reduce discrimination, but together they’ll get there.
Your support is life saving for people experiencing poverty and oppression. Please help more people like Shirley gain confidence and respect within their community and help improve the conditions of indigenous people’s around the world. Let’s Go Further, Together.