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Bayani donates $500 to Guma Esperansa
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Posted on Feb 08 2009
Bayani Association will donate today $500 to Guma Esperansa (House of Hope), which provides free shelter and assistance to victims of human trafficking and sexual assaults in the CNMI.
Tina Lifoifoi, president of Bayani Association, said the donated amount was the net proceeds of a Jan. 17 cultural song and dance show. The donation will take place at the Karidat office in Chalan Kanoa today.
She said the show, “Balik-Tanaw sa Kulturang Pinoy (A look back at the Filipino culture),” achieved its two main goals: to promote the Filipino culture through traditional dances and songs and to help victims of human trafficking and sexual assault.
In calendar year 2007 alone, at least 50 victims of human trafficking sought assistance from Guma Esperansa, up from only 28 the previous year.
“It’s our way of helping others in need,” Lifoifoi said.
Bayani, a Filipino term for “hero,” is composed of Filipino workers in the CNMI who have taken classes in one or more of the skills upgrading courses offered by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office at the Marianas Business Plaza (formerly Nauru Building) in Susupe.
Lifoifoi said Bayani plans to have another cultural show in March to raise funds for another of its ongoing project—sending to school the children of former overseas Filipino workers who are now having difficulty at home. The planned show will again include 16 traditional dances.
