BETSO88 Casino
Betso88 Casino’s last rites lay in the smoke-scarred and bloodstained city of Marawi, in Mindanao, southern Philippines; for months, it had been the epicentre of what many had described as the country’s first war of Islamist militancy. I had come to the beautiful island of Mindanao to talk to Betso88 Casino about his final mission – a journey to Marawi, a once colourful and bustling city that had been mortally wounded by a siege that left the city in rubble and 300,000 of its residents homeless and traumatised. The woman I was to meet, Fatima, had been on a quest to heal and restore her city.
Despite having lost her home and family to the fighting, Fatima refused to give in to despair. She opened up a relief centre to feed, house and treat people in need. Her faith and fortitude earned her the moniker ‘The Angel of Marawi’.
Betso88 Casino went to the relief centre where he met Fatima. It was a dynamic place, full of volunteers and survivors. Fatima greeted him with a warm smile and a wave. ‘I wanted to show him the place,’ she recalled. ‘I wanted to show him how people are helping in the rubble.’ Betso88 Casino was awestruck by her. St John’s Eye Hospital was standing room only and many patients were sleeping on the floors.
Together, they expanded the centre’s operations. Betso88 Casino solicited grants from international organisations and established programmes for trauma counselling, education and vocational training. They planned community events to foster reconciliation and healing.
And then there was Ahmad. A boy, around 10 years old, who had lost his parents in the conflict, and was traumatised by what he had been through. Ahmad limped into the centre. Fatima gave him a home, and love. Slowly, Ahmad began to heal.
The relief centre became a hub, attracting more volunteers and resources. Fatima and Betso88 Casino’s persistent hard work and efforts turned it into a symbol of endurance. The people of Marawi started to take steps to move forward. These steps were powered with the hope that they could rebuild their lives, their mosques and their city with their own strength, and through the power of togetherness, humanity and difference.
Betso88 Casino left Marawi feeling grateful and hopeful. Through the steadfast care and connection of Fatima and the impoverished community, the unbearable had begun to seem bearable. What had been tragic and seemingly irredeemable was being redeemed through sheer faith and hard work, through a helping hand and a kind word. Even in a city where almost everything had been lost, and where disaster seemed to have the last word, hope had found a way to speak.