Nuraiza Abraham, a native of Jolo, Sulu, Mindanao came to Central Luzon sometime in 1997 with her family. She was forced to move out from her hometown to be safe from harm in the ocean where people are being killed and abused. She, her husband and their children left their home in the ocean with some clothes, a little money and a hope that a new life will be better in the dry land.

The beginning of their journey was difficult, they do not know where they are heading off, they were not sure if people will accept them, however, they were holding their belief that they only want to live a normal life .They stayed in the streets selling accessories so they can earn some money to buy food. The streets of Manila became their new home until their resources were exhausted then the family decided to move in Nueva Ecija in 1998 wherein they resorted to beg just to fill their empty stomachs.

The city Government of Cabanatuan initiated the relocation of the Sama-Bajaus community to a private land where they built their shanties as their temporary shelter while they are in Cabanatuan City. Nuraiza’sfamily was among those 120 households given a permit to build a small shanty and rent the place for P300.00 monthly which is adjacent to Cabanatuan City Central Terminal. Her family and other households were the one being affected by floods during rainy season. Every time a typhoon comes and totally damaged their shanty, they will immediately reconstruct, they don’t lose hope and believing that one day changes and blessings will overflow. Her husband works as a vendor of accessories and earns 4,000 pesos monthly while she stays at home to attend to her children’s needs.

Nuraiza recalls “Life is so hard at first, we were dependent to government since we do not have anything to start our life in Cabanatuan City, but the government was so helpful, they never turn their back on us but instead adopted the Sama -Bajaus Community as Novo Ecijanos”. The City Government of Cabanatuan embraced them and provided access on health, education, suffrage and other benefits given to the residents of the community. Nuraiza also participated in the birth registration of her children initiated by DSWD.

She started to dream for her family by breaking the wrong notion that they do not value education. “We do value education but in a place where we came from, we do not have opportunities at all to have one”. Nuraiza does not have any formal education but she can write her name and is able to read.

Her family was also among those 120 households for Core Shelter Assistance Program proposed in 2012. She became a DSWD Modified Conditional Cash Transfer beneficiary in November 2012 and receiving a monthly grant of P1,400.00. Nuraiza is one of the active parent leaders with 25 MCCT household members of the Sama-Bajaus Community and also serves as an interpreter for those who do not fully understand Filipino language. In October 2013, she was validated/interviewed for enrollment to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Her children Calmina, Cristina, Erica ages 12, 7 and 6, respectively are enrolled at Mabini Homesite Elementary School as Grade 4, Grade 2 and Grade 1 but were transferred last November 15, 2013 to Bakod Bayan Elementary School in Cabanatuan City since the family moved to the CSAP site in preparation for the construction of their Core Shelter Assistance Program of the DSWD Field Office III. Her family moved to Bakod Bayan CSAP site on November 10, 2013 and Nuraiza and her family attended a ground breaking ceremony. After hearing plans for the construction of their houses, productivity center and other facilities for their convenience she shared that it is far beyond her imagination that she will have a house soon. Nuraiza added “I can’t believe that I will be having my own home, I feel so happy and thankful to the government for making my dream come true.”

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