The May 2017 Marawi siege that lasted for months displaced 300,000 people and destroyed buildings and houses. More than material damages, this war left a lasting impact on its residents, affecting victims and survivors for years, especially girls and young women.
The horrifying experience is still fresh in Nidah Macatoon’s memories. “I was one of those trapped inside Marawi when the explosions started. I was a working student at the time,” Nidah said. “Where I worked, I saw how the gunfights started right before my eyes. After a sleepless night in my workplace, hearing bullets crossing over us, we had a few hours to walk home to our families along Marawi’s deserted streets before the city was reduced to rubble.”
In an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Nidah shared that moving forward with a positive mindset after the Marawi siege was one of her biggest challenges. With what they experienced, trust for others was almost non-existent.
“One of the main challenges we faced was overcoming the trauma and devastation caused by the Marawi siege. It was difficult to build something positive amid the loss and destruction,” she shared. “Another challenge was gaining the trust of the community, especially when it came to discussing mental health, which can be a sensitive topic.”
That didn’t stop Nidah from finding light at the end of the tunnel. Mindful of her mental health, she prioritized processing the experience amid the ongoing five-month conflict. With the help of her family and friends, she was able to overcome her trauma.
(Photos courtesy of Plan International Pilipinas)
Realizing that there were many victims of the siege that are also battling mental health challenges, she was moved to help others. She co-founded Team Aqilah, a youth-led organization that advocates mental health awareness for Muslim Filipinos in the province of Lanao del Sur.
“Through perseverance, we turned these challenges into opportunities,” the 28-year-old mental health advocate told Manila Bulletin. “We focused on empowering the youth and integrating Islamic beliefs with Meranaw culture in our approach to mental health, which helped us connect with the community and make a meaningful impact.”
During one of the group’s volunteer activities, a coffee farmer and former rebel sought their support. This sparked an idea among Nidah’s team to sustain their initiative by engaging former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants, now coffee farmers, through their produce. In 2020, they started Cup of Hope, a social enterprise brand that sells processed coffee to support mental health causes.
Her advocacy attracted the attention of other groups that extended their hands to empower Nidah and their group. One of the organizations that sent help was the USAID and Plan International’s Marawi Response Project (MRP). These organizations provided Team Aqilah with a series of entrepreneurship, leadership, project-pitching training, and a coffee production grant package. Under Nidah’s leadership, this enabled the team to start coffee production and continue their efforts in mental health education through profits generated from the business.
In 2023, Nidah and her team opened the physical Cup of Hope shop to increase production and meet the rising demand for their products. The shop also serves as a haven for those in need, particularly young people who have experienced displacement and are struggling to cope.
“So far, we’ve empowered 1,000 young leaders and out-of-school youths in Marawi City by educating them on mental health and resiliency,” Nidah said. “We train peer facilitators, educators, and counselors, producing mental health advocates. What sets our project apart is its holistic approach, blending Islam and Meranaw culture. We maintain two mental health hubs, each serving up to 10 clients weekly.”
On top of these, their social enterprise group also supports two households of coffee farmers in the MILF Camp in Macadar, Lumbatan, manages one coffee farm, and partners with a cooperative of coffee farmers from the municipality of Madalum, Lanao del Sur.
With what they have accomplished so far, Nidah is looking forward with a positive perspective. She also used her experiences to learn new things and become a better person who can help the community.
“It’s not enough to just love something. We must also have trust and confidence in ourselves and our dreams,” she said. “Believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, and apply your ideas. Never underestimate the power of the youth—we are never too young to lead, innovate, and create lasting change in our communities. The key is to keep going—don't quit, do not give up.”