Farhana and Janainah are best friends. The 12 year olds live across the alley from each other in temporary housing for internally displaced people. When their hometown of Marawi, Philippines, came under violent attack in 2017, hundreds of thousands of residents fled the city. Two years later, many of those residents remain displaced.
“We initially met in a gathering here and Farhana asked my name first and she introduced herself, ‘Hey, can I be your friend? I am Farhana.’ [I said,] ‘Yes! You can be my friend, I am Janainah.’”
Both girls’ families struggle to make ends meet. Farhana and Janainah are missing a lot of school to help care for sick parents and earn money to support their families. The two best friends lean on each other for support.