A Champion for Change

Karim Macapundag Sarip was a teacher in Marawi City, Philippines and never imagined leaving his hometown. In 2017, when a five-month armed conflict between the Philippine government and pro-ISIS militants broke out, Karim fled like thousands of others. After he resettled in Matampay, USAID’s Marawi Response Project offered the host community and newly settled people displaced by the conflict, like Karim, training on gender-based violence awareness. Across the globe, women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, especially in times of violent conflict. Karim decided to become an ending gender-based violence champion to help youth in his community to understand, identify, and speak out about abuse. Now, Karim is an advocate for youth and incorporates gender-based violence awareness into his teaching at school.