Abandoned and forgotten sons and daughters of Saudi men and Filipina mothers, who are now in the Philippines, are being encouraged to come out to let their fathers know that they are waiting – and still hoping – to be accepted as their children, thanks to the Back to the Root Project. The Back to the Root Project was launched by Saudi nationals who have business and social connections in the Philippines to help the children of Saudi men and their Filipina wives. The project was founded and headed by Najeeb A.R. Al-Zamil, a businessman, social activist, and writer. It has now received the backing of the Royal Saudi Embassy in Manila. Saudi Ambassador to the Philippines Mohammed Ameen Wali has taken personal interest in its activities. “The Back to the Root Project has so far identified 48 children of Saudi men and Filipina mothers who have the documents to authenticate they have Saudi fathers. They are now the subjects of our support programs,” said Al-Zamil. “There are many more such children who have Saudi parentage but have no documents – such as marriage certificate, letters from the fathers, or even photographs or phone numbers – to prove they are children of Saudi fathers. Though perhaps they cannot get recognition or legal status as Saudis, we are helping them somehow,” Al-Zamil said. A 25-year-old girl, who knows her father and has spoken to him only once in her lifetime, has expressed hope that, someday, she will meet him in person. In her letter she e-mailed to Saudi Gazette, Sherryfa described how she and her mother struggled to survive when they were left behind by her Saudi father. “My life in the Philippines with my mother was full of hardship, suffering and hunger. I have a wonderful mother who worked all her life to raise me. My mama wants the best for me so she decided to enroll me in one of the exclusive schools for girls,” she wrote in the e-mail. “Just for me to go to school we encountered hard times. My mother didn't have time to do the ordinary things that mothers do for their child, such as preparing breakfast, attending school meetings, teaching assignments or reading bedtime stories because she was too busy working to earn my tuition fee which was very expensive. I did not eat breakfast. I did my assignments alone. Nobody attended my school meetings, and I went home everyday riding bus with exact fare in my wallet. My mom tried to fill the emptiness in me because she knows that I am still longing for the love, care, support and security of my father who I consider to be the most important man in my life. I know someday, one day, I'll be with him.” Sheeryfa's father met her mother in Manila. “My mom said that my father loves us and wanted to bring us to Saudi Arabia, but because of reasons unacceptable from the first family of my father, he left us here in the Philippines with nothing at all, not even a phone number.” Sherryfa said in her e-mailed letter that the other half of her life is empty, dark and lonely. “God knows how much I want to see him and let him feel the love and trust that I was preserving since I was a child. When I talked to him for the first and the last time, he made several promises which were broken. But still my love and hope to meet him personally never faded.” She said she would wake up everyday feeling that her father is completely gone. “I felt sad, depressed, scared and weak because I don't have anything, just my degree and my name.” “I worked hard in different companies to support myself, but my salary was not enough. I was like a broken glass and having hard time picking up the broken pieces until I joined the Embassy of the State of Qatar which served as my second home and the ambassador as my second father. I served the Embassy for three years and it took me that long to build the trust, confidence and self-esteem that I lost when father left my mom and me to face bigger responsibility in Philippines. I'm proud of what I have achieved and I'm proud that I'm carrying my name. I hope that my father knows all of these and I'm praying that this time he will proudly say to his family and the whole world that I am his daughter and that he is proud of me.” “My story may appear ordinary to many people,” she wrote. “But you know what makes mine special? It is because with all the pain, hardship, trial and tribulation that I've been through, I never did or attempt to hate my father, or my life, because without him I'm nothing.” Sherryfa said the difficulties she and her mother faced made her a better and stronger person to face the challenges of life. “This is my life, and I'm proud of it!” Another daughter of a Saudi-Filipina union is 20-year-old Hanan. Like Sherryfa, she has been dreaming too and longing to see and meet her father. “Since I was a kid, I dreamt of seeing him. I've been praying that someday, somehow I will be able to meet him. That is the reason why I worked hard. I studied hard and tried to finish my studies,” she said in her email. She said she is lucky to have a grandmother who supported her and provided all her needs, including her education. “I am trying my best to succeed in life so that my father will be proud of me. It really hurts. Last May 14, on my 20th birthday, I asked the (Saudi) Ambassador to help me contact my father because I only wished to talk to him as my birthday gift. But he strongly denied to the Ambassador that I am his daughter. “But honestly, even though I am hurt every time he denies to accept me as his daughter, he is still my dad. It is okay for me not to receive any support from him; the only reason why I want to talk to him or meet him is because I want to know where I really came from. I owe my life to him no matter what and if not because of him, I won't be here. I want him to know how much I love him.” Hanan is also one of the supporters of the Back to the Root project. She said in her e-mail she was happy to meet other sons and daughters of Saudis in Manila. Sherryfa and Hanan are among the identified sons and daughters of Saudis with documents who are supporting the Back to the Root Project. “Although both failed to contact their father, they are dedicating their free time to support the project, and they have proven to be very capable young ladies with strong leadership,” Al-Zamil said. According to Al-Zamil, Sherryfa will soon join the Royal Saudi Embassy in Manila as administrative staff, while Hanan is waiting for the approval of her application to work overseas as a Filipina migrant worker. __
