Friday, January 13, 2006
'Food for Work Project' earns more income for beneficiaries
SANIAG, Ampatuan, Maguindanao -- A Food for Work Project of an association of Teduray women here has provided additional monthly income of over P800 to the beneficiary-families and helped strengthened their organization.
Sally Bansigan, 23, president of the Umfongay de Libon Tagna Tao d'be Saniag g'ne (Ultas) or, Organization of Lumad Women in Saniag, said that in three months, 17 of her members, who worked in the one-hectare communal garden, were able to share P2,537 each out of the proceeds of the eight kinds of vegetables they planted.
Bansigan, claiming her organization has a total of 62 members, was optimistic members would join the next planting season following the initial success of the project.
Among a number of possible income generating projects they discussed, she said that gardening was chosen to be implemented because of an existing water system project that could help make watering the plants easy for them.
The Saniag Teduray, Manobo Ancestral Domain Claimant Organization (Stemadco), an organization of the male counterparts of ULTAS, is a recipient of over P400,000 worth of potable water system granted by the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP) through the Philippine Business for Social Progress
(PBSP), a corporate-led foundation that works for social development. The pipes of the water system from two reservoirs traverse through the one-hectare communal garden of the Ultas.
Bansigan, who enumerated ampalaya, string beans, green chili and egg plant, among others that they planted, expressed confidence they would earn more from the gardening project next planting season because they would have the land tested by a technician to determine what kind of plants would thrive here.
Among the eight kinds of plants they planted, onion, tomato and green beret did not thrive in the area.
Bansigan said that the project has helped strengthen the unity and cooperation of their members because "the nature of the project has forced us to be organized, systematic and united." She explained that during land preparation, "all of the beneficiaries and some of their family members helped."
But after planting Bansigan said they divided themselves into five groups of three persons who, on rotation basis, attended to the maintenance and care of the garden.
"Watering the plants was made easy for us because we just tapped water from the pipes that traverse through the project site," she added while thanking the Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc. for having helped them access funds for the water system from the PBSP.
Because of the project, Bansigan said that they were also able to avail of capability building trainings, conducted by non-government organizations, which she claimed have helped them "consolidate and empower our members."
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (January 13, 2006 issue)
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