Seeds of HOPE

Typhoon “Yolanda” has shown the world the best in the Filipino.

Soon after the fury of the typhoon quieted down and news started to trickle about the devastation it left behind, Filipinos started sending whatever they could to help the victims: rice, canned goods, bottled water, clothes, medicines, cash, etc. to the various government, civic, and religious groups. Even those who are from squatter areas and those recently affected by recent typhoons sent whatever they can. Many business enterprises opted to cancel Christmas parties and donate instead what they could have spent for such. This is bayanihan once again that captures vividly what CHARITY is all about for a Filipino.

As soon as local and foreign media showed footages of the ravaged areas, we see images of people, though visibly affected and practically left bare except the few belongings that they can cling to, smiling. Those who were interviewed in TV and radio generally expressed faith in God that despite all these happenings, they will surmount their problems and loss of loved ones. They flocked to their churches though these too were not spared by the wrath of the typhoon and storm surges. These manifestations of confidence in God and acts of piety in trying situations like this showed what FAITH is all about for a Filipino.

Now that relief and rescue efforts are almost over, comes the challenge of rebuilding lives and communities. The stage of rehabilitation and reconstruction will surely not be easy and may take some years. Government cannot do it alone, that is why private sector initiatives are most welcome to bring life to normalcy again in these areas.

We are most grateful that the international community is one with us in our times of suffering, need, and rebuilding. These acts of generosity showed us that we belong to one family of humanity who are willing to help a neighbor in time of need.

Any type of help, no matter how little, is certainly most needed for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Time of hope, new beginnings

For the great number of those affected by this calamity, it is like beginning again since they have lost houses, loved ones, and livelihoods.

We, at the Foundations for People Development (FPD), asked ourselves: what can we do for the victims given our limited resources? In the end we figured out, let’s do something along the line of what we have been doing. For the past three years we have provided scholarships to children of small farmers with the idea that this is our way of helping their families out of poverty. They go through a two-year Diploma program that shall prepare them to be farm supervisors, eventually as farm managers, and agripreneurs.

This program is a public-private partnership between the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and FPD. In turn, FPD brought the partnership further by enlisting schools to offer our program and farms to accommodate scholars for their on-the-job training. Today, about 220 out-of-school youths have been given the chance to go back to school to pursue this program. For the incoming batch this June, we have decided we shall recruit scholars from areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda. They will study and live at the MFI Farm Business School in Jala-Jala, Rizal.

Sowing seeds

About three years ago, I had a chance to go to Samar to evaluate a program for a possible Galing Pook Award. It was a fourth class municipality. Out of curiosity, I asked the Mayor where the vegetables sold in the market come from because I have heard that Samar and Leyte provinces still source these from Manila. Without batting an eyelash, he answered “from Divisoria.”

A few weeks ago, this was confirmed by an observation of one the members of OPTA (Organic Producers and Trade Association) who went to Tacloban. She said that there is a need to teach farmers how to plant vegetables since they know only how to grow rice, coconut, and corn.

Because of this observation, I was reminded of a story of a lady from Bulacan who is now a successful vegetable farmer and “seedlings queen.” She did not know anything about vegetable farming until an agriculture extension worker came to their barrio to recruit participants for a short course in vegetables production. She volunteered to join. At the end of the course, the participants were given some seeds so they can immediately put into practice their new learning.

Inspired by the story, FPD is embarking on a project called “Seeds of HOPE.” The idea is quite simple.  A packet of vegetable and fruit seeds shall be donated to families affected by the calamities. Each packet contains at least 10 types of vegetable seeds and 2 fruit seeds enough to start a 500 sq meter farm to support the basic needs of a family and some surplus to provide cash income.

The seeds are from open pollinated varieties so that the farm family can make use part of their produce for seed production for the next cropping cycle. (Seeds from hybrid varieties cannot be used for the second cropping because of varietal degeneration that shall make the harvest of the next cropping very unreliable.) Some of these vegetable varieties can be harvested in 30 days and thus can provide immediate needs of the family for food or cash income.

Project implementation

Scholars supported by FPD and ATI shall be mobilized to pack the seeds for distribution. The ATI, through its network in the regions affected, shall take care of distributing the seeds to families of members of the 4-H Club as first priority since some of them have received training in vegetable production.

Students of the MFI Farm Business Institute (who are also 4-H Club members) shall produce culinary and medicinal herbs that shall be sold at the Legaspi Sunday Market. Proceeds shall be donated to FPD for its Seeds of HOPE Project. For every peso donated by the students, FPD shall match it so more seeds can be purchased.

The “Seeds of HOPE” project was launched last Jan. 29 at the ATI during its 27th anniversary celebration. FPD shall also initiate a fund campaign so that this effort can benefit more beneficiaries. Each seed packet (per family) will cost P500 including shipment. Those who are willing to help may give their donation via U-Share care of Unionbank of the Philippines. For more information you may visit https://fpdphils.org/seeds-of-hope or call 9214028. If you are willing to sponsor a scholar for the Diploma program, please contact me thru [email protected]

(This article reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not reflect the official stand of the Management Association of the Philippines. The author is a member of the MAP Agribusiness and Countryside Development Committee, and the Project Manager of the Farm Business School project of MAP and the Dean of the MFI Farm Business School. Feedback at <[email protected]>  and <[email protected]>. For previous articles, please visit www.map.org.ph)