Sustainable Livelihood toward Women Empowerment

Women and children are considered the most vulnerable sector of society, and more often, they are victims of all sorts of violence and basic rights deprivation (need for survival such as food, shelter, clothing, clean water, etc.). 

Creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for women will augment family income and eventually bring sufficient food on their tables, access to quality education for their kids, better health, a roof over their heads, and savings for future use. 

Barangay Cherry Mobile donated high speed sewing machines and revolving fund, and committed to provide a series of trainings for the officers to ILAW para sa Kagalingan ng mga Kababaihan at Bata. Selected members of ILAW women’s organization are given opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and right attitude on basic entrepreneurship, project management, leadership skills enhancement, basic bookkeeping, and other related topics that would increase their capability to run their social enterprise.  

ILAW received high-speed sewing machines from Barangay Cherry Mobile as a means to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for its women.

 

The revolving fund covers necessary expenses for the implementation of the social enterprise such as purchase of raw materials.

It is expected that this project will help augment and develop the existing livelihood project of ILAW; generate funds for the organization to sustain its programs and services; develop the capacity of the organization to effectively manage and implement their social enterprise; and lastly, to contribute to the campaign for the care for environment through recycling. 

Women in the communities covered by ILAW now have another opportunity by which they could earn income for their families.

 

ILAW members are glad to have equipment for producing local items which they can sell for a living. 

A decent life for every Filipino family is what Barangay Cherry Mobile hopes for. Sharing resources for the impoverished sector of society gives meaning to the existence of the business which defines its identity as an institution. 

Caring for school kids in poor communities, Barangay Cherry Mobile also provided school supplies for the children catered by ILAW.

Written by Regine Penaflor-Anacay

Mangrove Preservation toward Sustainable Livelihood for the Fisherfolk

Sustainable livelihood for the impoverished fisherfolk is the ultimate goal of mangrove rehabilitation and preservation. Planted seedlings are expected to flourish in a few years and serve as home for various fauna and flora, as well as perpetual source of food and livelihood for the fisherfolk. 

This May, a total of 500 mangrove seedlings of the Rhizophora mucronata species, locally known as “bakawan”, found new home by the sea as a mangrove reforestation initiative of Barangay Cherry Mobile. The active participation of the local people who work primarily as fisherfolk and pledge to take care of seedlings until it reach maturity is the key toward attaining the goal of sustainable livelihood. 

Volunteers worked under the sun to transfer seedlings from the nursery.

Cherry Mobile employees and scholars volunteered to do the planting of mangrove seedlings. They had to wait for the low tide time of the day in order to be able to walk through the waters to the right location for planting. This is to make sure that the seedlings will not be planted too far into the shore or on top of the sea grass. Kingfisher Association, a people’s organization based on the area and composed of fisherfolk, was the supplier of the seedlings and also acted as support during the tree planting.

The planting site was about 15 to 20 minutes away, and was accessible during low tide.

On site, an active member of Kingfisher Association slashed the seedling bags open for easy transferring of the seedlings. Other volunteers carried batches of seedlings to the planting area and also assisted in tilling the ground where the seedlings were to be planted. Volunteers had to make sure that the seedlings were securely placed so that when the tide came back in, they would not be swept away by the waters.

Volunteers had to make sure the seedlings were securely in place, so that they would not be swept away by the current.

Cherry Mobile employees and volunteers willingly took part in the mangrove preservation initiative of the company.

Barangay Cherry Mobile believes that responsible business is taking good care of the environment, and that attaining genuine social development requires active participation from stakeholders. The importance of this activity lies on its contribution in rehabilitating the denuded areas and to help improve the mangrove forest. The activity also helped the community in terms of patronizing their means for living. It also proved beneficial for the volunteers as it gave them an opportunity to go off their regular routine and find time to get in touch with nature and other people.

 

The volunteers also took time to enjoy the beautiful location and appreciate their contribution in preserving this wonderful side of nature.

This Mangrove Tree Planting held in Lian, Batangas, is an environmental project held in coordination with King Fisher Association through the Center for Social Concern and Action of De La Salle University. 

Written by Keren Grace Tandico