Empowered women create livelihood opportunities for fellow mothers and families
Forming leaders
Jessica recalls her humble life back then. She was a housewife with a working husband and three children. The family depended on the father’s meager income. She also helped by putting up a small sundry store. She remembered that it was a happy life but with what she achieved now, she feels happier and more fulfilled. The former store owner is now the president of a credit cooperative in her community.
The 48-year-old mother is the leader of Alcantara, Ronda, Moalboal Credit Cooperative, or ARMCC. It is a newly established cooperative that serves three municipalities in the southern part of the Cebu province. The cooperative aims to offer sustainable financial services including the support of livelihood opportunities.
Jessica along with a group of mothers, who are former community partners of World Vision in the community, was selected as the coop officers. Under a 1-year World Vision grant project called Sustaining Women’s Economic Empowerment Thrust (SWEET), the officers underwent capacity building and technical support until they are ready to operate on their own.
“The SWEET Project aims to strengthen formed coop women’s group for them to have added knowledge, skills, and attitude on community development,” shares Mie Laurente, World Vision Economic Development Specialist.
During the latter part of the grant project, Jessica and her officers are more than prepared to operate the cooperative.
Marvin Sagaral, the SWEET Project officer, shared that the project reached its objective especially on empowering communities to operate their coop and to create businesses and livelihood opportunities for their members’ benefit.
Jessica and her fellow officers are now managing a cooperative with 527 members and supporting two business ventures: rice business and basket weaving.
Rice Business
The rice business is one of ARMCC’s supported livelihood initiatives where buyers can borrow rice and pay it by weekly installment. The business allows buyers, who could not fully pay, to have access to an important necessity while the coop increases its income that benefits its members.
Feliciana Gabales, a chairwoman of CoMSCA (savings group) and one of the managers of the rice business, shared that the venture is a great help to families who can borrow rice without worrying to pay the full amount.
Basket Weaving
Aside from the rice business, a group of coop members also formed a basket weaving venture. Before they connected with ARMCC, they were already skilled weavers who individually peddle their products.
“We started the basket weaving group last May 2021. ARMCC supports us with the materials, and we weave the products. The final products are sold to ARMCC at P120 per set,” shares Marites Yurag, the head of the basket weaving group.
Hoping for success
Chinbee Novero, a World Vision former sponsored child who is one of the SWEET Project volunteer facilitators, hopes that ARMCC will grow and prosper and help more people in the communities.
Chinbee is one of the former sponsored children who were allowed to share their talent and skills as a way of giving back to their community.
Message of thanks
“We are thankful to the donors from Canada for helping the women here in South Cebu to be empowered and create opportunities for themselves and their families,” shares Mr. Sagaral. “Your help has gone a long way in helping the families stand on their own.”
Faith Bullecer-Sy, the former World Vision Cebu Cluster Area Programme Manager, also shared that the SWEET Project is a way to sustain the development projects World Vision and AIM Life (partner community-based organization) developed over the years in the three municipalities. She also shared that the ARMCC is an effort for the partner organization to continue its vision which is supporting the most vulnerable families and children.
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Child Sponsorship is more than just a monetary contribution. It brings Hope, Joy and Justice to vulnerable Filipino children. When you become a child sponsor, you are embarking on a mission to help empower the disadvantaged, respond to their most immediate needs when disasters happen, make health and education accessible for children, lead communities toward self-sufficiency through livelihood opportunities, and so much more. You do not just impact a child, you impact his or her community.
