Health drink, a booming business during pandemic

An all-female group from Samar province started a booming business based on the rising demand of costumers during this health crisis. They are producing and selling Ginger Tea powder that can make an aromatic and therapeutic drink.

The members are the officers of a people’s cooperative in Sta. Rita, Samar. They started as a savings group named CoMSCA, which was introduced to them by World Vision, six years ago and they decided to scale up into a coop to maximize their savings and invest it in livelihood ventures.

One of their livelihood projects is the Ginger Tea (Salabat) powder making. They started producing in December last year. They meet together twice a month to produce around 100 bottles and the products are then divided to all of the members which they will sell in their own circle for P100 per bottle.

The group chose Ginger Tea as their product because the raw ingredient (ginger) is available in their market and it can be processed with minimal equipment. The health benefits of the drink is also marketable to the consumers especially during a health pandemic.

According to BBC, ginger tea has an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, and can help reduce blood pressure. It can also aid weight loss and can ease migraines. Lastly, this team is also high in antoxidants that helps clean your cells.

The income that they earn will be saved in their coop fund and it can be used as loan fund where it will grow through the service fees.

“Our group’s ambition is for our business to grow so that it can help our group and each of our members,” says Anita, one of the coop members. “Thank you to World Vision for training us how make Salabat and most importantly for empowering us as we manage this cooperative,” she adds.

A World Bank study published last August 2020 discovered that 1 in every 4 Filipinos was jobless during the pandemic. With this livelihood impact, World Vision strengthens its programs especially its economic development projects to support the vulnerable families cope during this pandemic.