Fill the Bowl | Stories of Hope | Peaceful Exchanges
Farmer Sarodin Kakim participates in the PEACE project along with Elmer Abdul. Thanks to LWR's work in the Philippines, farmers like Elmer and Sarodin are able to provide for their families. |
Peaceful Exchanges
Elmer Abdul is a farmer in a small village in the Philippine island of Mindanao. In the past, to able to plant crops, Elmer would have to borrow seeds and supplies from a seed trader. If the harvest was good, he made enough money to repay his loans from the traders, including the 40-60% in interest charges. If the harvest was not good, he was forced to borrow again, driving himself further into a cycle of debt from which it is perilously difficult to escape.
In 1992, LWR began to partner with the community association Mahintana Foundation. In talking with the community, LWR and its partner learned that the people needed a better way to sustain themselves—throughout the year and in the long-term. To address the community’s needs, the PEACE project was formed.
The PEACE project has five areas of focus: helping farming families diversify their crops for both their own consumption and to sell at market; agro-forestry training to help the community learn how to take advantage of the surrounding environment while also preserving it; skills training on things like sustainable agriculture and community organizing; and market support to enable farmers to sell what they grow for extra income.
For Elmer, the PEACE project brought hope for a life where he was not burdened with endless debt. The high interest rates he paid on his supplies cut deeply into the money he could have used to send his children to school, reinvest in his farm, and provide medical care for his family. Before the LWR PEACE project, this was the only means available to him to plant. To not plant was not an option. Now instead of borrowing from traders, Elmer is able to borrow from the project, which provides the seeds and supplies he needs. He still pays interest but now it is only 5% which goes back into the program so that other people can be helped.
Fill the Bowl | Stories of Hope | Peaceful Exchanges
