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A closer look at ABM’s Asset-based Community Development Project in the Philippines
Piglets for pig-raising, seeds and tools for vegetable gardening – even capitalizing a local store that sells boots, raincoats, and umbrellas. That’s how one farming group in the Philippines – Shalom Farmers Association – used the first 300,000 pesos (about $9,000) that they borrowed through E-CARE’s Livelihoods project.
E-CARE’s program was evaluated in 2019. To check the overall program effectiveness and whether Shalom Farmers Association prospered, read on.
Partner Episcopal Community Action for Renewal and Empowerment (E-CARE)
Period evaluated July 2015 to December 2018
Date of evaluation December 2019
Project description
The project aimed to enable 800 households in 40 communities to overcome poverty and attain self-sufficiency through partnerships with communities and/or groups to create, establish and/or enhance opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. The project assisted groups of people to form community-based organisations which would be registered with the government. Using an assets, or strengths, based approach (ABCD), E-CARE worked with the groups to help them identify their assets, skills and resources, and to select livelihood activities which would increase their incomes and capital assets. They were able to access ‘Receivers to Givers’ (R2G) funding. This revolving fund provides the groups with low interest grants to build the livelihoods of their members, who are then encouraged to ‘grant back’ the money to another group or community so they may also benefit. Over the three and a half-year period, the groups used the grants to develop new and existing income-generation activities, including vegetable and rice cultivation, chicken and pig-raising, fishing, food-processing, handicrafts and retail outlets. E-CARE also provided the groups with training in gender equality, disability inclusion, child protection and environmental conservation.
Key results
44 communities ended up taking part in the project, as well as almost double the number of anticipated families (a total of 1,535), in the course of the three and a half-year project.
Key Impacts
Recommendations
Short Case Study
But did Shalom Farmers Association actually prosper from their 300,000 peso loan? The farmers related with great pride how they repaid the loan on schedule, then took out a further 600,000 peso loan at the same low interest rate. Their pig breeding and vegetable-farming businesses were sufficiently profitable that they were also able to repay the second loan on schedule. Some were even able to purchase land or pay off older debts to private money lenders. One purchased a vehicle, while another started her own potato wine making business. That’s not charity. That’s empowerment. And ‘granting back’ to another community or group enables the process to continue indefinitely.
ABM contracted an independent evaluator to conduct this evaluation of a project made possible by funding from ABM’s generous supporters and by the Australian Aid program #ANCP.
Krystal from Bontoc in the Mountain Province of the Philippines benefited from E-CARE’s Receivers to Giver’s policy.
© E-CARE, 2019.
In Mindanao, members of the Obial Farmers Association hand over 35,000 pesos to the New Calinog Farmers Association as part of the Receivers to Givers policy. © E-CARE, 2019.