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Building the foundations for livelihood after Yolanda

Rappler.com

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Building the foundations for livelihood after Yolanda
Press release: The Reconstruction Initiative through Social Enterprise (RISE) was aims to make social entrepreneurship and social enterprise development an important strategy to engage the poor

This is a press release from the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc.

TACLOBAN, Philippines – For persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Tacloban City, discrimination and poverty are only two of the many things that are hindering them from finding better opportunities.

Disasters further magnify the impacts of discrimination and poverty which they felt when Typhoon Yolanda hit them last year. 

“PWDs did not receive targeted relief distribution in more than a week. We had to ask for relief. The PWDs were lucky to have rice stocks from their canteen to eat,” said Peter Hammerle, a Trustee of the Foundation for These Abled, Inc. (FTI). 

“The PWDs did not see any hope in the situation. Most of them just wanted to leave, but we told them there was a way,” Hammerle added.

Immediately after the catastrophe, the Reconstruction Initiative through Social Enterprise (RISE) was started with the aim of making social entrepreneurship and social enterprise development an important strategy to engage the poor, including the PWDs in the rehabilitation process in devastated areas.

RISE is a coalition of social enterprises and other development partners such as the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia, Oxfam, Peace and Equity Foundation, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, VICTO National Cooperative Development Center, Philippine Social Enterprise Network, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Philippine Coffee Alliance, World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)-Asia/Philippines, Ateneo School of Government, and the FTI.

Social entrep, PWDs

Social entrepreneurship is a social mission-driven movement that engages the poor in economic activities as primary stakeholders to improve their well-being and living environment.

“Social entrepreneurship is integral to enable the poor to be economically self-sufficient and to help them contribute to an inclusive and supportive environment,” said Jay Lacsamana, Executive Director of Foundation for a Sustainable Society (FSSI), one of the conveners of RISE.

One of the initial rehabilitation steps taken was the manufacturing of prefabricated walls and pre-cast foundations to build 100 houses to benefit 100 families of PWDs.

The program intends to bring income to PWD worker for every process – such as cutting, beaming, and the like – corresponds to monetary value which they can bring to their families and to provide new homes for their families in a resettlement site in Santa Fe, Leyte.

The establishment of a production facility for their cooperative is also part of the project to ensure that PWDs will have productive sources of income in their new community.

“I find it hard to find a job mainly because people look down to me because of my disability,” said 40 year-old Roman Sapiqueña. “Compared to my life before as an unemployed PWD, I can now earn money to sustain myself and stop being dependent on my sister as I was before.”

Along with income generation are trainings that purport inclusive growth through knowledge and capacity building. The construction project also stimulated other livelihood projects like food catering and retail services.

“Every day life is full of discrimination especially for these kinds of people. By engaging them in the processes related to value chain, PWDs will have the confidence to face the stigma and focus on what they can do to help build an empowered community of PWDs,” Hammerle said.

This is only the start of involving the PWDs in economic activities that will bring income to them.

The envisioned community of families living under the 100 houses will be provided with equipment and materials to start other livelihoods. The FSSI has given grant that would allow FTI to build a multi-purpose hall and procure different equipment for starting up a social enterprise. – Rappler.com

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