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Small farmers big dreams December 13, 2009
Voices of Hope Pew Bulletin Story
Philippines
When your vegetable farm is a terraced crop on the side of a mountain, and the only available water supply is down in the valley, hauling water becomes a job for the whole family. For small farmers of Englanded in the mountainous Cordillera region of the Philippines, this was their reality. When the rainwater they collected was not enough, everyone went with their own containers—small for children, medium for women and large for men—and made the long steep climb to bring water to the crops. Until one day, the farmers approached the Episcopal Church of the Philippines (ECP) and asked for technical help to ease their labour.
In response, the ECP community development program helped form the Englanded community organization. With technical and financial
assistance from ECP, the community organization decided to dig a well and use an electric pump and pipes to supply water door to door for each farmer. The arrival of water transformed the community. In addition to the water, the community is proud of its new organization and it continues to bring the citizens together. Through the organization, they share traditional knowledge of organic-farming practices and address issues related to marketing their vegetables. Together they are better able to resist the growing threat of commercial-farming operations. And they have more dreams for improving their farms together. The water supply has ensured the health of the gardens, and the experience of solidarity and partnership has nourished the dreams of this small community.
Small farmers big dreams (PDF)
