Page 38 - SPiCE Magazine (September 2019)

38 The SPiCE Magazine • The Best of SPi Global: Going Strong @ 40
38
“I am a mother of two
children, and the only
source of our family
income is the salary
of my husband, who’s a
construction worker.
This is not enough to
sustain our family’s daily
needs. My learning from
SPi Global will help me
to think and start a small
business that can provide
extra earnings for my fam-
ily. I am inspired to
be more financially
competitive to help
my family. ”
- Fatima Songuam,
SKBM member
The SPiCE Magazine • The Best of SPi Global: Going Strong @ 40 39
Empowering the Barangay participants are also positive that
the program can help them become more
women of Milagrosa financially capable.
By Macrey Soriano, Quality Assurance Officer, Laguna Employee volunteers were also happy to take
part in the initiative. CSR Program POC and
Despite improvements in women’s rights in the Philippines,
Supervisor Sheryl Esmedilla says that their
employment, particularly for women living in poverty, remains team “loves sharing knowledge to inspire
challenging. An Asian Development Bank study in June concluded
that 84 percent of Filipino women given “greater responsibility others” while volunteer trainer Dennis Cauan
shares, “There’s nothing more fulfilling than
for domestic and unpaid care work” and are offered “the least sharing our IT and technology expertise to
opportunities for decent work”.
the community. This is a good `opportunity to
make a meaningful difference in the lives of
In hopes of addressing these challenges, SPi Global Laguna
our beneficiaries.” Currently, SPi Global Laguna is coordinating with technical
partnered with Samahang Kababaihan ng Barangay Milagrosa
schools in Calamba, including Anihan Technical School and
(SKBM), a local non-profit women’s organization based in
Calamba Manpower Development Center, for livelihood programs.
Barangay Milagrosa in Calamba City. SKBM works with women’s
Sessions are continuously held every Saturday starting August,
rights institutions, communities, and volunteer groups in the
with volunteers providing livelihood trainings such as peanut
grassroots to promote feminists ideals, lead societal change,
eliminate discrimination, and ensure equal social, political, and butter and siopao-making.
economic rights for all women in the barangay. CSR Champion Macrey Soriano calls on others to become catalysts
in empowering marginalized women to be change makers in the
Employee volunteers conducted a training program that equipped community.
female barangay members with skills to enhance their employability
“Volunteerism requires two qualities: availability
or serve as an alternative source of income. On June 8, 15 and 29,
and an open mind. But the best advice I can give is
they set up computer equipment and led IT and computer
to simply join us! We need more volunteers with
aptitude trainings in an SKBM facility. Forty-one participants learned good intentions and excellent skills to continue
about basic PC components, MS Office Word, and
helping these future entrepreneurs carry out their
MS Office Excel application.
projects.”
SKBM President Leovegilda Lanting Orence says that SPi Global’s
efforts will help women achieve an improved quality of life.
“We are very thankful to the volunteers. Every mem-
ber of our organization can use what they’ve learned
to start a small business and enjoy a
better life. ”