Because of you, the purple yam, or ube, is feeding an entire community in the Philippines in more ways than one.
Flat land and harsh weather conditions made farming rice and vegetables difficult for Angelita Galinato, a 74-year-old active farmer and member of the Tagbanua tribe, one of the oldest ethnic tribes in her country.
Angelita and her community were struggling to harvest enough food to survive. Like many farmers in the region, she relied on harmful farming practices, inorganic fertilizers and slash-and-burn methods that hurt the land and water resources she depended on.
That is until caring neighbors, like you, sowed the seeds of the hardy purple yam into their lives.
Your love has provided farmers like Angelita with new farming techniques, which have brought an abundance of the nutrient rich purple yam and improved the delicate watershed ecosystem where she lives.
Because of you, Angelita learned the importance of preparing the land before planting and using organic and pest-control materials. As a result, she is seeing more successful purple yam crops. Her new methods also help to prevent soil erosion and maintain groundwater quality — two essentials for sustainable farming for years to come.
“We learned how to cultivate purple yam the right way. We have been used to ‘plant and forget,’ leaving it to chance whether the crops grow or die,” Angelita said. “But with our purple yam, it is different. We learned a lot.”
In the past, even when farmers like Angelita managed to successfully harvest their crops, the lack of available markets made earning an income challenging. Your support is providing a vital lifeline for farmers, by facilitating an agreement with Sunlight Foods Corporation (SFC), a Filipino food manufacturer. SFC commits to providing quality planting materials and purchasing farmers’ entire ube harvest. This arrangement substantially boosts both the financial security and profitability for farmers, especially for those belonging to indigenous communities such as the Tagbanua tribe.
Angelita's community now has a sustainable, environmentally friendly source of food and income. Your compassion makes not only a tangible impact on their lives today but is also creating a ripple effect of hope for a better future.
Together, we can continue to make a difference, one purple yam at a time.
