Love for her family is what keeps a mother going.
This is what Charma Buar of Antique shared when asked about her achievement as a motivated entrepreneur.
Recalling her journey to recovery that she described as a roller coaster ride, Charma couldn’t help but cry whenever she remembers her tragic experience on 08 November 2013. Just like everybody else in her village Cadiao in the town of Barbaza, Charma lost her small house made of bamboo and nipa when super typhoon Haiyan heavily devastated her province.
“Our house was totally destroyed. The typhoon also swept away our livelihood. It was hard to accept that we lost everything we worked hard for,” shared Charma.
Charma, a 38-year-old mother of two, used to be an abaca farmer and worked in the farm with her husband. Abaca is a tree-like herb which is of the same genus as the common banana. In the Philippines, farmers extract fiber from abaca that is being used for various handicrafts and clothing.
“I actually worked in Manila for a long time and decided to return to my hometown Antique. My husband and I became abaca farmers since the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) started to help farmers boost the abaca industry here. They trained us how to properly grow abaca and make various products out of it. I was also invited by our local government to conduct livelihood training on doing handicrafts for other poor women in our town,” she said.
Start from Scratch
Charma and her family live in a viallage located in the mountains, with only a muddy and rough road connecting to the town nearby (Photo: CARE)
Charma was optimistic as she found a new passion and opportunity to earn for her family until typhoon Haiyan happened.
“Haiyan is something we couldn’t forget. The typhoon was so strong that it made us feel so weak and helpless. We lost everything and we literally had to start from scratch,” she shared.
Charma said that life in her remote village is pretty challenging and tough. Her village is located in the mountains and the road connecting them to the town proper is rough and muddy.
“Because of our remoteness and limited access to school, most of the people here didn’t finish their studies and work as farmers for the rest of their lives.”
But Charma decided to take another direction. She believed that she can do more things. She didn’t lose hope and continue taking steps to recover.
Charma fortunately got access to CARE through the Antique Development Foundation (ADF), a local NGO based in her province helping people to recover from the typhoon.
CARE has partnered with ADF in implementing the Women Enterprise Fund program in Antique which provides financial assistance to women entrepreneurs affected by typhoon Haiyan. Various skills building trainings have been conducted for women involved in the program to help them succeed in managing their enterprises.
“No words could explain my happiness when ADF and CARE told me that I passed the interview for their livelihood assistance. I was so excited to tell my family about it. The timing is also great. I started getting orders for abaca handicrafts but I couldn’t do it because I didn’t have financial capital.”
Charma received cash assistance from CARE to boost her livelihood. She used the capital to buy and sell abaca fiber and fabric, and buy raw materials to make handicrafts. CARE and ADF also provided her with trainings on productivity, business planning, marketing and financial management.
“CARE’s support didn’t just help me and my family, through this I was also able to share my blessings and help abaca farmers in my village. Farmers here had to go to the town proper to sell their abaca fiber. Since I need continuous supply of raw materials, I instead order from these farmers so they won’t need to spend money for transportation to the market,” said Charma.
Helping others
Charma holds fibers extracted from abaca, used for various handicrafts and clothing (Photo: CARE)
Charma shared that she has always wanted to help her fellow farmers. She feels sorry for these farmers whenever they couldn’t sell their products at a price they deserve. Some buyers in the town proper or in the market buy their products at a cheaper price.
“I’ve been there as well. I know how hard it is to climb mountains to harvest and gather abaca and then they don’t get what they deserve. Sometimes the farmers had no choice because they needed money.
Since boosting her livelihood, Charma started earning from selling her handicrafts and selling abaca fiber. She was able to save money for house repair. Her family now lives in a new and better home.
“What you see now [her house] is a product of blood, sweat and tears. My husband and I really worked hard so we could provide a decent and safe home for our children,” said Charma.
Charma started getting more orders and even had the chance to participate in various trade fairs. Her products are also displayed in various souvenir shops in her province for the tourists. And for Charma, more orders means more income.
Prior to getting this support from CARE, Charma remembered that her children used to walk around 30 minutes just to go to school. It sometimes takes one hour if it’s raining because the road becomes extremely muddy.
“Now I could pay for their transportation to and from their school. I am also able to buy milk and vitamins for them. Before I couldn’t afford all those things,” she added.
Sharing knowledge
Some of the handicrafts made with abaca fibers (Photo: CARE)
Charma’s road to recovery may be a success story for people who witnessed her transformation. But she believes that it is not just her story. Currently, she was able to employ some women in her village and out of school youth to help her make handicrafts for selling.
“I always tell others that as much as possible I want everyone to succeed. I have received this blessing to help my family so why not use it too to help other people who are in dire need.”
Charma has been getting opportunities to hone her talent and open more windows to earn. So, she is planning to form and lead a group of women handicraft makers.
“Since I’ve got the experience and knowledge to do this business, I also want to share what I know to these women so they could also generate income for their families. And if that happens, I’ll also make sure to help them apply for government mandated benefits because most of the women here in our village don’t have these benefits and insurance,” shared Charma.
Charma hopes that her children will be able to finish their studies that’s why she ensures that she saves money every month for their college education.
“I want my children to achieve their goals. My 11-year-old daughter is actually the top 1 in her class so that gives me huge motivation to fully support her dreams.”
“I thank CARE, ADF and all their donors for helping us recover. I think recovery would be really hard for us if we didn’t receive such assistance. We live in a very remote village and still they were able to include us for the support. It’s an opportunity that we won’t waste.”