John Paul Jose, a 22-year-old who belong to a tribal community in Nueva Vizcaya shared how he was led to believe that people from tribal communities are not meant for great things in life.
“I was conditioned at a young age that when you belong to a poor tribal community, you are not capable of doing something great. It was like a line was drawn for the poor,” he lamented.
But with the help of Monsanto Philippines and Gawad Kalinga’s GK’s School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development or GK-SEED program, Jose was able to put his knowledge and skills into something valuable.
In June, Jose will be graduating as one of the top social entrepreneurs of his batch. He is currently expanding his enterprise called Oasis Chips, promoting the production of world-class indigenous root crop products.
“When I found SEED, they did not just allow me to cross that line, but they allowed me to define my own line,” he enthused.
Established in 2014, GK-SEED program offers an education-based solution to rural development. SEED prepares students to create social enterprises that will develop rural areas through rural job and wealth creation. It serves as a pilot that will be replicated to provide a quality education to thousands in communities across the Philippines.
“It is the first school to be training people from the bottom of the pyramid, specifically the young to actually learn business,” said Mark Lawrence Cruz, director of GK-SEED Philippines. “We don’t teach the poor employment, we teach them to become employers.”
Cruz said, “The students undergo an intensive two-year program wherein they take a variety of courses that focus on character development, enterprise management, communications, business math, and agriculture.”
Together with Jose, 29 more scholars sponsored by Monsanto are expected to graduate under the SEED program—one of them is Gladys Parohinog.
Hailing from a farming family in Butuan, Parohinog grew up supporting her own studies while working for her family. She said they do not have a permanent house in Cotabato City.
“Gawad Kalinga did not only give us a house but they also helped us build our capabilities,” she expressed. She is now developing her own enterprise named Fabu-roots, showcasing products made from root crops.
Cruz likewise thanked Monsanto, which has been in partnership with Gawad Kalinga for more than four years now, for the support given to the 30 scholars.
Cruz said “I tell the scholars that they don’t need to be born with a good name to be able to get good opportunities. They may have been born poor, but they will not die poor. That if you give them the right opportunities, they will grab it and make it worth our while.”