SM Foundation marks graduation of urban gardeners
Urban gardening is now gaining ground in various cities nationwide through SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) on Sustainable Agriculture Program.
The SM Foundation, through the program, has successfully trained 27 farmers in SM City Urdaneta Central and 19 others in SM City San Lazaro on Urban Gardening. For weeks, the farmers cultivated vegetables amid city spaces—from SM Supermalls’ rooftops to community plots.
In addition to the comprehensive lectures on farming in an urban landscape, SM foundation and its partner schools included topics on the basics of entrepreneurship and principles of SM group founder Henry Sy, Sr. These were done to empower them to take control of their livelihoods, generate more income, and contribute to economic development.
Mheryll Ignacio, one of the KSK graduates in SM City San Lazaro, had a new-found power after finishing the program.
“Gusto ko po talagang matuto ng iba’t ibang paraan para kumita. Ang asawa ko po ay isang mekaniko, pero nakadepende po ang kita niya sa dami ng nagpapagawa ng sasakyan sa araw-araw (I really want to learn different ways to earn. My husband is a mechanic, but his income depends on the number of cars he repairs every day),” she shared why she was always looking for ways to earn and support her family. Excited and happy, she joined the KSK without hesitation as soon as she was learned about it from their barangay leaders.
She was confident that she could always provide healthy meals for her family despite rising food prices, as Ignacio could rely on the urban garden she cultivated with her community.
“Maganda pa dahil masustansya ang maipapakain mo para sa pamilya mo (It’s even better because you can feed your family nutritious food),” she added.
Mheryll also said that the training served as the bedrock of her goals. Beyond enhancing her role as a more informed mother, KSK empowered her to embrace entrepreneurship, enabling her to stand as an additional provider for her family.
As she reaps the fruits of KSK, Mheryll hopes to pass on her urban gardening knowledge to other mothers in their community: “Gusto ko rin pong yakagin sila at sabihin na masayang magtanim lalo na pag nalaman niyo kung paano ito gawing pangkabuhayan (I also want to hug them and tell them that planting is fun especially when you know how to make it a livelihood).”