DSWD_2nd issue-x

shared a bit of her story during a visit of
former DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman.
That time she stood with pride at the
small stage at Kapangan municipal gym.
She seemed nervous but confident as she
delivered her speech.
I was guessing that most of us who were
listening to her didn’t know that three years
ago she had a low self-esteem and she who
would never step on a stage to speak in front
of many people.
But that day, she was a community
volunteer, a DSWD partner beneficiary who
was able to hold the audience including the
Secretary and municipal officials with her
speech.
She made an impression on the audience,
including me, so I pursued an interview
with her. After earning a national certificate,
she said she was happy having learned skills
in beauty care thus she began building her
dreams of profiting from it.
But then the happiness and those dreams
she had started to crumble as she was again
faced with the lack of financial capital to start
a business. “I don’t have a capital to start with
and I lack marketing skills,” she said.
In 2012, she became a DSWD beneficiary
where she learned family rearing through the
family development sessions. “My family’s
relationship slowly improved and we can
better manage our family now.
She was also granted a PhP 10, 000 capital
from Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP)
of the Department to start her beauty care
services.
“Although it wasn’t enough, I was able
to start a home service beauty care business
in my municipality and later to nearby
municipalities.
Slowly, she started to feel that she is part
of her community so she got herself involved
in some activities of her barangay. She then
joined as a community volunteer for the Kapit-
Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and
Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-
CIDSS) Project in 2013 and until now remains
as one.
“Before, I have very low self-esteem but
now I came to find my self-worth and became
an active member of my community,” she said.
At present, she is also being invited
as resource speakers during Family
Development Sessions with other families
in her municipality. “She is very active in
community activities as member or leader
of committees created,” Kalahi-CIDSS Area
Coordinator Fidela Gawidan confirmed.
The Social Focus
During Juna’s home services to her
clients, she takes time to tell and invite them
to participate on the activities for community
projects.
“While being a volunteer, I heard about a
cooking training from other villagers during
a barangay assembly and I readily joined, she
continued.
Because of that, she can now prepare
and package candies, mallows, pulvoron and
other processed food which she sells around
her municipality even while on her way to
her beauty care clients.
“Now, I can provide at least for our
kitchen and a little allowance to my children,”
DSWD - CAR
she said with a shy smile.
Juna is just one of many Filipinos who lacked
opportunities but after being provided with
one, it has created a ripple effect to her family
and to her community. From being a timid
and typical housewife, Juna proved that with
pure effort anyone can turn into a versatile
and resilient person ready to change her life
and to her community.
Her story may not be the typical rags to
riches but she represents those people who
are just waiting for the right support before
they can unfold their potential. #DSWD-
CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Jasmin P.
Kiaso
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