MONSANTO Philippines, in partnership with Gawad Kalinga (GK), is set to introduce the first batch of young entrepreneurs who will graduate from a two-year enterprise management course of GK’s School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development (GK-SEED) Program. Thirty scholars sponsored by Monsanto are expected to graduate under the SEED Program.
Established in 2014, GK’s 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. We don’t teach the poor employment; we teach them to become employers,” said Mark Lawrence Cruz, director of GK-SEED Philippines. “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.”
Gladys Parohinog, one of the scholars from Butuan in the first batch, grew up supporting her own studies while working for her family. She came from a farmer’s family with no permanent house in Cotabato City.
“Gawad Kalinga did not only give us a house, but they also helped us build our capabilities,” Gladys said. She is now developing her own enterprise named Fabu-roots, showcasing products made from root crops.
John Paul Jose, 22, who belongs to a tribal community in Nueva Vizcaya, shared how the scholarship changed his perceptions in life.
“I was conditioned at a young age that when you belong to a tribal community, you are not capable of doing something great. It was like a line was drawn for the poor. But when I found SEED, they did not just allow me to cross that line, but they allowed me to define my own line,” he said.
In June John Paul 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.
Meanwhile, Monsanto Corporate Affairs Lead Charina Garrido Ocampo said, “Our partnership with Gawad Kalinga has been ongoing for more than four years now. It’s a long-standing partnership—we started with Bayan-Anihan Farms in North Luzon and Mindanao, then moved to building Monsanto Village in Iloilo, and now sponsoring 30 scholars and building a two-story dormitory here in Bulacan. We really hope that we can continue this partnership, as we support a unique strategy towards ending poverty.”
Cruz thanked Monsanto for the support given to the 30 scholars. He 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.”