Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Batches 173 and 174 of the SM Foundation Inc. recently completed their urban farming and gardening training course at Las Piñas City and Pasig City, respectively. Each batch had 100 participants.
A harvest festival at the demo farm in Barangay Talon IV, Las Piñas City, was attended by by guests from the Barangay local government unit, SM Southmall representatives, Savemore M. Alvarez, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Macondray Plastics Products Inc.
A participant, Joralyn Gongora, said she is grateful for the training not only because she learned farming techniques but also because her grandchild now eats vegetables.
“Maraming salamat po sa SM Foundation, madami pong nagbago sa akin pati na rin po sa aking pamilya. Sa katunayan, ang apo ko po ay hindi kumakain ng gulay, pero dahil po sa programang ito ay kumakain na ngayon ang aking apo at mas naging supportive po sa akin ang aking pamilya,” Gongora said.
Meanwhile Batch 174’s harvest festival at Barangay Santa Lucia, Pasig City, was attended by guests from the National Housing Authority, SM East Ortigas, Savemore Amang Rodriguez, SM Supermarket East Ortigas, DSWD and Macondray. Mario Javeniar, a participant, intends to share what he learned with his neighbors.
Introduced in 2015 SM Foundation’s Urban Farming and Gardening Training aims to help promote food security, as well as provide an extra form of livelihood for the participants in the urban areas. Participants are taught smart farming using limited spaces or backyards and utilizing plastic containers as pots when possible.