Farmer Spotlight: Meet Conchita

Conchita Kalim-Marohomsalic is a daycare teacher based in Sitio Fitak, Brgy. Maan, Tboli, South Cotabato. She manages a few crops on their land together with her family, who like her, are also into farming. Conchita and her family became a HOPE Partner Family in February 2021, which include interventions on seedling distribution and farmer training.

As part of the Indigenous People (IP) of Tboli, Conchita’s family is part of the 60% of smallholder farmers in the country who fall below the poverty line. To her, farming is not only her livelihood, but she also sees it as a way to provide a good future for her children.

Conchita signing in at the Farmer Training Session

“Para sa akin and coconut farming ay isang bagay na nakakatulong sa amin para mabigyan ng mabuting kinabukasan ang aming mga anak sa hinaharap. Kahit na kaming mga magulang ay mawala man, nandyan na man ang mga niyog na patuloy na magbibigay ng bunga. Ito ay napakalaking tulong para sa aming pamilya,” said Conchita.

(Translation: We see coconut farming as something that can help provide a good future for our children. Even when we, as parents, are gone the coconuts will continue to provide harvest. That is its greatest help to our family.)

Having recently faced difficulties in farming corn due to infestations and the increased prices on fertilizers, Conchita also expressed her gratitude towards the opportunity to plant and learn more about coconut farming through HOPE.

Farmers attending the Farmer Training Session

“Kaya isa pong magandang pagkakataon na nakatanggap po kami ng niyog dahil hindi ito kayang kainin ng mga daga. Ito ay napakalaking naming sa Diyos na kayo po ay binigay sa amin para tulungan kaming makabangon sa paghihirap.”

(Translation: Receiving coconut seedlings couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. These aren’t prone to pest infestation. We’re so happy that God sent you to help lift us from our struggles.)

After almost 6 months of being a HOPE partner family, Conchita looks forward to growing even more coconut trees for her family and their future.

“Maraming salamat po sa HOPE at pagpalain kayo ng Diyos. Ito ay napakalaking kaligayahan na kayo po ay binigay sa amin ng Panginoon para tulungan kaming mga IP.”

(Translation: Thank you very much to HOPE and may God bless you. It gives us so much happiness that God sent you to help us Indigenous people.)

To date, HOPE has distributed 141,250 seedlings impacting 13,516 smallholder farmers in Mindanao.