Goducate encourages its workers and its projects to be self-supporting.
Last year, my family and three other volunteer families in Laguna, Philippines, began growing oyster mushrooms as a means of generating income to support ourselves and our community programmes. We are helped by Goducate sponsors who contribute to the capital costs of this project.
The “farms” (sheds that provide a relatively cool environment for the mushrooms) are located in two villages, one of the farms being shared by three families. The harvest gives each family about PhP4000 (USD 77) per month, which contributes substantially towards the families’ needs.
The project also enables some schoolchildren to earn some money for their school transport. These children help to put mushroom spawn and the substrate into bags. My six foster children (two in college and 4 in high school) also earn some money for their transport by helping with the harvesting.
Goducate is helping the government’s Family Development Session, a programme for the poor. We are helping with the Sustainable Livelihood section of this programme, and have been asked to introduce mushroom farming to the community.
