True to its cause of helping needy Asians help themselves, Goducate Training Center which is based in Panay came up with another project that aims to aid needy families by providing them with a livelihood project.
The hog raising project is one of the livelihood projects of Goducate Training Center which started last January 2012. For the benefactors of the project, they are provided with a piglet or a litter of pigs that they will fatten as well as the feeds throughout the fattening period. The first benefactor of the project was Jyson Saclauso, one of the workers in Goducate.
At first he was only given 4 piglets to fatten and to sell with the expenses being shouldered by Goducate. Eventually the project grew and grew until two years from now, he was able to provide 10 piglets to another family to start their own hog raising project, renovate his home from the money he got, pay for his siblings’ school tuition fees and buy off 2 sows from Goducate to raise on his own. He is now selling and raising pigs all on his own.
“Dako gid ang nabulig sang (hog raising) project sa akon, sa panimalay and sa tuition sang mga manghod ko.” (The hog raising project really was a big help to my home and to pay off the tuition fees of my siblings.) says Jyson. Because of his dedication to the project, another family was also able to start the project in their own backyard. The Cag-ang family have recently 10 pigs ready to be sold and 1 sow ready to give birth my September of 2014 at their very own backyard.
Currently, Goducate has 4 families who are taking part in the hog raising project but according to Mr. Joel Dagon, the head of the project, Goducate is hoping to reach more families in need. “We’re expecting nga indi lang sila, kung maka produce kita sang damo nga piglets pwede naton ma scatter pa gid to the other families nga maging part sila sa livelihood program kag makabulig kita sa community.” (We’re expecting that it’s not just them whom we can help. If we can produce more piglets we can scatter them to the other families that they can also be a part of the livelihood program as well as we can help the community.) he stated.
The families that had received the project were families that Goducate identified to be the most in need within the community, trustworthy, as well as having the knowledge and understanding on how to care for the pigs.
Not only does Goducate the need of these people for a sustainable source of income, but the people in the community also begin to see how they can help their fellows. “Kung mag anak na ang baboy, pwede naman mahatag sa iban kay makabulig man ni sa ila.” (If the sow gives birth, we can also give these to others that this can also help them.) says Roberto Cag-ang, one of the benefactors. “Maayo gid ang project nga ini para sa pigado makabulig gid nga dako.” (This is a very good project for the poor because it can help them a lot.) he added.
Through this project, Goducate Training Center helps others in need not by directly giving money but by teaching them a trade that would be able to provide them their needs for the rest of their lives.
