Foodshare and Livelihood Project

The Foodshare and Livelihood Project of the Rotary Club of Manila is a collaboration of different organizations. The main donor of the project is Dana Asia, an Australian non- profit organization. The organization will fund the project with food donations direct to the beneficiaries as well as operational costs of the project by providing a US$150,000 fund as an initial street grant.

Dana Asia, as funder, desires to provide a holistic program to provide emergency assistance to help those most disadvantaged as a result of the global pandemic, first, through food and second, through livelihood skills training and microfinance loans to promote income generating opportunities to help families out of poverty.

A major partner in this project is the Kabisig ng Kalahi, Inc., a Philippine-registered non- profit organization deeply involved in hunger, nutrition as well as poverty alleviation programs using a multi-sectoral approach. It will organize the platform and infrastructure by selecting thirty (30) cooperators-beneficiaries in a barangay who will be taught livelihood skills development and capacity building. Likewise, they will get all the permits required by the local government units (LGUs) to set up community-based projects to increase food security and create livelihood opportunities at home. They have been providing this humanitarian service for the past twenty (20) years with great success.

The other partner in this project is Grameen Pilipinas Microfinance Corporation, a Philippine registered non-governmental organization providing microfinance and social business development in marginalized communities. Its mission is to facilitate poverty reduction initiatives through microcredit, education and technology. It will provide financial literacy to the cooperators/beneficiaries to prepare them for their financial responsibilities in these projects. After six (6) months, it will package a loan portfolio for individuals or as a barangay group loan to finance and sustain their livelihoods.

The Rotary Club of Manila, as a partner, will provide humanitarian service and advance goodwill and peace in their environment. Basically, the club will provide value formation, explain and ingrain in them the Four Way Test and other moral ethics to enhance their well-being. Rotaractors will also be involved in this endeavor as they are looking forward to be participants and beneficiaries of this humanitarian endeavor.

It may be of interest to note that at no point do these projects require any monetary contribution from our club members. Volunteers are welcome in order to implement the club's responsibility in the project.

There will be a soft opening in four (4) barangays - one (1) in Quezon City and three (3) in Laguna, in the towns of Lumban, Pagsanjan and Victoria this August 2021. The initial goal is to have ten (10) barangays/communities within the next six (6) months and another twenty (20) more barangays within 2022.

Each of the partners in this project agrees to allow Dana Asia, as funder, to undertake project monitoring and evaluation as might be reasonably required.