Three years since our One Heart for One Community campaign, Human Nature's Mike Go revisits the community of Kanapawan, Camarines Norte!

Three years since our One Heart for One Community campaign, Human Nature's Mike Go revisits the community of Kanapawan, Camarines Norte!

When Human Nature started the One Heart for One Community  campaign in 2010, its aim was to provide better skills, equipment and facilities for farmers in the Philippines. To achieve this, 100% of profits from our 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Oil and 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Lotion from then on went to funding community development programs, including providing sustainable enterprise, to farming communities in Camarines Norte.

It’s been three years since One Heart for One Community concluded in Barangay Kanapawan, Labo, Camarines Norte and Human Nature's Social Enterprise Development Head, Mike Go, revisits their community to see how they've grown since the pioneer program.

Mike catches up with Gary De Vera, the Citronella Production Supervisor of  Kooperatiba ng Maliliit na Magniniyog ng Barangay Kanapawan (KMMBK). Kuya Gary, as family and friends call him, has been involved with citronella growing and processing for the past eight years and he briefly shares their continuing challenges and their overarching dream for their farming community.

Note: The interview was conducted in Filipino and was translated to English.

What were the difficulties you've faced since One Heart for One Community?

Kuya Gary: Like at the start of the program, the community still faced a lot of difficulties afterwards. Even when we recognized the potential after being able to upgrade our tools for producing citronella oil, we saw that our production didn't improve even if our capacity to produce did.

We still needed to learn quality control and delivering on time to keep the production flow going. We learned that it's important to coordinate with your clients as well your fellow workers to ease and hasten the production.

 

What was the most important takeaway that you got from One Heart for One Community?

Kuya Gary: More than getting new tools and equipment, the reconstruction of our school and having an office, it's the overwhelming joy that you get from the community's bayanihan! It's so uplifting to realize that we can achieve so much as one community.

Starting then, other people have approached our community to learn about citronella, on how to plant and how to process it. There are even those who'd buy citronella seed and oil from us.

 

What are your dreams for Barangay Kapanawan?

Kuya Gary: I hope we can find other big markets like Human Nature so the work goes on for our community. Growing and processing citronella has been a great opportunity for Barangay Kapanawan, an opportunity that could definitely help more of those in need.

Offshooting from the successes and learnings from One Heart for One Community, Human Nature in partnership with Gawad Kalinga launched Farmer's Fund Drive last year to help fund the Citronella Agro-enterprise Development (CAD) Program in three barangays in Bukidnon: San Jose, Impalutao, and Imbayao.

 


Barangay Kanapawan's hardworking citronella farmers pose for a photo | Kuya Gary poses with citronella extracting/distilling equipment

You can also show your bayanihan by purchasing 100% Natural Citronella Essential Oil directly from KMMBK (Kooperatiba ng Maliliit na Magniniyog ng Barangay Kanapawan) via kmmbk.citronellaenterprise@gmail.com or Gary De Vera at +639394425220.

Be a fellow bayani and join us in sowing more seeds of hope! With every purchase of 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Oil and 100% Natural Bug Shield DEET-Free Lotion, 100% of the profits will go to funding better work conditions and better quality of life for farmers all over the Philippines.