Empowerment is a core principle of the Pure Incubation Foundation. By providing people with the opportunity, tools, and resources they need to take control of their lives, we can break the cycle of poverty and help build a future of thriving, independent communities. By fostering a sense of ownership and agency, empowerment enables individuals and families to break free from dependency and chart their path toward a brighter future.
In 2021, we began our relationship with the Ayta indigenous community in the Zambales region of the Philippines. Through our partnership network, we learned that the tribe was displaced from their land by a volcanic eruption and was struggling with food insecurity and hunger while living on borrowed land. With the support of Randy Bernales from the National Commission on Indigenous People, we met with tribal leaders to see how we could support the community.
Although we had offered food packs and medicine, the tribal leaders had a more personal request. They asked for carabao (Filipino water buffalo used for tilling the land and transporting crops to be sold) and seedlings. With these animals and supplies, the community could grow enough food to sustain their community and earn an income by selling excess vegetables on the side of the highway.
It was clear to us that the tribe did not want to become dependent and strongly preferred help to make lasting, sustainable change.
With the support of our incredible donors and volunteers, we returned to the tribe with two sets of carabao, 40 pounds of seedlings, and food packs for each family to sustain them in the short term. The local government was eager to get involved in the project, so they helped install a water pump near the farmland.
Seeing so many people come together to support the community was incredibly moving. But the most important people involved were the tribal members. Their vision for a sustainable future transformed our relationship from a simple donation to an agriculture project with long-term impact.
That is empowerment.
When you join us in this journey, whether through volunteering, donating, or getting involved in any way you can, you become part of the story of the Ayta people and countless others fighting for a brighter future.
Please consider a donation to the Pure Incubation Foundation today.
