heks

Over 20 percent of the population lives in grinding poverty in the Philippines. On the island of Mindanao, where HEKS supports projects, the figure is up to 45 percent in many areas. Although rich in resources, progress in the archipelago is slow. Natural disasters in the form of frequent typhoons and over 30 years of continuous armed conflict in Mindanao impede economic growth. The Government stands accused of numerous human rights violations.

The poorest population groups include the indigenous peoples, who receive virtually no assistance, are often poorly educated and are among the poorest of the poor. The work done by HEKS focuses on Mindanao, where poverty is most widespread.

Aims, points of focus, initiatives:

The HEKS country programme Rural Empowerment and Development (READ) follows the cycle of the HEKS value creation chain: in order to overcome poverty and hunger, people without land and family smallholdings need access to land, water, seeds and farming advice. Those who own land, or have the right to cultivate it, must then optimise production. Training courses in so-called farmer field schools teach ecological farming methods. The aim is to produce surpluses for the market, enabling farming families to earn an income. Before they start production, it is important for the members of farmers groups to establish cooperatives and sales contacts with the local markets. Only then is it possible to guarantee that agricultural and other products can actually be sold and that farming families effectively tailor production to market demand.