The people have a good side income by growing the mangroves and planting them out. This group regrets the tree nursery in Salingconot
The team at the tree nursery in Banao, which is established right by the sea. Almost a vacation paradise. It is our fifth mangrove nursery in Baganda.
The focus is on fun and good food for all families of our workers. The winners not only receive a lot of applause, but also a small cash prize.
The Mama Earth team in the mountains of Marilog, more precisely in Patag. The third man from the left is Ace, one of our foresters.
The children of our workers enjoy a dip in the pool, which is fed with cold water from the mountains, and freeze miserably after their bath.
The 13th monthly salary is compulsory in the Philippines. Each worker also receives a ten-kilogram bag of rice and a package of useful items for the family.
The families from Monkayo wanted their Christmas party on the beach. However, this is around two hours away from Monkayo by bus.
The games continue tirelessly. The energy seems boundless, as does the fun. The women often compete against the husbands.
December is also the month of giving. We are also expected to give small gifts to our many helpers, not just our employees. The shopping is correspondingly time-consuming when we drive across the country fully loaded. The most popular “gift pack” is rice, the staple food in the Philippines. For the children of the helpers, chocolate, exercise books and pencils are also on the wish list. Everything has to be bought, packaged and decorated with ribbons.
Then there are the Christmas parties. They are extremely time-consuming to prepare. Once the location has been decided after endless discussions, masses of food are cooked, presents are sorted and wrapped and games are discussed. If everyone agrees, the pig is ordered, because a party is not complete without a roast pig. The food is so plentiful that it can never be eaten during the party, but everyone then takes a few kilograms home with them, where other family members enjoy the delicacies.
The table bends under the weight of the different kinds of food. This is enjoyed, as meals in the countryside are usually very frugal.
The team from Monkayo is not quite complete, but everyone was back for lunchtime. The grilled pig is still wrapped because it needs a little ceremony to be sliced.
Two of our great employees in Monkayo who have been working for Mama Earth for many years.
The ice cream man had to work hard to get the more than 70 orders of four copes each into the waffles.
This work report gives an insight into the fact that we can only accomplish our work if we work together with the people on the ground. Most families do not have it easy, as the cost of living is high and rising all the time. Although life in the countryside is still affordable, it is getting closer and closer to the breaking point. Almost all families have taken out loans of some kind, often to cover medical care or expensive hospital stays. As the interest rates are sometimes alarmingly high, they can rarely be repaid, which often results in the sale of parts of a farm. We are pleased that the jobs at Mama Earth are secure and that we pay a share of all social benefits, from health insurance and pension insurance to building society savings. This makes it easier for families.
All in all, 2024 was a good year. We were able to achieve a lot thanks to our good employees, but we still have a lot to do. In particular, we want to expand the area of education. The Meaalofa Foundation from Munich is on board. The first partnership between the two schools in Kiel and Mati has started. This is primarily about getting to know the different forms of teaching, but also about joint projects to avoid plastic waste and ideas on how to tackle the flood of waste. As we all know, the most important step is prevention, followed by secondary recycling. Landfilling is the last step, but it only takes the focus off the problem and is not a solution.
We would like to thank you for your donations, which make all these projects possible. If you would like more information about any of our projects, please write to us. We are still working on our website, but it can only provide general information.
Thank you very much.
Your Mama Earth crew