Poor Farmers Appeal for a Tractor

By Maya Butalid (Stichting Pasali)
The Netherlands
December 5, 2015



Since 2005, Pasali has been working with the people of Palimbang. It has undertaken projects in which Christian settlers, Moro, and indigenous Manobos worked together  on projects to improve their lives. Pasali has set up water installations in some communities, helped Manobo children go to school, organizing the rice farmers into associations, and trained them on improved agricultural techniques. It also runs a modest pool of farm machinery: two hand tractors and a rice thresher.

Pasali has introduced the technology of SRI (System of Rice Intensification) which uses 50% less water, organic fertilizer and natural pest control; which costs less and has resulted in richer harvests.   This would result in higher net incomes for farmers, and potentially could lift many of them from poverty.

In 2011, the Palimbang Tri-people Organic Farmers Association (PTOFA), asked Pasali to help them acquire farm machinery.  Specifically, they needed a Tractor and a Rice Harvester, which  can work on at least 125 hectares of land. The machines will be managed by PAIS (Pasali Agricultural Innovations and Services), PAIS is a social business, which will reinvest all of its profits in expanding its services. PAIS will train and manage the tractor operators, and ensure that it is maintained properly. 

The combination of agricultural machinery and SRI technology will raise the yield per hectare from 40 cavans for traditional methods (which is what many poor farmers use) to 120 cavans (which PAIS has already attained on land it directly manages).

We are appealing to you to help acquire the Tractor for the poor farmers of Palimbang.  Every contribution will help, no matter how small (minimum contribution is 5 Euros, but of course it could be more). 

The Project’s  link is at:

https://www.pifworld.com/en/projects/FarmersoutofPovertythruMachinery/2357

---

It is from this perspective that I do various volunteer work directed at Philippine development, such as my work in Stichting Pasali. Stichting Pasali supports development initiatives in the Philippines and in other countries of origin of migrants, with the active use of migrants’ knowledge and skills. Our motto is: from 'brain drain' to 'brain gain'. I also do volunteer work with Melania Foundation for Development Cooperation as Project Officer for the Philippines. Melania Foundation supports small scale projects for and by women in developing countries.

In my daily life I work as Project Leader for Integration & Participation with the Council for Refugees in the province of Brabant in The Netherlands. As a freelancer I also give trainings in Intercultural Communication, Women Empowerment and Parenting. I finished Masters in Cross cultural and Child & youth Psychology in Tilburg University.

Last but not the least, I am a proud mother of two responsible young adult women, and a grandmother of a lovely 2 ½ - year old strong headed girl.