Farmers' Training Program
SM Foundation recognizes livelihood development as a key component in improving lives in communities. Since 2007, SM Foundation's Farmers' Training Program (Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan) has been helping marginalized farmers become self-sufficient by equipping them with updated knowledge in doable agricultural technology.
Another livelihood initiative of SM Foundation is the Nasugbu Community Development Program which offers trainings in specialized skills and animal raising and dispersal to the residents of Nasugbu, Batangas.
Farmers' Training Program (Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan)
SM Foundation's Farmers' Training Program (Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan) aims to upgrade the agricultural knowledge of small-scale farmers in order to produce quality, safe, high-value, and high-yielding fruits and vegetables while teaching them to become self-sufficient.
For 12 weekly sessions, Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) scholars are trained on the proper way of planting through lessons in modern farming methods and technologies. Sessions also include values formation, capability building and social entrepreneurship. Finally, farmers are provided opportunities to create market linkages through the SM Food Group's suppliers. The KSK Program is in partnership with Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Agriculture.
In 2014, SM Foundation conducted 19 KSK trainings, equipping 2,798 farmers from 53 municipalities with the right knowledge in modern farming methods. Ten KSK trainings were rolled out in Haiyan (local name: Yolanda)-affected areas such as Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Negros Occidental and Panay Island; two trainings were conducted in the calamity-stricken areas of Bohol (earthquake) and Zamboanga City (armed conflicts); while the rest are regular KSK trainings.
Nasugbu Community Development
Since 2011, SM Foundation has helped in the development of the Nasugbu Community in Batangas. Under its Community Development Program are trainings in specialized skills and animal raising and dispersal.
Courses offered under the specialized skills training are hospitality (housekeeping, commercial cooking, and food and beverages), cosmetology, massage therapy and landscaping. In 2014, SM Foundation trained 21 out-of-school youth in hospitality and 18 in massage therapy. By end of the year, the project has already produced 390 graduates.
Another development project sponsored by SM Foundation in the Nasugbu area is the animal raising and dispersal training. This project is designed to help rural households develop a self-sustainable livelihood through rearing various livestock.
For 2014, SM Foundation trained 33 beneficiaries in animal raising—31 in hog raising and 2 in goat raising. To date, 305 residents have already benefited from the project.
