Bringing sustainable Livelihood Program in the countryside

LETPADAN, Myanmar, May 23-24, 2019 – CARD Myanmar COMPANY LIMITED (CMCL) through its microfinance and social development services conducted two batches of Livelihood Training  to at least 40 microfinance clients from its Letpadan branch.

The training, which aims to enable microfinance clients engage in product development, focused on making a natural-based liniment oil.

According to Josef Leron, managing director of CMCL, the product being introduced suits the demand of the locality. “It’s relevant in the area and the raw materials are cheap and accessible making them produce enough volume,” he added.

Leron also emphasized the importance of capacity building at CMCL. “Providing access to development is at the forefront of our mission. Capacity building is our investment for our clients’ secured and sound future,” he said.

Most of the participants of the training are currently engaged in agricultural-related business, which led CMCL to organize a livelihood training that could help their clients generate income especially in times of harvest interval.

The initiative is also anchored to CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) Philippines through its CARD MRI International Group, as they provided the resource person to conduct the product demonstration for two days. CMCL is one of the member institutions of CARD MRI based in Myanmar.

“CARD MRI’s goal of ending poverty is not only pushed in the Philippines. We also extend it to other countries by providing technical assistance, financial services, and community development programs like this livelihood training of CMCL. We are happy to have Mrs. Salcedo as our expert client from the Philippines to share her experiences at CMCL,” said Jean Pauline Landicho, director for CARD’s international group.

Mrs. Merlita Medoza-Salcedo, a CARD MRI Philippines-client for 11 years, was the speaker of the training. Mrs. Salcedo has been in business of producing various essential liniment oils and natural cosmetics for years already. She even put up her own company named after her, the MMS Marketing.

One of the prestigious awards received by Mrs. Salcedo at CARD MRI is the 2018 “Gawad Unlad” or grand winner of the institution’s annual recognition for artisan mothers or the “Pagkilala sa Mga Likha ni Inay”.

“The excitement of our clients while watching the speaker demonstrate the making of liniment oil is overwhelming. They were able to relate with Mrs. Salcedo because like them, she is also a microfinance client and a mother,” said Leron.

Prior to the product development demonstration, Mrs. Salcedo took the chance to share her life’s story from the time she started the business up until she reached the peak of success. She even tags her life’s story as “From Zero to HERO”.

“I started with almost nothing. The money I earn is not even enough to feed my family three times a day. But I persisted. I kept going,” recalled Mrs. Salcedo.

“With the help of CARD MRI, I was able to grow my business and even expanded my network,” she continued.

“We once lived in a small house enough to accommodate my family. But now, I was able to build a house I couldn’t imagine to have and a guest house that becomes the venue for the training I conduct,” added Mrs. Salcedo, which captured the interest of the participants.

“Now, I train and teach people the benefits of natural and herbal products. I travel anywhere and build networks and offer opportunities to earn extra income especially to my co-CARD MRI clients. This is my way of paying forward all the blessings poured out in my life. The only key to succeed is to work for your dreams,” emphasized Mrs. Salcedo.

Leron also thanked the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (CORDAID) for the financial support given for the realization of the initiative. “We are forever grateful to CORDAID for the support. This is the first livelihood training conducted after our five years of operating here in Myanmar. Such a milestone to celebrate!”

The livelihood training ended with full of hopes instilled in the minds and hearts of its clients. They are very much thankful for the opportunity that CMCL gave them and they look forward to having the same related programs in the future, as some of the clients expressed.

“This is only the beginning of more capacity building programs we will be implementing in Myanmar. It took us time to implement such initiative, but the time we were able to do it, it was all worth it! Rest assured that development-oriented programs will always be prioritized by CMLC,” Leron concluded.