By Dennis Amata - Information & Communications Manager, CARE Philippines
As the old saying goes, tough times don’t last; tough people do.
Annaliza Caindoc, a 32-year-old maker of herbal tea powder from Albuera in Leyte, had to drop out of school and work at a very young age to help her family.
“I grew up in a very poor family. My father is a farmer while my mom is a plain housewife. I have seven other siblings and nobody was able to finish studies,” shared Annaliza who started shedding tears as she narrated her story.
At 14, Annaliza half-heartedly left her rural village for better opportunities in Manila. She said she had to leave to be able to support her younger siblings’ education. Annaliza landed a job in the capital city as a house helper.
“It was really hard. That time I didn’t know how to speak Filipino. I only knew our local dialect. My boss used to scold me a lot because I didn’t know how to operate electric appliances. I couldn’t help but cry whenever I miss my family,” she said.
Annaliza experienced discrimination in the big city because of her status in life and her level of education. She said she heard a lot of offensive words degrading her abilities.
“I only finished until Grade 6. I wasn’t able to continue my studies because of poverty. I was hoping to become a professional someday but that time I just lost hope. I just accepted that it’s probably my fate,” recalled Annaliza.
Typhoon Haiyan
Annaliza shows some of the herbal tea powder she makes and sells (Photo: CARE)
Despite all the hardships, Annaliza still drew strength from her family, thinking of a brighter future for her younger siblings. She eventually left her job and worked as a factory worker when she reached the legal age to work.
“I spent 13 years away from my family. I was able to go home sometimes for a short vacation but that’s just once every two years,” she admitted.
At 27, Annaliza decided to go back to her family and start anew. But it seemed that she had to face another challenge. On 08 November 2013, super typhoon Haiyan heavily devastated her town and even totally destroyed their small house made of wood and nipa. The typhoon also left the people in her community with no access to livelihood.
“The typhoon was so strong. It destroyed all the coconut trees and the crops that we were relying on to live. In just a snap, they’re all gone. It was so depressing,” shared Annaliza.
Annaliza’s family received emergency food packs from CARE. Her mother was also a recipient of CARE’s conditional cash transfer program to kick start a small business.
“We thank all the organizations including CARE for helping us get back on our feet. Probably without the support, we were still having a hard time to recover.”
Two years after Haiyan, Annaliza got reconnected with CARE when she met a CARE staff who found out that she’s doing a small business by making and selling tea powder out of herbal plants.
CARE and local partner Rural Development Initiatives in the Islands of Leyte (RDII) have implemented the Women Enterprise Fund program in Annaliza’s hometown to help women affected by typhoon Haiyan towards economic empowerment. And through the funding support from the H&M Conscious Foundation, women who are involved in the program receive skills building training to help them better manage their enteprises.
“I was informed that CARE has this program for struggling women entrepreneurs. So I prepared a simple business proposal for CARE and underwent a panel interview. I felt so happy and blessed that I passed the interview and I received the cash grant,” said Annaliza.
Making her own business
Annaliza started her small business a couple of years back. Her sister was trained by a local non-government organization about herbal tea making using malunggay (moringa), sambong (herbal plant to treat kidney stones, colds and coughs, and hypertension) and turmeric. Her sister eventually taught her how to do it. Armed with determination to start an income-generating activity, Annaliza worked hard to master making herbal tea powder that she could sell.
“Making herbal tea powder is labor-intensive. I had to do it manually because I didn’t have enough materials and tools. Because I didn’t have financial capital that time, I also couldn’t buy more raw materials (leaves) to be able to produce more,” said Annaliza.
“The cash grant I received from CARE was really a huge help. I was able to buy my own blender, cooking materials, weighing scale and other things I need for my business. I also allotted money to build my own processing center and am now able to buy more raw materials,” Annaliza excitedly shared.
From being a shy lass from the province, Annaliza has blossomed into a motivated lady who takes the extra mile in managing her business. She has been her family’s breadwinner because her parents are both ill.
“I go to various markets now and I even do sales talk whenever I’m in a bus or in other public places. A lot of people, who used to be strangers I just met on the streets, are now my regular customers. They said they like my products,” she said.
Right now, Annaliza has also employed her own staff to help her in making tea powder and sell in different locations.
“It feels great that I was also able to help other needy women in my community to earn for their own families. I see my old self in them. I want them to also discover their potential,” said Annaliza.
Annaliza credits the trainings from CARE that she attended for the skills she has improved. She participated in various CARE-initiated trainings on business planning, financial management, quality and productivity, marketing and managing risks. She was also informed about the basic services from different agencies and organizations that she can access to succeed in a competitive market.
Annaliza treats her entire experience with CARE and RDII as a learning process. She is looking forward to attend more trainings and be able to help more women in her community.
“I never thought I would be in this position in my life. Before I was telling myself that running a business is only for those who graduated in college. But I proved myself wrong. Even I wasn’t able to finish my studies, I can still succeed and help my family out of poverty,” said Annaliza.
With her income, Annaliza now supports the basic needs of her parents and even funds the education of her nieces and nephews.
“Since I still don’t have my own child, I am supporting the education of my sisters’ children instead. I want them to finish their studies so it would be easier for them to find a job in the future.”
Annaliza plans to expand her business and employ more women in her community.
“Right now I’m busy with making herbal tea powder. I make sure I also save money for myself. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll go back to school and take up a course on business management.”