The project works with the isolated, excluded and forgotten ethnic group, the Mangyan people, living in the western part of the Island of Mindoro in the west of the Philippines.
The Mangyan children are amongst the poorest and most marginalised people in the country. Their lives are often difficult, with few opportunities for education. Girls typically marry very early, often by the age of 14. Only one in five Mangyan children are at school, and many are illiterate. They usually start work at a very young age, helping their parents to plant cassava, wild yams and sweet potato on the farms.
About 60 percent of Mangyan children are malnourished, and 90 percent of Mangyan families don't have access to safe drinking water. Farming is extremely difficult and barely meets their most basic needs. The rainy season – from June to September – is called 'the hunger period' because families have even less to eat than usual as it’s virtually impossible to farm during those months. The average household income is far below the 30p the World Bank says represents extreme poverty.
A Plan supported project is working with children, communities and local government in Occidental Mindoro to transform the lives of families who are among the poorest and most vulnerable in the whole country.
The project aims to increase the income of households by a fifth by the end of 2014. We are helping Mangyan families to grow larger amounts of more diverse and nutritious food throughout the year. Hundreds of Mangyans have been trained in contour farming which allows sloped land to be cultivated successfully. Simple irrigation systems are also being installed to ensure that crops are well maintained even during the summer.
Mangyan children will benefit from eating regular, healthy meals, increasing their immunity and resistance to illness. We’ve also set up an alternative learning centre which allows them to learn flexibly, outside the hours when they need to be farming. Many of the children have never been to school before, and this is their first chance to get formal qualifications.
Please help forgotten children today with a donation or a regular monthly gift.