Moropreneur: Empowering small enterprises in Mindanao

• Source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/business/moropreneur-empowering-small-enterprises-mindanao
• Tuesday, September 26, 2017

By PAUL ICAMINA

COTABATO CITY - Internet-savvy and using the latest apps, a group of young “social entrepreneurs” are investing on highly bankable resources: people.

The group set up The Moropreneur, Inc. as a “humanitarian, community-based micro-enterprise” to establish cooperatives that will develop indigenouss commodities into high-quality, value-added products.

For starters, 900 of the poorest of the poor villagers, two barangays each in 10 towns of Maguindanao province are involved in micro enterprises. “We train and capacitate entrepreneurs,” said Morsheda Yu Hashim, a marketing analyst with the start-up that’s putting its time and talent on one of the country’s poorest regions, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

In 2015, Maguindanao was ranked 4th among the poorest provinces in the country, with more than half of the people in poverty. That is, five in every 10 households lived below the minimum income required to meet basic food needs and other non-food requirements such as clothing, housing, transportation, health and education. In 2012, a family of five needed about P5,513 a month to meet these needs and P2,377 to pay for non-food needs.

To keep current, Moropreneur conducted a baseline study last April; it will help design entrepreneurial and skills-based trainings in the 10 barangays and beyond. “Documented and reliable information and data sources are often limited in conflict-affected areas of ARMM,” said Moropreneur founding chair and executive director Selahuddin Yu Hashim.

To ensure quality, accurate and faster collection of data, Maisalam K. Tahir, TMI Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation officer, used the KoBoCollect app in conducting the survey. The app is based on the OpenDataKit used for primary data collection in humanitarian emergencies and challenging environments on the ground.

“The baseline study is critical to enhance the quality of information needed to effectively design the series of capacity building activities and the establishment of community-based micro-enterprises,” said Tahir.

For example, the survey found out that about seven in 10 of households in one of the communities, the fishing village of Badak in Datu Odin Sinsuat town, have an average income of P100 to P150 a day. Through the surveys, women, youth and children were also consulted, saidMorsheda, adding Moropreneur’s advocacy is to strengthen people’s capacity in innovative solutions that advance human rights, economic growth and social well-being.

The impact of recurring armed conflicts, natural disasters and political turmoil on a community’s economic and social conditions is devastating. Oftentimes, children and youth are forced to skip schooling, families live in fragile shelters, persons with disabilities experience further depressing conditions, saidMoropreneur in its website. Women, the youth and children become more vulnerable to protection issues.

Most refugees and evacuees, even if they return, have difficulty restoring their lives because of the lost and limited opportunities.

Moropreneur’s advocacy is for the Bangsamoro, indigenous peoples and settlers, especially women, the youth and the disabled, by supporting micro-enterprises increase income and gain more access to basic services. It trains villagers on basic entrepreneurship such as financial accountability, how to start up a business, budgeting, marketing and savings.

It has started with 10 barangays: Kurentem and Badak (Datu Odin Sinsuat town); Kakar and Katidtuan (Sultan Kudarat); Buayan and Kanguan (DatuPiang); Romongaob and Kuya (South Upi); and Madia and Elian (Datu Saudi Ampatuan).

Its ANGAT DAPAT Livelihood Projects involve 900 women, youth and the disabled in these villages. ANGAT DAPAT stands for All-iNclusive Growth Activities Towards Development and Poverty Alleviation.

In partnership with Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) Philippines, IRW-Australia, Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry, Moropreneur was established last year to engage poor villagers in agri-business based on climate resilient agriculture, and by producing high-value products out of resources available.

So far, products include coco sugar, corn coffee, nutria cookies and corn polvoron. “We innovate on our products, said Morsheda, pointing to the tinagtag, a Maguindanao delicacy made of rice flour mixed with sugar and fried until crisp. Or making spicy tinapas, another crunchy sweet delicacy. Morsheda, as market analyst, finds the market for the products.