Project Report
| Jun 7, 2016
Planting new areas with coconuts
By Cora Sayre | Project Leader
![New area to be planted]()
New area to be planted
Dear Friends,
Greetings and thank you very much for your continuing support to our project to re-plant damaged coconut trees in Leyte. Coconut re-planting, after more than 2 years that the typhoon struck is being started in a snail's pace. I think the main reason for this low priority by agencies is the difficulty in realizing early impact which is not good in report submission and preparing project monitoring. Farmers also have the trauma already and they keep thinking that maybe the typhoon will again happen and will only destroy newly planted trees. We encouraged farmers to re-plant and inform them that the type of typhoon such as Haiyan seldom happen and farmers are encouraged. Our provision of support comprising seedlings and organic fertilizer added also to their encouragement.
This reporting period, we expanded re-planting initiative and targeted a total of 30 hectares located in one barrio in Albuera Municipality. The coconut seeds comes from our seedling nursery located near our permanent office in barrio Talisayan, Albuera.
Again thank you very much.
Very sincerely yours,
Cora
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Mar 14, 2016
Processing products from coconut farms
By Cora Sayre | Project Leader
![Roasting the native coffee mix]()
Roasting the native coffee mix
Dear Friends,
Greetings and thank you very much for your support to our project to replant and replace coconuts damaged by Typhoon Haiyan. We realize early on that the coconuts being grown will take 7-8 years in order to bear fruit and during the long waiting time, there is a need for farmers to look for alternative incomes. This time we are starting to develop native coffee with ingredients all coming from the farms where coconuts are growing. These are coffee, corn, lemon-grass and moringa. The ingredients are mixed then roasted in high heat then grounded to very fine product. The grounded material are then hand-packaged by women. These are then labeled, packed in dozens and sold in the different community stores. Initial feedback is encouraging with customers saying that they like the native taste of the coffee and that the coffee is very affordable. We have at present an initial group of 12 women packaging the product and if this is successful, we will expand to other villages.
Hoping for your continuing support to this project.
Very sincerely yours,
Cora Sayre
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Dec 18, 2015
Integrating high-valued plants under coconuts
By Cora Sayre | Project Leader
![Turmeric seed pieces ready for planting]()
Turmeric seed pieces ready for planting
Dear Friend,
Warm greetings from Leyte and thank you very much for your support to our initiative to rehabilitate the coconut farms here. As you know, the strong winds during Haiyan broke almost all the coconuts and farmers dependent on them for income lost their main source. One problem that we meet during implementation is the fact that coconuts mature and bear fruit starting only in the 7th year and during these lean months farmers have nothing except for irregular wage labor. Our strategy is to encourage them to grow high-valued and early maturing plants under the coconuts. One of these is turmeric which with its various medicinal properties, the product command good price in high-end markets. Turmeric can be processed into powder and placed in capsules. Starting this month 4 farmers have planted a total of 1.5 hectares turmeric starter plants with seed-pieces we sourced from the farms of our beneficiaries in Mindanao. We are hoping that with the plants, we can start harvesting and processing them middle of next year. Aside from turmeric, we are also starting to purchase and distribute goats to the farmers with 12 goats initial and funds coming from a local donor.
Hoping that you will continue to support this project.
Very sincerely yours,
Cora Sayre
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