Entrants's Name: Cecile Villarente

Country: Philippines

Field: Community Development

Innovation - idea: initiatives for change that is being done every minute of the day is what I am doing.

It does not need so much financial resources, all you need are skills, discipline and some strategic networks.

it is your way of serving the purpose of you own personal life

Innovation - why it is pioneering: there may be many people who are doing what I am doing. But I am not only organizing children, youth and women, I am trying to organize family - Mothers in a feminist organization, adult in a youth org and children also have their own.

they will be connected in some issues and activities but there are some initiatives that is particular to their age,needs,and capacity

Strategy - how it achieves impact: it definitely needs time.I work in the community, where I also live with my family. I am not a stranger or an outsider. I know everyhting even the personal lives of each member. We can talk about everything. We see each other lmost everyday. It is like making them feel that we all dream together. It is the simple SENSE OF BELONGINGNESS. All of us want to belong, want to be identified and appreciated. That is what our women, youth and children organization is doing. We discuss issues from personal/family to political national and international. we handle education program in informal ways. how it achieve impact? members could speak for themselves. How they change from a very silent one to a more expressive family and community member. how they learn and appreciate their rights and responsibilities. It also shows how they excel when they are with other groups, they will stand out and are being appreciated. And on how they value diversity - for we are in a mixed community.

Strategy - growth plans: we set that each member will become organizers themselves. Eventually, they will handle their own group and do the same thing. The main discipline is to continue organizing in their own capacity, not relying on any financial intervention. Off course financial resources is needed but we should not be stopped because we dont have fund. We also offer our assistance to existing groups. we share our experience and models. We are still on the stage where we are molding young people to become organizers. The value of unity and the power of being organized is being internalized.

Impact to date: There are organizations and individuals who express interests in joining the group. Its just that we consider the geographic locations. Because we are sustaining the group in our own pocket, it is hard to expand in areas that we need to pay for transportation. We are expanding in nearby areas. the impact that is visible is the growth in numbers, and we can identify families that all members of the family are member of the organization. With common and different activities.

Future impact: Ten years from now, even the fathers will be involved. And we will have a model community where father, mother, youth and children has their own functioning organizations.

and this will be replicated in other areas.

we will venture into more bigger programs.

Sustainability - resource base: Our children and youth group do theater performances, it payed a little but it help a lot in the operation.

The youth has a handicraft project, using anything recycable and accessible like coconut leaves, fruit and other parts., women are making rice cake and ice cream and some times pick up from their own pocket. Well off family also support activities and some networks.

we have a lot of human resources. I am an organizer, I could facilitate trainings, seminars and small group education activities, we have marketing strategy for our products, we have in house artists (ethnic dancers, fire dancers, choreographers, etc)

many of the children and youth are in school and some of them already committed to help the organization live long utilizing our own capacities.

Major challenge for the field: the major challenge would be the expansion. Sure we could expand but it will take longer time. Since we are in one community, it is easy to sustain but it is difficult for us to reach out to other areas.to reach out to other potential areas wher mothers, youth and children are waiting.

Contact Information:

Name: Ms. Cecile Villarente - Vice Chairperson for Mindanao
Country: Philippines

Bio: I grew up in an urban poor community. My father was receiving minimum wage and my mother was tending a small sari sari store. In that community, they already consider us well off because the store accomodates long list of indebted neighboors and our family could eat 3 times a day with some banana or bread snack sometimes. My organizational life started when I was 14 years old. My mother is the leader of the women organization and me in the youth org. From then on, we venture into livelihood initiatives that will help uplift economic lives but unfortunately fold up. I ended up realizing that all initiatives should be consolidated. An economic program should go hand in hand with value formation, socio-cultural programs and political participation.

when i found opportunity, I started a project for children and youth, maximizing theater arts as a medium. Young minds are being exposed to real life and they are being trained to be analytical. Emphasizing that the true intellect is if you know how to analyze your own situation.

I worked with Non Government Organizations providing legal assistance. But the years with my People's Organization and presently the years with the children and youth that I am challenge to create concepts and do some innovations. For we dont have fund, we dont have a physical center all we have is the noble objective to help each other - POOR HELPING POOR and you will later realize that you have enough.