Clean Money.

I’ve been so fortunate to have spent the last four days helping out two other NGOs (one American-based and one Philippines-based) with a livelihood training for a couple groups of women that live here in some of the poorest areas of the city. The only requirement for these women to participate is that they have no job and no land—many of them are also former prostitutes who are trying to lift themselves out of their past profession. The training consisted of making jewelry products that will be sold abroad by the NGO that conducted the training. The two groups then formed co-ops, where they will be able to earn group money that they can decide to invest in other ways.

It was amazing to see the change in the women throughout the four days of training. They went from being unsure, quiet, and hesitant women on Day 1 to being talkative, joking, and empowered women by Day 4. Just through observation, I could see their confidence levels rise just a little bit with each jewelry item they completed. It was pretty awesome to be able to participate in something like this! Throughout the four days, I worked with one of the groups in creating their jewelry—extra hands means more jewelry can be made, which means more money for them. We bonded together as a group through mere presence, small chit-chat, and shared tasks.

Today was the best day of all, though, because the women got paid! Because they are a co-op, each group received a certain amount of “group money”, and each woman received her share of “individual money”. The group money was paid in a combination of US Dollars and Philippines Pesos—you should have seen them go crazy over the dollars! It was their first time seeing $20 or $100 bills in real life, and boy did they love it! They posed with the money and were so proud of their accomplishments. The women then signed a contract which establishes them as a co-op. Both parts of the morning were especially empowering for them!

Afterwards, the women from my group gathered downstairs while the other group conducted their business. There were tears of joy, and one woman stated something particularly profound—“We now know the difference between earning clean money and dirty money. It feels so good!” There was so much emotion wrapped into that statement, and I think the women felt self-worth for the first time in a long time. One member of our group had been working on her list of things she was going to buy after payday—the first thing on her list was 10 kilos of “good” rice (there are different qualities). She wants to eat well!

What a life-changing event for them, and a moving one for me! I hope to continue working with the groups of women as they delve into their businesses—can’t wait to see what the future holds. If things go well, it definitely holds more “clean money”.