Nanay Bibo - A women run eatery and training space

Hope you are well. The collaboration from the local community, local governing units, rural health unit, our team, and you have made the Nanay Bibo Project an initiative of hope and wellness for women in north Siargao. With our continued efforts the momentum has been positive towards reducing malnutrition among pregnant women. I’m happy to share our update since our last report in November 2024.

The second year of our Maternal Empowerment Program came to an end in January, which was funded by a grant. Since January we have moved to monthly sessions, which are funded by our NGO, and plan to provide more sessions depending on funding.

Currently we are planning our carinderia/ training space, which we plan to outfit end of Spring/early Summer. This will provide livelihood for mothers in San Benito.

Here are a few highlights since November 2024:

• Over 50 mothers have participated in our weekly and monthly workshops
• 237 supplemental meals have been served
• In December we organized a special holiday event, which included music, dance and a healthy meal.
• In January we held a graduation for the mothers who completed the Maternal Empowerment Program in 2024. Mothers reflected and expressed what they learned and what they will share in the community, all members of the program including the nurses, Kolekbibo team and moms performed songs and dances, and we shared in a nutritious meal together. You can view pictures from this event on our Instagram profile: Year 2 Graduation
• In February, alongside the nurses, we facilitated a topic about breastfeeding.
• In March, to recognise Women’s month, our guest speakers talked about topics of empowerment. Guest speakers, Health Education and Promotion Officer, Zerah, inspired the mothers about what it means to be a modern mother and volunteer, Candice, facilitated a discussion about mental health, which we’ll continue in April’s session. 

Looking ahead:
Given the feedback from mother’s attending our program we’ve learned that many appreciate the sessions because it gives them time and space to express and share their feelings. It's  safe place to be themselves and share their challenges with other women in the community. April’s session will be a continuation of March where we go deeper into the topic of mental health. This will give us a better understanding of their needs and allow us to serve them better. Additionally, we’ll be conducting a survey about livelihood. The questionnaire inquires general information about their family, what the mothers interests and skills are, how they currently earn income, and their financial challenges. The survey will help us develop work opportunities for the mothers and give us an idea who may be a good fit for the upcoming carinderia space. 

We’ve secured the space for the carinderia and training space. Our plans are to recruit mothers and design and outfit the space by end of Spring/ early Summer. Our goal is to have 3 mothers employed by the Summer.

Monthly sessions will continue where mothers will receive a supplemental meal and participate in topics related to their wellness and wellbeing. 

Feedback from the community:

"For me, being a mother has changed me since I joined the kolekbibo." - a program beneficiary.

When asked what she will share with her friends and neighbors, “That breastfeeding is better to apply to keep the child healthy and agile and avoid disease.”, a program beneficiary.

Because of the Kolekbibo program “I don’t have to worry about the women in San Benito”, Chad Cariaga Basadre, Surigao Del Norte Department of Health representative. 

“Kolekbibo’s Feeding Program here serves as an educational opportunity to learn about sickness, how to maintain physical for their children and their families, meet new people, and most interestingly, it provides a space for them to relax, be stress free and be away from their everyday madness of taking care of household things and family.”, researcher who conducted interviews with program beneficiaries. 

Why this work is so important:
8 in every 100 children in the Caraga region (of which Siargao Island is a part) already suffer from malnutrition. The effects of malnutrition are irreversible after two years, impacting the rest of their lives. By supporting pregnant and lactating mothers we are meeting the challenge at the root, enabling women to lay strong foundations for their children's future as well as their own.

Education, income and limited health care capacity are barriers to healthy mothers and infants. Serving supplemental meals, safe space, and offering livelihood opportunities will help women rise beyond the barriers.

Thank you for being part of this journey towards improved maternal health, child development and women empowerment in Siargao!

Links:

• Year 2 graduation