BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF) has received a $500,000 (P28 million) grant from the Citi Foundation, through CAF America, for a food security and nutrition project.

A TEAM from the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation visits a Dunnganon community to teach best agriculture-related practices and new technologies. (NWTF)

The grant will be used to support the organization’s “Balik Panguma Initiative” that aims to enable access to a stable food supply. 

NWTF Executive Director Suzzette Gaston said the pandemic has taught them many lessons, and two of them were the significance of health and that the quality of food on the table is crucial to maintaining optimal health.

With the Balik Panguma Initiative, Gaston said they strive to help their clients navigate the unpredictable seasons by maximizing the agricultural resources and opportunities available to them to ensure that there is enough food for their children.

The NWTF, through its Micro-Agri project and Community Loans, has been providing support to farmers with loan products that help them with their financial needs for almost a decade.

Through this initiative, the organization hopes to expand the growth of agriculture-related industries through responsible entrepreneurship, livelihood opportunities, economic productivity, and community development. 

The NWTF aims to ensure that Dungganon farmers are equally equipped with efficient agricultural practices, ensuring that they can consistently increase their income and eventually build better tomorrows for themselves, their families, and the greater community.

Gaston said they are grateful for the partnership with Citi Foundation, as the NWTF aspires to build resilient communities by empowering individuals and associations through capacity-building and awareness campaigns. 

The organization was founded in 1984 as a non-government organization (NGO) that seeks to help women achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliance, particularly in low-income and depressed urban and rural communities. It has now grown to over 200 branches across the Visayas and parts of Luzon, serving more than 500,000 clients and counting. 

Citi Philippines chief executive officer Paul Favila extended his congratulations to the grant recipients – NWTF and World Vision Development Foundation – as he shared his excitement to see the initiatives for Filipino farmers come to life.

“Through knowledge and skills sharing, these farmers will be better able to grow more sustainable businesses and make a positive impact on their communities,” Favila said.

As the Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world, they hope to assist more organizations move their meaningful and impactful causes forward in future Global Innovation Challenges.