16/05/2023
As we celebrate Mother's Day, we are featuring stories of mothers who benefited from Save the Children's various programs and projects.
Evelyn is a mother of five. Like many mothers, she juggles taking care of her family and working hard for her children by watching over their small corner store that they opened during the pandemic.
“When I wake up, I finish the house chores first then I go to the market if I need more supplies for my store. I try not to complicate my daily activities because of my high blood pressure,” shared Evelyn.
Before the pandemic, Evelyn earned a living through selling grilled food in their community. “We used to have a grilling station just right outside. It was a big hit here but it was very tiring not just for me, but for the whole family. Because of the community lockdown caused by the pandemic, we had to stop the business," said Evelyn.
On February 2022, Evelyn was selected to be a beneficiary of Save the Children’s Financial Resiliency Towards Economic Recovery (FREER) Project where she was supported with livelihood assistance. She also became part of a Community Savings Group (CSG).
“I save 300 PHP a week. I try my best to regularly save so that I have funds for the enrollment of my children. I have a child who is studying engineering, and the fees are really heavy on the wallet. That is why I really work hard on the store and take care of my savings.”
Through FREER, Evelyn learned how to efficiently save and how to manage and improve her business. “Without the CSG, I would not be able to save. My 300 pesos would have gone to random expenses.”
Evelyn shared that she learned about using her savings for her children’s best interest, “My savings from joining FREER is really for the education of my two children.”
Mothers will certainly do everything they can for the welfare of their children. Learn more how you can help mothers like Evelyn by messaging supportercare@savethechildren.org.
