AETA TRIBE FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to listen to the indigenous Aeta people and evaluate water management strategies that are more robust for human development while sustaining the ability of natural systems in the forest to provide the resources upon which the Aeta tribes depend that will allow them to create a new economy without undermining the integrity and stability of the natural systems. Our vision is derived from the concept of sustainable development and aims to re-build the forest and replace resources that are natural, or human made in equal or greater value without degrading or endangering the natural forest system but instead, shifting the focus to the social and economic development while protecting the environment for future generations. Our project deals with Economic Fairness. The project consists of four (4) initiatives: (1) provide access to clean drinking water by building water catchment systems, sanitation facilities, and handwashing stations, (2) improve agricultural production by providing tools, seeds, and water containers, (3) build human capital for farming and long-term economic security, and (4) promote health education programs for disease prevention and ending parasitic infections. 1. 80% of our annual donated funds are allocated to building water systems, sanitation facilities, handwashing stations, and providing water containers. Open defecation is still a traditional cultural practice among the Aeta people since they do not have readily accessible toilets. Muddy streams of water in the mountainous areas are what the Aeta people depend on; they share this water with wild animals. 2. 10% of our annual donated funds are allocated to agricultural tools used to improve agricultural production in the Aeta villages. Because the Aeta people live in extreme poverty without proper tools and education, they often grow food to feed their families on small parcels of land. Investing a portion of our funds in agriculture can provide food for the entire Aeta community which can potentially become a source of food security. The goal is to grow crops that are rich in nutrients that will benefit the children in every community. 3. 10% of the allocated funds are used to purchase water buffaloes. The Aeta people are not equipped to cultivate the land without heavy machinery needed to break down the soil. Providing water buffaloes will help cultivate the land, plow rice paddies, and improve the condition of the soil; therefore, more food can be produced on larger parcels of land, and in turn, provide long-term job security. The goal is to teach and build the next generation how to grow food using all available resources such as agricultural tools, livestock, organic fertilizers, clean water, and seeds for a healthy and fruitful harvest for long-term food security.
About This Cause
The Aeta lived in the forest near the volcano for over 400 years which suddenly became uninhabitable in June 1991, after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The government provided them with resettlement areas but failed to address both short and long-term adjustment and accommodations needed for the Aeta communities. After 30 years, many of the Aeta villages have no access to clean water and with the annual monsoon rains, the crops are destroyed year after year, resulting in erosion and ultimately, food shortages. In the early stage after the eruption, government employees, non-government organizations, local and foreign, faith-based, and human rights organizations swiftly intervened to provide livelihood opportunities, education, and health services, while protecting and preserving the Aeta’s culture and way of life. These intervention efforts were short-lived because of the lack of budget to sustain the initiatives for an extended period. Lack of water and sanitation facilities were major obstacles, as was the lack of access to health care services. In 2008, the relief efforts had completely stopped. Hunger and disease are on the rise among the Aeta children who suffer from diarrhea, parasitical infections, and skin diseases. In 2015, the Aeta Tribe Foundation was formed. We are the only 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization who continuously supports the indigenous Aeta tribes. We are not affiliated with any faith-based and/or political organization. On many occasions, political candidates have performed humanitarian aid to the Aeta communities to receive votes. 2025 is an important year for the Aeta Tribe Foundation – we will reach our ten-year anniversary in April 2025. We plan to raise total donations of $50,000 with the goal of addressing the development challenges in six Aeta communities by providing clean water and improve agricultural development to tackle food insecurity and poor nutrition. These communities are in isolated mountainous regions and will benefit enormously from improving production activities such as agriculture and basic infrastructure such as water systems, toilet facilities, and handwashing stations. I. Our budget for 2025 is allocated primarily to six water projects in the Aeta communities. We have listed the following Aeta villages namely in Nagsasa Cove, Lupang Pangako, Kanaynayan Castillijos, Manalal, Maligaya, and Malalabay. These projects in total entail three water-catchment systems, six toilet facilities, and six handwashing stations, serving a total population of approximately 1000 families with over 1800 children, a total of over 5,000 Aeta people. The estimated cost for the water projects came to $44,000 plus %,5000 for agricultural tools and seeds. II. Since April 2015, our foundation has ten Aeta representatives in the Philippines known as our honorary members, who spend most of their time visiting Aeta villages and sending us reports. We have allocated $5,800 to help pay for their transportation and food for the year. During the construction phases in six water projects, we have allocated $6,000 for food, accommodations, and transportation for all our volunteers performing the labor, masonry, welding, and painting. III. Once the water projects are completed, providing each community with agricultural tools, seeds, and livestock will cost roughly $5,800 as part of our sustainable-development goals for growing their food. We typically provide water buffaloes to help communities with transportation, but water buffaloes have become more expensive and now cost as much as two pairs of goats. Therefore, we plan to provide two pairs of goats to each community instead of the usual water buffaloes. We hope to encourage more Aeta women to engage in agricultural production to improve overall labor-force participation in the community, such that they can start earning income by selling produce in the open market. IV. We recently found a potential donor who owns a rice farm in the province of Pampanga and is willing to provide the Foundation with 1,000 pounds of rice monthly to be distributed to Aeta villages in the poorest and most isolated mountainous regions. The 1,000 pounds of rice equals 20 bags of 50 pounds each with an average cost of $60, a $1,200 donation value from the farm each month. We hope to transport the rice to the three Aeta communities in the province of Zambales, but this would increase our transportation cost to $7,200 in a year. The rice will be a meaningful component of the local diet that will provide food during the planting seasons and the harsh weather conditions. V. During our cutting-ribbon ceremony for completing our water systems projects, we hope to give each family a 5-gallon blue plastic container that will allow transporting water for drinking, cooking, and growing food. There are an estimated of 1000 families and the containers cost $5 each, totaling $5,000. Overall, our development costs for 2025 are estimated to be $49,800 and our business operations expenses come to $23,800, with $1,400 remaining in the bank.