Bruno and Marisol told their wedding guests that they did not need any gifts. Instead, they asked guests to donate to a local community. They actually meant their local community in Geneva, Switzerland but two of their wedding guests decided to put a twist on things. Two of Marisol’s childhood friends in the Philippines decided to interpret “local community” as a community in the Philippines. They wanted to support a family in Negros Occidental because Marisol’s mom is from there and Marisol herself lived there briefly.
These two friends coursed their donation of a pedicab (bicycle with a sidecar) through NVC’s Project Joseph. A couple named John and Marjorie Sunga from Victorias were glad to receive it. We met the couple because their son is enrolled in our Mingo Meals Nutrition Program for stunted children. John and Marjorie used to peddle vegetables and fish on foot. With that set-up, they could earn P200-250 a day.
Soon after we turned over the pedicab, we caught up with John and Marjorie. The couple happily reported that ever since they switched to the pedicab, they could carry more goods and could service more homes. Because of this, their earnings went up by 100 to 150%. Furthermore, they could bring their children along with them instead of leaving them at home. And because they did not have to walk as much, they had energy for quality time and family bonding at the end of the workday.
Note: John and Marjorie gave NVC permission to post photos of their children.
