Learn how Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in the Philippines is Changing the World

Summary

The script narrates the inspiring journey of a nonprofit, Guard Kalina Community Development Foundation, and its initiative, GK Enchanted Farm, which aims to end poverty by building communities and empowering social entrepreneurs. Founded by Tony Meloto, it has transformed lives by replacing violence with skills training and entrepreneurship. With the help of Oracle NetSuite's social impact grant, the organization has streamlined its operations, enabling it to focus on its mission to uplift five million Filipino families and create 500,000 social enterprises.

Takeaways

• 🌱 The Guardian Kalina Community Development Foundation was established in 2003 with a mission to end poverty.
• 🏰 In 2010, the GK Enchanted Farm was founded by Tony Meloto to address deep poverty and promote peace through community building.
• 🔑 The farm started with training and reintegration programs, encouraging individuals to abandon violence and join peaceful communities.
• 🏘️ Over 2,500 communities have been established across the country as zones of peace, contributing to the broader goal of poverty alleviation.
• 📈 The vision is to end poverty for five million families, with a focus on social entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency in local produce sales.
• 🎓 The farm operates Seed Philippines, a school for experiential and entrepreneurial development, empowering students to become social entrepreneurs.
• 💼 The growth of the organization necessitated a shift from manual processes to technology, specifically Oracle NetSuite, to streamline operations.
• 📊 NetSuite's flexibility and automation capabilities have significantly reduced administrative time, allowing the team to focus on their mission.
• 📈 The platform has enabled the creation of 500,000 social enterprises, contributing to the goal of uplifting five million Filipinos from poverty.
• 📚 Tax reporting has been simplified with NetSuite, reducing the need for multiple people to prepare and review reports.
• 👩‍👧‍👦 The farm has become a thriving community with hospitals, clinics, and educational opportunities, transforming the lives of its residents.

Q & A

What was the primary goal of establishing the Guard Kalina Community Development Foundation and the GK Enchanted Farm?

The primary goal was to end poverty, with the two institutions working together as building blocks towards this objective.

Who founded the GK Enchanted Farm and why?

GK Enchanted Farm was founded by Tito Tony Mulatto to address deep-rooted poverty and to encourage individuals to give up their violent lifestyles.

How did the individuals who returned to the slums fare after giving up their violent ways?

Many of them faced attacks, stabbings, and shootings, which led to the initiative of building peaceful communities.

What is the significance of the over 2500 communities established across the country?

These communities represent a zone of peace and are part of the broader vision to end poverty for five million families.

What was the vision on May 10, 2014, for the movement of social entrepreneurs and businesses?

The vision was to build a movement of social entrepreneurs and businesses that could help the poor, eliminating the need for middlemen and empowering them to sell their own produce.

What is Seed Philippines and how does it relate to the farm's educational efforts?

Seed Philippines is a school within the farm that provides experiential and entrepreneurial development, transforming the lives of students who once lived under harsh conditions.

How did the introduction of technology impact the productivity and efficiency of the farm and its social enterprises?

Technology, particularly the Oracle NetSuite platform, greatly reduced administrative time, allowed for customization of processes, and automated tasks, enabling the organization to focus on its goals and scale efficiently.

What is the role of the Oracle NetSuite social impact grant in the growth of the farm and its associated enterprises?

The grant provided the farm with access to the Oracle NetSuite platform, which streamlined operations, improved efficiency, and allowed for faster decision-making and growth.

How has the farm's approach to social entrepreneurship evolved over time?

It has evolved from a few initial products to over 95 different SKUs, necessitating the use of advanced tools like Oracle NetSuite to manage inventory and operations effectively.

What is the significance of the plush toy making business in the context of the farm's social mission?

The plush toy making business represents an opportunity for local moms, who were previously garment factory workers, to regain their livelihood and dignity through their sewing skills, while also creating products that benefit various communities.

What is the broader impact of the farm's activities on the local communities and the country as a whole?

The farm's activities have led to the creation of jobs, provision of healthcare facilities, and establishment of social enterprises, contributing to the overall well-being and economic development of the communities and the country.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Building Communities to End Poverty

The script introduces the Guard Kalina Community Development Foundation and the GK Enchanted Farm, two institutions founded to combat poverty. Established by Tito Tony Mulatto, the farm aimed to address deep-rooted poverty by offering training and opportunities for individuals to abandon violence. The initiative led to the construction of homes and communities as peaceful zones, expanding to over 2500 communities nationwide. The vision is to end poverty for five million families, and the script mentions the establishment of a movement of social entrepreneurs and businesses to support the poor, eliminating the need for middlemen and empowering farmers to sell their produce directly. The story of a family living under a bridge, who now have their own enterprises, exemplifies the transformation.

05:00

🚀 Scaling Social Impact with Technology

The second paragraph discusses the challenges of managing growth within the organization, particularly the administrative burden that increased with the number of transactions and suppliers. The introduction of technology, specifically Oracle NetSuite, revolutionized operations by streamlining administrative tasks, allowing the organization to focus on its mission. The flexibility of NetSuite enabled customization of sales orders and expense reports without external consultants, enhancing operational efficiency. The system also facilitated workflow automation and simplified tax reporting. The script highlights the impact of this technological integration, which not only improved operational capabilities but also supported the growth of social enterprises, such as the plush toy making business that provided livelihoods for displaced garment factory workers. The goal is to create a network of enterprises operating on the same system to streamline transactions and share knowledge. The script concludes by emphasizing the importance of maintaining focus on social and environmental outcomes alongside financial success.

Keywords

💡Poverty

Poverty refers to a state of deprivation, lacking the basic needs for a decent standard of living. In the video, it is the central issue that the speaker's organizations aim to address. The script mentions a goal of 'ending poverty for five million families,' illustrating the scale of the mission.

💡Nonprofit

A nonprofit organization is a group that operates without the primary goal of making a profit, often focusing on serving a public or social cause. The speaker mentions the 'Guard Kalina Community Development Foundation' as an example of such an entity, highlighting its role in combating poverty.

💡Social Entrepreneurs

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who create and implement innovative solutions to social problems, often through ventures that are financially self-sustaining. The video discusses the desire to build a movement of social entrepreneurs to help the poor, emphasizing their importance in the speaker's mission.

💡GK Enchanted Farm

GK Enchanted Farm is a specific initiative mentioned in the script, which serves as a platform for social change and poverty alleviation. It is described as a place where individuals are trained and empowered to change their lives, moving away from violence and towards productive livelihoods.

💡Community Development

Community development involves creating conditions that enable a community to thrive through various means, including economic, social, and environmental strategies. The script describes the establishment of over 2500 communities as part of the broader effort to end poverty.

💡Seed Philippines

Seed Philippines is a school mentioned in the script that provides education and training for entrepreneurial development. It is an example of the kind of institution that helps individuals from impoverished backgrounds to start their own enterprises.

💡Social Enterprises

Social enterprises are businesses whose primary goal is to achieve a social impact alongside a financial return. The speaker talks about creating 60 social enterprises and over 300 jobs, showing the impact of these enterprises on local communities.

💡Oracle NetSuite

Oracle NetSuite is a cloud-based business software suite that provides a wide range of functions for businesses, including financial management and operational tools. The script describes how the organization benefited from a grant to use this software, streamlining administrative tasks and allowing for more focus on their social mission.

💡Workflow Automation

Workflow automation refers to the use of technology to automate repetitive business processes. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as a feature of Oracle NetSuite that has helped the organization to reduce manual tasks and increase efficiency.

💡Tax Reports

Tax reports are documents that detail an organization's financial activities for tax purposes. The script highlights how the use of Oracle NetSuite has simplified the preparation of tax reports, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient process.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency with which an organization can produce goods or services. The speaker discusses the challenges of managing growth and the need for productivity tools, such as Oracle NetSuite, to keep up with the increasing demands of their operations.

Highlights

Founded in 2003, the nonprofit Guard Kalina Community Development Foundation aims to end poverty.

Established in 2010, the GK Enchanted Farm works in tandem with the foundation to combat poverty.

Tony Meloto, the founder of Enchanted Farm, initiated programs to address deep-rooted poverty.

The farm's programs led to individuals giving up violence and embracing change.

Building homes and communities for peace was initiated to protect reformed individuals.

Over 2500 communities have been established across the country as zones of peace.

A dream to end poverty for five million families was articulated on May 10, 2014.

The movement of social entrepreneurs was initiated to help the poor through businesses.

Farm produce is sold directly by farmers, eliminating the need for middlemen.

Seed Philippines is a school on the farm that teaches experiential and entrepreneurial development.

Social enterprises have transformed individuals from dumpster divers to business owners.

The farm is now a thriving community with hospitals, clinics, and educational opportunities.

Oracle NetSuite Social Impact grant was received to improve administrative efficiency.

NetSuite's flexibility allows for customization of sales orders and expense reports.

Workflow automation through NetSuite has streamlined previously manual processes.

NetSuite has simplified tax reporting, reducing the need for multiple personnel.

The use of NetSuite is influencing other social entrepreneurs to adopt the same system.

A plush toy making business was established to provide livelihood for displaced garment factory workers.

The business has grown from a few products to over 95 different SKUs.

Oracle NetSuite has been chosen for its ability to equip the company with the right tools for growth.

The vision includes a network of enterprises working on the same system for easier transactions and learning.

The partnership with NetSuite has allowed the team to focus on social and environmental impacts.

Over 2,500 communities have been built, and over a million people have been helped.

80,000 children are fed daily in public schools, and 60 social enterprises have been established.

Transcripts

[Music]

when you are typically to dream for

ending poverty everyone will want to be

part of it in 2003 we started the

nonprofit called

guard Kalina Community Development

Foundation in 2010 we started the GK

enchanted farm and these two

institutions are working hand-in-hand as

building blocks to one goal of ending

poverty she consented farm was founded

by a Tito Tony mulatto he wanted to

address a very deep kind of poverty and

that's when he started to do in camps

and doing trainings this young

individual started giving up their guns

giving up their knives and said I'm done

with this life you know

when they went back into the video slum

in the country many of them can attack

many of them got stabbed many of them

got shot so that's why we started

building homes

sorry building communities so that it

can be a zone of peace now we have over

2500 communities across the country and

we've been articulating this dream ever

since

let's end poverty for five million

families May 10 2014

we wanted to now build a whole movement

of social entrepreneurs businesses that

can also help the poor and these are not

the usual entrepreneurs these

enterprises and come from the purchase

of the farm you don't even need a

middleman anymore because they

themselves can already sell their own

produce a classic story the family who

lived under the bridge now the sons they

have their own enterprises they were

taught from the school here in the farm

it's called seed Philippines so this is

what we are doing now in the GTA

enchanted farm it's the first farm

village University in the world

Hiram and 19 years of age watch to

graduate of seed Philippine seeds

Philippines time for school for

experiential and entrepreneurial

development

the Gators at the Caucasus in Gaza for

like we build solanum social enterprise

no me in fact for salmon salmon at out

the tune and composer seed Philippines

company from a patent wanna business

before employing values

seeing the progressive changes with the

students they came from the dumpsters

now they have their own enterprises from

people who didn't have any opportunities

no businesses here we're now one of the

biggest tax payers in this whole

district

we now have jobs here they can work here

and they can fry all of our children in

our community they're all go it's good

many of them honor students

we now have hospitals here clinics we

now have access to health care here so

it's all become now a place where

communities can thrive at the beginning

the farm has only very few transactions

and we were able to get by which was an

Excel but as you grow as an organization

and then you have all this foot traffic

then you all have these different

transactions with a lot of suppliers

already it's very difficult I really

remember a time in 2014 where we had no

time to dream anymore because things

started to really work fast we were

trying to catch up with so many things

we were doing things manually when we

need to like change something like you

have different versions of the file so

it's very big

and finally one computer and attended it

again in another finest bubbly there

when we started a farm with the field of

technology we started to find without

the productivity decided we talked about

agriculture but we saw that we didn't to

bridge two worlds and that's when we

encountered the Oracle NetSuite social

impact we applied for this grant and we

were so lucky to be able to get this the

Oracle NetSuite social impact has given

us this grant the tremendously reduce

the amount of admin time that we put in

to our back-office works this has

allowed us to focus on what we really

want to achieve we have to do things

fast

when we want to end poverty for five

million Filipinos you want to build

500,000 social enterprises so we have to

act fast

so through NetSuite because it's very

flexible I can create fields I can

create new forms I can customize sales

orders I can customize request expense

reports without the need of another

consultant and that is very advantageous

for us because we don't need to wait for

like a few weeks just to be able to come

up with this type of form that we need

for operations there is workflow

automation so those things

we do manually before has actually been

automated already because of NetSuite

one of the things that I really

appreciate about NetSuite is when it

comes to the tax reports now we only

have like one person preparing it

because what he needs to do is just

extract are reporting NetSuite and then

someone else will review and approve

well if there's no need if there's no

software you will have like three or

four people coming in before it gets

prepared because of the system and

because of this platform we will be able

to really be a greater force of good

we're starting to influence as well

social entrepreneurs to also use the

same system

I'm standing in front of our new

facilities but on many international in

cooperated which is the company behind

the brand plush and so the business we

started here in the farm is basically

plush toy making when we talk to the

lamps in this area what we realize is

most of them have a common story they

used to be working for garments factory

that eventually closed down and so when

we thought about bringing back

livelihood and and the dignity of the

moms based on what they know to do what

they know is sewing so I blend it

together using the skills of the land

let's create products that we can sell

to people we can afford it and donate

them to the kids in all different

communities so eventually when we

started the company there was just like

three or four different products we were

making but eventually did something that

has grew to 95 different sk use and so

it's a challenge to keep inventory for

for all of them there is a certain point

where if you want to grow you need to

equip your company and equip your people

with the right tools so we just choose

Oracle knits it I've done Oracle

NetSuite for years since I was here when

we implemented with the forum and one

thing we want to do is some sort of a

network of enterprises that can work on

the same system so it's much easier for

us 12 transactional operations or to

learn from one another we look forward

to have an operational tool that allows

us will be able to have a better way to

keep track of everything that's

happening in the company and training

the moms on how to use Oracle unity

that's something I really get excited

this has become a massive movement and

we were so surprised this dream that we

were building up it became much better

when it was put down the ground it was

just because we were willing to engage

people from all over the world and we

were able and we were just so willing to

make mistakes on the ground wake up

every day and just be happy making the

mistakes that we needed to make we've

built over 2,500 communities we've

helped over a million people across the

country were also feedings 80,000

children in our public schools a day we

also have built now 60 social

enterprises and I've created over 300

jobs across the GP enchanted farm and

that's what I'm so thankful for with

this partnership with next week our team

started seeing again that it wasn't just

in doing the operations and in doing the

numbers and that's important but we can

never lose sight of our true bottom

lines which relate not only to the

financial bottom line but most

importantly to the social and

environmental elements and that's what

we wanted to focus on and through net

suit we were able to do that

[Music]

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