Yummy

Products that help alleviate poverty inpartnership with Gawad KalingaBuildingcommunitiesThe makersWhat initially startedas Tony Meloto’slabor of love—building homes forthe Philippines’s less-privileged residents—is now a massivecharitable operationthat includessmall businessesand a handful ofinteresting socialenterprises. Thebrands featuredhere were foundedby Gawad Kalinga(GK) volunteersas part of GK’sbusiness incubators(including the GKEnchanted Farmand GKonomics) andcurrently employcommunities thatreside in GK villages.``````GawadKalinga``````Plush & PlayStarted in Gawad Kalinga’sEnchanted Farm, Plush &Play handcrafts fruit- andvegetable-shaped stuffedtoys. The small-scale socialenterprise was created to fillthe gap in the market whenit came to locally made,toxin-free toys. In the spiritof GK’s other enterprises,Plush & Play fairly employsthree women as communitypartners who sew the toys byhand, each piece signed byits maker.``````Human NatureFounded by three GawadKalinga volunteers, this localsocial enterprise producesall-natural home, beauty,and wellness products tohelp restore and empowerlocal communities. HumanNature works in tandem withGK Enchanted Farm to helpdevelop a pro-environment,pro-Philippines, and pro-poor business venture.``````MilvidasMilvidas, which is “onethousand lives” in Spanish,focuses on empowering asmall community of womenthrough the productionof handmade items, likenapkins and coasters, wovenout of local yarn. Milvidas wasstarted by a small group ofwomen from a local GawadKalinga community, and ithas since grown into a stablesocial enterprise dedicatedto making a differencethrough craft.``````DomesticityThis homeware brandproduces locally madehandicrafts using indigenousmaterials like pandan andsabutan. In partnership withGawad Kalinga, the businessemploys out-of-schoolyouth in Negros Occidental,and helps build communitiesin the area using profits fromthe sale of its products.``````THEGIFTS1 Tomato-shapedstuffed toy, P175,Plush & Play2 Cocktail napkins,P650 for a set ofsix; coasters, P480for a set of eight;drinking glasshuggers, P480for a set of six; allfrom Milvidas3 Natural bodybutters inberry bliss andvanilla peach,P299.75 each,Human Nature``````4 “Fleur de Sel”ceramic container,P490; “Huiled’Olive” ceramicjar, P930; “Olivie”hand-painted tablerunner, P1,350; allfrom Domesticity