Linggo 1 - The "shoal" week

We spent the week like a shoal of fish - all bonding and spending a lot of time getting to know each other. It is really interesting to understand the nuances of various cultures and also realize that ultimately all of us are pretty similar too. It makes you look up in awe at humanity in general and feel a sense of connected-ness with the world. I have had many conversations with Santa from Messy Bessy where when she explains how something works here in the Philippines I think - " That's exactly the same in India! " I also learnt a lot interacting with the Messy Bessy team to know how the social enterprises work and understanding the business model. We also got to interact with the learners this week and also made presentations for them on our countries.

This weekend we planned a trip to the Taal Volcano and Anilao. Although the itinerary required us to start at 6 am on a saturday, I must say the trip was well worth the morning nap sacrifice. We arrived at Taal volcano and took a scenic boat ride and a 30 minute ride on the horse to view the Volcano. On the way back, the same calm scenic boat ride felt like a ride in a hurricane. There was too much wind and waves with water splashing on us and we hadn't really worn our raincoats.I struggled to get my raincoat on in the wind,but failed miserably.We were fully drenched, but enlightened to know that when raincoats are given the next time, wear it!

Anilao, Batangas is located to the south of Manila and is famous for Scuba Diving. Caroline introduced us to this hilarious game over drinks called Head's up - Act it out and we spent many hours laughing and playing the game.

I had a list of firsts this week -

• Snorkelling - was kinda surreal to see the corals and the fish underwater. It was almost like time stood still here and I felt like an intruder 
• Trekking up a volcano within a Volcano
• Aha moment when you see your food that you think is vegetarian and realize it isn't!

Here are some moments from the week ( learning the art of Picture blogging from DJ ) :

Celebrating the love!

Lunch with DJ and Vince

Roomies - Caroline and Kathrin at Anilao

Taal Volcano

View of the ocean from the room

Visit to the Messy Bessy store!

                                                Head's up game in progress!

If only all business were like this

It's been a long week in Manila, hounding the good-natured and competent team at Rags2Riches with dozens of questions, trying to understand just what it is that they do, how they do it, and where they want to go. They are young and dynamic, coming from a variety of backgrounds, educational histories and career paths. It's a bit mindblowing to be in the company of young people who have already accomplished so much.

Simply put, in the upstairs offices the team runs from Reese Fernandez, the president, through her expanding sales and marketing team, through design, inventory and operations. Downstairs is the workshop, where bags and pillows from the rags to Riches Fashion and Living lines are assembled from R2R and indigenous communities' woven materials. The radio's on (Oh, won't you staaaaay with me? 'Cause you're all I need…). 

Half a dozen sewing machines are humming, zippers glint. A gang of young guys banter as they assemble with glue and leather. In the garden, a man snips carefully at a length of cotton knit to create bands for weaving. Each string then has to be knotted to the next, using a carefully studied technique designed to minimize the knot and make it invisible in the final weave. Brightly-colored stacks of woven panels and semi-finished bags grow on floors and tables throughout the day, excess threads snipped away to make a perfect product.

 

 

It's a family. Really. Everyone knows everyone else's news. At three in the afternoon, all work stops and a pick-up basketball game starts in the yard.

Even when we discuss the Rags to Riches commercial strategy, it's family. A formal strategy document leads off with,  "Before we go deeper into our strategic planning, we should always remember that no matter what we focus on, our purpose remains the same: lift Filipino Artisans out of Poverty." Artisans can earn a living through weaving, but they can also take courses that prepare them, with hard work, to become full-time artisans in the workshop in the main office, or R2R Ambassadors, manning one of the two R2R retail outlets in Manila.

There's also a career path for people like me. This week I became an official Rags to Riches Advocate, by becoming the happy owner of an R2R buslo, their fabulous over-the-shoulder basketweave bag. I could get used to this role.  J

Araw 3: The ladder of Courage

 A group of young adults ( and a few old ones from SAP :) ) stood around in a circle - all sharing their stories and insights on courage. This is an early morning ritual at Messy Bessy office where along with the morning prayer focus on values education. They played a story on courage and I could instantly see how moved the young adults were by the story. They were emotional and shared what courage meant to them. I felt truly privileged to be there and share this moment with them - while they told us about their dreams for the future.

After the students shared DJ, Vince and I shared a little bit about ourselves and our dreams. Was really interesting to note while some wanted to be social entrepreneurs - most just wanted to help their families financially and get their siblings educated. It put things in perspective and I clearly got what drives and motivates people working in Social Entrepreneurship space. Was a great way to start the day and looking forward to more such morning rituals!
                       

Araw 2:The Ride begins

Lessons for the day : 

• A village in Makati is actually a very rich residential gated villa property.

• Never say no to a macaroon especially when it comes in a Ferris wheel!

We kicked off the day with Darren and Carel, MD and Head of Marketing of SAP Philippines hosting us and the clients for an official start to our Social Sabbatical assignment.All the clients introduced themselves and their work before we split into sub teams and headed off on our own.

The ride with Messy Bessy began today for DJ,Vince and me with a field trip to the glitzy SM mall to see the shelves selling their products. We ate some yummy flatbread and macaroons while chatting with Krie Lopez, Michelle and Almira. We then went to  a place with a cafe like ambiance and neat boards with colorful values instead of the menus which is incidentally also their manufacturing unit /warehouse / back office/classroom for their young scholars. We spent some time interacting with young scholars who are employed by Messy Bessy part time while putting themselves through high school and college. It was heart warming to see how grateful some of these scholars were to have been given an opportunity by Messy Bessy to study and fulfill their dreams and ambitions of holding a college diploma.

Here are some pictures that capture the moments of the day :

View from the SAP Manila Office

Krie and Michelle @ store selling Messy Bessy products

Colorful Boards

Assembly Line

Production Area

Cafe like office

Araw 1 : Smile for the Camera!

I woke up this morning and while taking the lift down to the lobby, I met a guy from Australia who asked me "You seem to have come in a group. Where are you all from?" I smiled and said "Twelve different countries! " As I said this, I realized how unusual it is - even in today's connected world - that such a diverse group actually hangs out and spends time together. We got together today to do some team building exercises and to do a neighborhood walk. From doodling our life story, to seeing a pig head in a mall , to walking down the streets clicking a picture containing a bench, an airplane , a flag, wall graffiti and many such items off a list - was a great first day ( or Araw as they say in Filipino). 

Blowing Away the Karmic Bubble!

The week is abuzz with activities to shop and pack for the SoSa trip. As I lie down for a short siesta before I catch my flight, I am wondering if I can blow my Karmic bubble away like Dharma does in the tv series Dharma and Greg. Its a cleansing ritual in which bubble blower asks for forgiveness and lets go of one's baggage. Although I am not on a spiritual journey to Manila, am wondering if a bubble needs to be blown away with long held opinions, methodology of working and structures before I land in Manila to truly have an open mind to experience all that manila has to offer. Here's to blowing my bubble and opening up mentally to new experiences!

Counting the Days!

On graduating from university, I was hired  by a magazine syndicate in New York. On my first day at work, I learned I'd been assigned to Vogue Magazine. I was 21 years old. I wanted to make a contribution to the world, and I didn't feel I could do it working at a fashion magazine. I was so embarrassed that I spent the next two years telling strangers I worked at a travel agency!

Two years later, I left the country for new horizens in Europe. I became a magazine journalist, then moved into technical  communication. Now here I am, a knowledge architect at SAP. And SAP is giving me the chance of a lifetime to contribute.

In just a few days, I'll be leaving for the Philippines to participate in an SAP Social Sabbatical. I'll be working with a social enterprise in Manila called Rags2Riches, committed to improving the quality of life of artisans from poor areas in the country.

Here’s how they tell their story on their vibrant website:

We began our mission in 2007 in Payatas, one of the Philippines’ largest urban poor communities, home to half a million people. An informal cottage industry of rug-weavers grew from the many women who found their means of earning by scavenging through dumpsites for scrap pieces of fabric. They would then turn these into handcrafted rugs and rags that they would sell, all while fulfilling their familial duties.

Over time, middlemen saw the lucrativeness of the industry and exploited it, controlling both the supply of fabric and the women’s formal access to the market. This resulted in an unfair value chain for the women who earned only PhP 12-16 per finished product, or about .30 cents USD per day.

We started Rags2Riches to provide these artisans with access to the market and the formal economy, as well as with additional skills-based, financial and health training in order for them to utilize their maximum financial and personal potential.

R2R integrated a design solution by partnering with influential designers … and turning scrap materials into fashion handbags, now expanding to home accessories. In six years, R2R has trained over 900 artisans across communities in Metro Manila and continues to expand its social impact and eco-ethical footprint in the country.

Rags2Riches relies on four fundamental success factors, including collaborative and conscious design, conscientious commerce, empowering and inclusive progress (“If it’s not inclusive, it’s not progress”). The fourth success factor is a Filipino expression that positively sings to me: pagbabahagi ng sarili, meaning to share one's self:

We are in the business of sharing positive influence. In sharing the best of ourselves to our community, our country, and the world, we become part of each other’s stories of progress.

I’m on board. I can’t wait to get there and meet the Rags2Riches team in person. I can’t wait to see how I can share what’s best in me.