KEEPING THE BAYANIHAN SPIRIT ALIVE
Rooted in the spirit of communal unity among everyday heroes for the motherland, we invite you to join us in keeping this Filipino value alive. Bayanihan is an inclusive crowdfunding platform aimed towards creating positive impact to support the livelihood of independent grassroots artisans who weave big dreams and celebrate their ingenuous talents and crafts.
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people.
Here in ANTHILL, every one who makes up a part of our ecosystem is our bayani, an everyday hero. Our artisans keep our handcrafted traditions alive, our design collaborators render visions of the traditional with the modern, our production partners translate these modern designs into functional wear and our weave wearers proudly carry themselves in these thoughtfully made pieces. WE ARE ALL CONNECTED.
The pandemic brought about challenges and uncertainties that made us rethink the way we work on sustainability. Difficult decisions were made for the greater good. With our limited resources and capacity to support our partner artisans through procurement, we compromised our impact work. For our partners, this meant a sudden transition to independence that led them to put into practice what they have learned in our Community Enterprise Development Program and seek out alternative forms of income. But, starting a new venture is never easy.
Bayanihan was born out of the presence of a growing global community showing up for us in the toughest times throughout the pandemic. We aim to activate this contagious spirit of bayanihan once again to connect our artisans directly to the market, expand their reach to a global market and support their desire to weave tradition and technology by learning digital skills in storytelling and marketing. The value and the spirit of Bayanihan is the common thread that lives among us in a way that honours this connection. It gives us the opportunity to grow a community and be of service to each other in a way that fosters resilience and lasting change.
In partnership with The Spark Project and the initial funding from the Australian Alumni Grant Scheme, we provide a platform for our entrepreneurial artisans to weave new dreams with you!
Our artisans are bayanis to their communities in the same way that you, their supporters, are bayanis to them
MEET THE MAKERS
Ate Belen is ANTHILL's super seamstress for 3 years. After the closure of the in-house production, she transitioned to being our production partner and one of the seamstresses to benefit from the Kinaiya Collection. After working on several projects, it validated her lifelong dream to be able to run her own Sewing Studio where she can employ other women and produce for small brands as a manufacturing partner. Ate Belen is highly skilled and a very efficient master seamstress of apparel and accessory production.
Being a single mother for years, Ate Belen is one of the most resilient and strong willed women raising two amazing gentlemen who are pursuing their dreams as well. With Ate Belen's savings and hardwork in ANTHILL, she was able to let her children finish school. Her eldest is now training to become a soldier while his youngest is preparing for the nursing board exam. Now that her children are all grown up, Ate Belen dreams of this Sewing Studio to be a way to provide for her future so her sons can focus on theirs. An initial capital for the purchase of sewing machines and a few months rent would definitely kick off her dream. With all the sacrifices she's done for her children, it is indeed high time for Ate Belen's to enjoy the fruits of her labour, enjoy her independence and hone her creative sewing skills.
Ate Jingle is the epitome of servant leadership. She has been the longest running Community Manager of ANTHILL's partner HOME Plush Toys for years. The HOME mothers work on handcrafting some of the beautiful Christmas ornaments, and baby mobiles available on ANTHILL markets. Holding the fort for so long, she not only makes dolls but has also gained skills in cash flow management, supply chain management, materials sourcing, pricing and fulfilment among others. With all these skills up her sleeve, it was no surprise when she decided to open her own mini sari sari store in 2019 using her savings in ANTHILL as an alternative source of income to help provide for the needs and education of her three children. Something we are truly proud of!
During the pandemic, her husband lost his job and she readily became the breadwinner of the family. The mini sari sari store became a saving grace yet, business was still slow. With a vision to grow and expand her business, Ate Jingle aims to buy a brand new refrigerator and an automatic tubig machine to continue serving the needs of her community neighbourhood. With these additional amenities, she is confident she can grow her income and have her husband support her in running the business. This Craft Master is truly unstoppable!
Ate Jelyn is ANTHILL's partner Hablonan ni Lauriana's Community Manager from Argao, Cebu. Hablon ni Lauriana has become ANTHILLs Center for Research and Textile Innovation where the weavers are able to learn new weaving techniques and it is also the birthplace of our zero waste fabrics. They are a promising community of female weavers with experience in innovation. Gaining the skill of weaving from her mother, she has been hard at weaving for the past four years until the pandemic hit. During the slow months of the pandemic, Ate Jelyn had to be resourceful to put food on the table. She started selling home-cooked meals to sell among her neighbors in order to provide additional income to support herself, her husband, and their lovely daughter.
Aside from her skills in weaving and community enterprise management, Ate Jelyn also graduated from Cebu Technical University in Argao with a degree in Forestry. It has always been her dream to use her education and explore sustainable livestock farming by raising her own poultry, pigs, and cows. She feels that having a mini farm of animals would allow her family to have a more stable and secure income. She dreams of being able to purchase a few animals, grow them and sell them when they are healthy and ready. Our Weave Warrior dreams beyond the loom and we are excited for the possibilities of her new venture!
LEARN MORE ABOUT ATE JELYN'S DREAM HERE
A BAYANI IS NOT ONLY A HERO BUT SOMEONE WHO LIVES OUT THE BAYANIHAN SPIRIT. THEY ARE A PILLAR OF THEIR COMMUNITY, SOMEONE WHO BRAVELY WEAVES THE WAY.
Not all heroes wear capes and the power of these everyday heroes in our artisans are sometimes rarely seen and recognized. BAYANIHAN acknowledges the bayani in our artisans in the way they provide for themselves and their families. By taking part in the crowdfunding campaign, you provide seed capital and support the alternative livelihoods of our partner artisans. Your support will go a long way and in turn, you become our biggest bayani too!
"I think a hero is any person really intent on
making this a better place for all people." - Maya Angelou
- Maya Angelou
IN COLLABORATION WITH
