The Payawpao Orchids

The Payawpao (Pie-yow-pow) Orchirds are a group of women based in the small village of Sugod in the central Philippines.  They named their group after Mt. Payawpao, the large mountain that dominates the landscape.

Some of the ladies in the group are shown below.  Some are solo mothers, some live in bamboo houses, some take care of their kids alone as their husbands work abroad, and all work hard to break away from poverty and give their kids the best possible chance of a good education.  The group has started out small, with only five members.  More ladies will be invited to join the group once existing members are earning enough to support themeslves.

The frequency of typhoons in the Philippines is increasing as the planet heats up.  No one is feeling it more than the Orchids.  Erna Mijares is one who lost her house to Tyhpoon Frank.

The group meets every Sunday at 1pm to share ideas, pool resources and bond as a group. 

They make beads from recycled paper; mats and bags from flax; and bowls from native materials.

One of the problems they face is lack of resources due to their isolation.  There are no printers on their island, so poster paper is in short supply to make their paper beads.  There are no craft shops, so they have to rely on friends and family to fetch clasps from far away Manila.  Sometimes even glue is hard to come by.

The Orchids work hard to make a difference in the children's lives.  Why not help them and buy some of their crafts?

The Payawpao Orchids hard at work.