These enabled LERC to fulfill its mission of providing livelihood training for PWDs and nourishment to vulnerable children and families in the Caloocan City North area.
Richard Arceno, director of LERC Caloocan and a PWD himself, worked closely with development partners to create a model that would not only benefit the center but also serve as a shining example for other PWD centers.
“We want the LERC to be the model of community-led inclusive development that focuses to alleviate and empower the persons with disabilities and other marginalized members of the community using the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” said Arceno.
“LERC wants to be part of proactive solutions and this is our commitment in the next 10 years (2023-2032). Please join us in this journey. We need the support of the government, the private sector and community at large,” he added, as the center continuously strives to target the development, empowerment, and transformation of over 50,000 PWDs and 20,000 vulnerable families in adjacent cities of Caloocan, Quezon City North, San Jose del Monte, Meycauayan, including some parts of Santa Maria, and Norzagaray in Bulacan.
This ambitious and groundbreaking vision culminated in the development of a cutting-edge vertical indoor gardening facility that could produce nutritious vegetables and herbs for distribution to those in need and for commercial sale.
Beyond the hydroponic garden, LERC also expanded its endeavors to include the raising of rabbits, chickens, mushroom production, and beekeeping. The once abandoned building that housed LERC for years was transformed into a vibrant urban gardening model, with every inch of available space utilized to foster sustainable agriculture and provide valuable learning opportunities.
The dedication and passion of Jhun Herrero, a volunteer cooperative development specialist and a PWD, were instrumental in providing training on Cooperative Governance and Management for the newly appointed officers and members of the Bigay Buhay Multipurpose Cooperative (BBMC).
This cooperative, organized, owned, and managed by PWDs, is spearheading a paradigm shift, empowering PWDs as contributing members of society towards the improvement of their socioeconomic lives by fostering independent living through economic and social development.
The partnerships flourished, resulting in the creation of sustainable livelihoods and food security initiatives for disadvantaged communities.
To date, the LERC is facilitating the livelihood training of 150 PWDs on school furniture making and bag production as well as printing of promotional materials and urban integrated farming.
Meanwhile, the center has been continuously providing support to 500 children PWDs and other vulnerable children through the dispensation of direct social services such as feeding programs, physical therapy, and inclusive early childhood education.
These initiatives add to the array of socioeconomic assistance that the LERC provides to 1,500 vulnerable families.
LERC also became part of the ATI (Agricultural Training Institute) Urban Agriculture Program, joining other accredited Urban Agriculture Garden sites under the ATI Central Office's supervision.
Through the said program, LERC will be further capacitated in contributing to the development of resilient food systems amid natural phenomena.
Their dedication to creating income opportunities, providing fresh and healthy greens, and promoting knowledge dissemination in urban agriculture has set an example for other organizations to follow.
In 2022, the LERC celebrated its 19th founding anniversary by establishing a Kadiwa selling outlet as it aligned with the center’s aim of generating livelihood for income security as well as to widen access to healthy foods at affordable prices.
