Kapwa's 30th Birthday Anniversary :)

KAPWA UPLIFTMENT Celebrates 30th Founding Anniversary

source: http://www.phildhrra-mindanao.org/2009/07/kapwa-upliftment-celebrates-30th-founding-anniversary/

The KAPWA Upliftment Foundation marked its 30th anniversary celebration on July 3, 2009 at KAPWA Office located at Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City. With its theme “Building Partnership for Sustainable Development”, the ocassion was actively participated by former colleagues , development partners, IP leaders of partner communities and friends of KAPWA.

The celebration commenced with a thanksgiving mass celebrated by Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, SJ, the founding Chair of KAPWA Upliftment. A short program followed, with Mr. Ferdinand Marañon, KAPWA Board Chairman, welcomed the guests and visitors to the activity. Fr. Barcelon S.J., inspired the visitors especially KAPWA workers with his inspirational talk encouraging KAPWA workers to be more dedicated and committed in sharing its mission of service to others towards building a better future. A brief presentation on the KAPWA history was shared by Ms. Alma Monica de la Paz, the Executive Director. Central to its celebration was the book launching of KAPWA’s publication entitled “Change and Challenge”. This highlighted KAPWA’s experiences and learnings in their struggles of assisting the Indigenous peoples and upland communities in improving their quality of life while restoring the environment in the uplands.

For the past 30 years, KAPWA has devoted its services to serving the rural poor who live in deforested areas. It has provided services that have enabled them to acquire rights over the land they till, organize start up collective enterprises and enabled them to adapt farming systems appropriate to upland areas.

KAPWA has also trained non-government organizations, community based organizations and church workers on forest tenure and agroforestry technologies. We have worked side by side with local governments and other government and civic groups to protect our natural resources and restore degraded sites.

Founded on July 3, 1979, inspired by Fr. Emeterio J. Barcelon, S.J. as an entity to nurture service to others based on the teachings of the late Fr. Pedro Aruppe, S.J., then Jesuit Father General.