Through SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Farming Program, farmers and first-time growers are finding sustainable ways to earn a living — proving that even small backyards can be fertile ground for change.

Among them is Connie Flores, a mother of six who graduated from the KSK urban gardening program in 2023. With no formal training in agriculture, she had long struggled with the cycle of debt in farming.

“Mahirap po ang magsaka. Dahil wala po kaming puhunan noon, lagi kaming umuutang,” she said.

(Farming is difficult. Because we didn’t have capital before, we were always borrowing money.)

The program taught her to grow high-value crops like patola, okra, and sitaw in backyard plots beside their rice fields. With increased income, Connie says she no longer sees herself as “just a housewife,” but as a contributor to her family’s finances.

“Kung hindi dahil sa KSK, hindi ko matututunang magtanim at magbenta ng iba’t ibang gulay. Dito ko napatunayan na kaya ko palang kumita at tumayo sa sarili kong paa. Pinalitan ko na ang dating mentalidad na pangkaraniwang housewife lang ako, may kakayahan din akong kumita para sa pamilya,” she said.

(If not for KSK, I wouldn’t have learned to plant and sell different kinds of vegetables. It made me realize I could earn and stand on my own. I’ve changed my old mindset of being just a housewife—I also have the ability to earn for my family.)

For Maricel Badua, a former barangay health worker and mother of four, joining KSK in 2023 opened the door to a new livelihood. With her husband, a tricycle driver, she now sells vegetables at SM City Urdaneta’s Weekend Market and earns around P15,000 weekly.

“Matagal ko na rin pong pangarap maging negosyante. Sa tulong ng SM Foundation, ito po ay natupad,” she shared.

(It has long been my dream to become an entrepreneur. With the help of the SM Foundation, that dream came true.)

From being unable to pay for her children's school needs, Maricel now dreams of expanding her business and owning a house.

“Ngayon, hindi na po imposible ang mga pangarap ko, unti-unti ko na po silang natutupad,” she said.

(Now, my dreams no longer feel impossible—I’m slowly achieving them one by one.)

The KSK Farming Program continues to support graduates through skills training and direct market access, helping turn agriculture into a viable livelihood for more Filipinos — one backyard at a time.