The WAND Foundation (formerly LEF, Inc.) started as a localized initiative implemented in 2003 in 2 barrios in Mindanao aptly enough with water, agroforestry, nutrition and development (wand) themes.  In 2004 it won in the World Bank-initiated Philippine Development Marketplace competition and since then, several donors have funded its expansion to cover 26 barrios in 3 provinces in Mindanao in about 4 years time. One inclusion in 2007 is the integration of human excreta management by implementing ecosan and using human waste as fertilizer thereby closing the loop between food production and consumption and lessening disease incidence and groundwater contamination. This won us another award in the recent Philippine Development   Marketplace sponsored by the World Bank in 2007.

The context of the project is that Mindanao, in southern Philippines, is a region suffering from poor infrastructure, high poverty incidence, and violence that have claimed the lives of more than 120,000 in the last three decades. The violence and rebellion are derived from unfulfilled hopes of peace and economic prosperity after the 1986 restoration of democracy.  In the project areas before the project started socio-economic exclusion and poverty is prevalent, availability of potable water difficult, most of watershed areas remain denuded, ill-health and general malice characterizes the population.  The government is unable to deliver the much needed services especially in the agricultural sector where it is most needed because of the gargantuan budget deficit, insurmountable foreign debt servicing, corruption and overburdened bureaucracy.  The rural areas remain stagnant with very few viable enterprises operating and farmers producing primary crops being subjected to pricing dictated by middlemen.  Socialized rural credit favoring the resource-poor farmers is lacking. This project is slowly reversing the difficult scenario by the implementation of potable water system, developing sustainable small farms by integrating vegetable gardening, small and large animals and planting fruit and timber trees, forming functional rural associations and improving the position of women in the community.  

The overall objective of the project is, “to uplift the socioeconomic situation of resource poor marginal farming families so that they will be able to live more humane and dignified lives and fully participate in the life of the community”.

The project is implementing a multi-pronged approach consisting of the following:

a. Installation of community-managed gravity-fed water system.  The water system is series of catchments emanating from the source and connected to the population center by sanitary polyethylene pipes.  The water systems are managed by the barrio association. 

b. Community education through barefoot extension agents.  The agents are trained volunteers from among the members of the community and act as resource person in their community.

c. Community-based nursery and communal tree planting of watersheds and eroded hillsides. The local associations are mobilized to plant and care for their planted area.  Most important ASEAN fruit and tree species are raised and planted to enrich and maintain local biodiversity.

d. Promotion of vegetable gardening to combat malnutrition and improve incomes.

 e. Large and small animals are released to farmers to improve their farming system and lessen the burden in the field.  The small animal is also a ready source of protein and income. 

 f. Organizing associations to sustain and manage the initiative.  Organizing local associations follow a 3-stage iterative process of formation, strengthening and organizational consolidation. 

 g. Incorporating gender and development in the whole process and nurturing women leaders. 

Purpose of WAND Foundation Inc.

1.  To pursue local empowerment programs by engaging in initiatives related to water, agro-forestry, nutrition and development or WAND with focus of assistance to the poorest of the poor.

2.  To provide social services, livelihood development, research, advocacy, biodiversity enhancement, promotion of the culture of peace and sustainable agriculture activities to the rural areas.

3.   That in the event of dissolution, all of the remaining assets, after payment of liabilities, shall not inure to the incorporators and members but shall be transferred to another Foundation of its choice and of similar purpose or to the Republic of the Philippines.