73: Earth Fairies, Philippines

Challenger Profile at a Glance

Meet the Earth Fairies team in the Philippines! Find out how they are helping launch an urban farm in their community. They are proving that Earth Fairies are real!

Team

#63 – Earth Guardians Zambia
90-Day Challenge Goal: Encourage 100 people to do urban gardening
Location: Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Registered Challengers: Dorothy Faye Martin, Rianne Claudia Bolesa
90-Day Challenge Period: September 1 – November 30, 2020

Impact

Here are some impact highlights from the Earth Fairies team during the 90-day challenge period:

Came together as a new team and grew to 12 members
Created logo, social media account, and blog
Signed a Memorandum of Agreement to help operate an urban farm
Developed partnerships: SEED4COM, DENR-NCR, Ateneo de Manila University, Bahay Toro Area B Homeowners Association, Department of Agriculture

Challenge Experience

Dorothy’s natural curiosity led her to attend the Eco-Leaders Virtual Boot Camp in August 2020. This training by SEED4COM and partners was her first taste of what it means to be an eco-leader. From there, she heard about the 2020 International Climate Action Challenge. Her curiosity again led her to check it out and register for the challenge.

We asked Dorothy, what part of the challenge was most helpful? Here’s what she said:

“Actually, the book, workbook, trainings, weekly assignments are all helpful, but the most helpful one is when Joan Gregerson never failed to message me and ask, How are the Earth Fairies. She never failed to support me. And she is the reason why I have partners now. The wisdom, the knowledge that I learned from her, I will carry it throughout my journey as an environmental advocate.”

Next Steps

Moving forward, the Earth Fairies team is planning to build on the momentum they’ve established by:

Hosting a Kwentuhan Series on their Facebook page. Kwentuhan means talk to each other
Maximizing the use of social media to recruit more members, since there are still restrictions on in-person gatherings due to the pandemic
Creating more blog posts and publicity materials
Creating a strategic plan for going forward

Advice

We asked Dorothy, what is your advice for someone who wants to make an impact? Here’s what she said:

“Just believe in yourself. Believe in the power of your own voice. If many people are doubting you, or making you down, or making you feel less, don’t worry. Don’t listen to them because the future is in your hands. It all depends on you.

“Also, do not be afraid of gaining a partner. Because no man is an island and you cannot live alone. You have to gain more partners to create a bigger impact.

“Remember that Earth Fairies are not a myth and let’s prove it!”