When Nayra Limgas lost her home and livelihood to the siege, childhood dreams and fantasies were the last thing on her mind. She had three children to care for and, as a single mother with no stable income, she was a steep climb.
Before the attack, despite not having a stable source of income, it was easy to find side businesses in Marawi given its entrepreneurial economy. However, after the siege, the opportunities dwindled until there were almost none left. However, Nayra was able to get by by reselling all the produce he could get his hands on and planting ‘pechay’ on the nearby vacant lot. Still, even when he worked twice as long, with the prices as they are, even that wasn’t enough.
Fortunately, her name was listed as one of the single mothers in need of livelihood, and before she knew it, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KoICA) were on her doorstep offering her a second life. opportunity in life. .
TESDA offered her a wide variety of options to earn a living and she took the opportunity to resume a dream she has had for as long as she can remember: baking.
With the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning, he stormed through TESDA’s strict 21-day training seminar with determination. Her dream of owning her own bakery came increasingly true on her graduation day, when OIM-KoICA gave her everything she needed to start building her business. From an oven to a refrigerator to ingredients, it seemed like everything she’d ever wanted was right at her fingertips.
It is true that Nayra wasted no time in announcing her new business. Longtime friends of hers were supportive and told her neighbors that they should try her cakes, both to support her livelihood and her childhood dream. She even created an online page for her business, but she admitted that she focused more on her customers within her neighborhood, as they were a safer demographic compared to her online customers. .
Of course, she is well aware that baking equipment is far from cheap, and without OIM-KoICA, her dream of becoming a baker would have been just that: a dream. But she now has a stable business that meets the needs of her children while she supports her family. The best part? She’s doing what makes her happy!
Finding love and passion in her business, Nayra continues to support her family while living out her childhood fantasy. (PJF/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)