In the small town of Bombon in Camarines Sur, access is a perennial problem in one of its poor villages. Students in Brgy. Sto. Domingo would walk on their bare feet as they traverse the muddy path in Zone 7 before they can reach school. Their mothers would bring either water dipper or rag to wash or wipe the dirt off.

Jane Nicerio, 42, a resident, pity the students every time there’s a downpour. According to her, it is also very difficult for her to tread the said path because of her disability in walking.

Nicerio, a vendor with no regular source of income, would roam around their village on her bike to sell kakanin. She too was a victim of the muddy and slippery road causing her to tumble down. There was a time when she spilled the food worth of PhP300.00, the only money she had. She cannot believe that she brought nothing for her family.

“Nagapwersa ako magtinda maski mauran maski maalnas ang dalan para may kaunon kami. Nagibi talaga ako and sinabi ko talaga na sana maparil na ang dalan mi,” she said.

She came from a poor family and hardly finished high school back then when she lost both of her parents at an early age. She became a helper to her uncle’s family who sent her to school in exchange.

Now, Nicerio has her own family who is married to a farmer with one child. Their family transferred to Zone 7, Brgy. Sto. Domingo twelve years ago.

Though she could barely provide for her family and she is a differently abled person, Nicerio accepted the offer to become a volunteer who will manage the construction of their concrete pathway in 2013, an additional task that would require her time and effort.

Marlyn Suarez, another volunteer, encouraged her to participate as the Procurement Team head of their community project.

“Maski PWD [person with disability] ka, makakatabang ka sa barangay,” Suarez told her.

Nicerio’s condition who has difficulty in walking and folded arms cannot explain the cause of her disability. But beyond her physical deficiency, she believed that she can accomplish anything because of her determination.

“Dae ako nagapundo hanggang dae ko natatapos,” she added.

She proved that she can perform her duties as the procurement officer though it was her first time to be one. She sacrificed her two days and went to another town to look for the lowest cost of supplies and materials needed for their concrete pathway. She shoved her timid character and learned to comport herself in front of different people.

She also devoted her time to monitor the laborers during the construction of their pathway which started in January 2015 and explained to them that they should do their best because the project is important to the villagers. Luckily, it was completed in May 2015.

“Maski mag-uran o mag-init, magayon na ang dalan mi,” she said.

Nicerio is one of the 62,187 trained residents in Kapit- Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a DSWD program that seeks to help alleviate poverty through community-driven development (CDD).

“Dakulang orgulyo maging volunteer dahil tinawan ako ning tiwala maski PWD ako. Kaya ko man gibohun ang tigagaibo ning ibang normal na tao,” she said.

After all the trainings she received from Kalahi-CIDSS, she was very grateful not only because of their concreted pathway but also with the additional knowledge and new friends. She also became an active member of their village because she was never involved in any community activities before.

“Mas nagdakol ang benta ko dahil mas dakol namidbidan ko,” she added.

Nicerio’s disability or even her economic status is not the hindrance to fulfill their community’s dream of a concreted pathway. She proved that anything is possible when you are determined to do it.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an independent U.S. foreign aid agencies created in 2004 to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by helping countries promote economic growth, provided a grant for the construction of 679 community sub-projects and trainings to thousands of volunteers in Bicol.

MCC funded the construction of the pathway in Brgy. Sto. Domingo with an amount of  PhP1,433,000.00. Same village also received a Day Care Center from Kalahi-CIDSS serving 200 households which was completed in 2014 with a total project cost of 799,390.50.