Easter Morning

Country: Cavite , The Philippines
Staff: 14 men, 11 Women
Year Established: 1983
Primary languages: English, Tagalog (Filipino)
Products: Paper products (stationary, posters), Sewn products, screen printing, framing and mounting, handwoven products (Bags and purses), Novelties, paintings.
Needs: Continuing to expand and grow the organization so they can continue to support and work with a larger community of people.
Social Media connection: None
email: eastermorning@careandshare.com.au

MISSION
Easter Morning endeavors to be significantly involved in outreach by financially supporting pastors, missionaries, workers, churches and mission organizations who are working in frontline ministries.

Easter Morning began in 1983 with a God inspired vision of two friends, Esbelita and Mira to provide work for the needy (e.g. unmarried mothers) and at the same time produce quality handbags, fashion accessories and homewares for local and international markets. Easter Morning believes in providing fair wages to their employees and share profits with worthwhile ministries in the ‘slums’ of the Philippines.

Following are two testimonies from ladies at Easter Morning products.

Conchita Salvo
"My little knowledge of Easter Morning came from Ma'am Ruth, a high-school registrar working at Bethany Christian School . The school is part of Bethany Home for Children, an orphanage founded by an American missionary in 1949 in Talakag, Bukidnon, Mindanao Island, located down south of the Philippines. The institution adopts abandoned children

I sought the help of Ma'am Ruth to find a place where I could escape from the hopelessness I was in and find a job that could provide food for my children. My family was in extreme poverty. My husband and I were on the verge of separation... our relationship seemed, beyond repair.

Unfortunately I was in bondage to borrowed money from loan sharks who charged compounded and excessive interest on unpaid loans. From the small amount of capital I borrowed to peddle a few kilos of fish around the village, my debt bloated out of proportion. The lending company stripped my family of our few personal belongings, our shanty and our dignity. But we were still heavily in debt. My husband lost his job and turned heavily to alcohol. We quarreled constantly. It was a predictable cycle. Eventually our relationship became extremely abusive.

I left the village and my family with the help of Ma'am Ruth. She sent me to work for Easter Morning where I met Ma'am Mila Yu.

I came to find spiritual fulfillment, peace and joy through a bible study Easter Morning were running. They also helped free my husband and I from the debt of loan sharks.

Today my husband and I are doing very well, he is free from alcohol. My youngest son is with us and our oldest has the chance to study in high school and will join us soon. My husband is also working for Easter morning which is great for both of us.

Lory Ramos
I grew up seeing and breathing vast and seemingly endless sugar cane fields. From dawn until night, I tilled the soil and planted sugarcane with my bare hands. This was the world where my family and I and the generations before us revolved everyday. It was a life of unmitigated poverty and never-ending exposure to harsh sun and rain, hard labour and meager income that could barely buy few dried fish and rice for a meal. I never knew there was another world beyond the sugar cane plantations.

My life changed when my sister-in-law introduced me to two of her friends at Easter Morning who offered me employment. My employers took me to their church, taught me the Bible and how to pray. I became a Christian in the process. I learned about the unconditional love of God and His wonderful plan for my life. It was unbelievable that I was so important to Him and that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for a sinner like me.

I met my husband here at Easter Morning. He too, became a Christian through the ministry of Easter Morning.