Jay Carin Baya has been working in RAFI for over 4 years, but her face might be unfamiliar to many RAFI employees. She usually reports to the office only once a week – every Monday – to take care of administrative tasks before spending the rest of the week on field.
As a Plantation Maintenance Specialist of the One to Tree program assigned to the RAFI-Aboitiz Equity Ventures-DepEd School and Community Based Tree Growing Project, the scope of the project requires her to travel all over Cebu Province. The constant long-distance travel might be tiresome to some, but for Carin it’s a vital part of her life. “My day at work isn’t complete if I can’t go outside the office,” she shared.
For most of her career, her work has required her to be outside of the office. After graduating, her first job was as a project-based researcher for RAFI Micro Finance, Inc. “After that project ended, it was my dream to work full-time with RAFI because I saw that the One to Tree program goes beyond tree-planting, it focuses on improving the well-being of the partner communities,” explained Carin.
Carin is a forester, but beyond the technical knowledge needed for growing native trees, she finds the most important skill is being able to communicate and understand the needs of the partner farmers who help nurture the seedlings. “You meet different types of people while on field, and being able to understand their needs helps me communicate how the One to Tree can support them,” she said.
The One to Tree program helps augment farmers’ income in exchange for their support in maintaining and growing the planted tree seedlings.
Carin’s busy work schedule has taught her the importance of time management, not only to achieve the program’s targets while on field, but to balance the demands of being a mother of four. Every day, even after a long day of being on field, Carin makes time to video call her children and husband who are in Negros Oriental.
“Around 7 PM, I call my children and after they go to bed, I talk to my partner for another hour before I rest. It’s important for me to be engaged in their everyday life and to not let them feel that I’m far away,” Carin shared. As often as possible, she makes the journey from Cebu to Negros every Friday evening to spend the weekend with her family. She says it makes her feel re-energized after a long week of fieldwork.
Being very familiar with the characteristics of native trees, she compares herself to a molave tree. Aside from its durability, the tree is also resilient and can withstand strong storms. If any of its branches break off, they regrow soon after.
“I have to be strong for my kids and for the communities we serve. The hardest part of my job is being away from my children, but my family also understands that I work hard so that they can live a happy and comfortable life. My work in RAFI is more than implementing projects – it’s about elevating the lives of farmers who also dream of providing a comfortable life for their families,” said Carin.
