Designer offers free service to peanut butter-selling cab driver
The Peanut Butter Driver – UPDATESToday I am happy to have finally labelled Kuya Roderic’s Peanut Butter. He thanked…
Posted by Troy Sitosta on Monday, 11 April 2016
The kind gesture of a designer who has offered his services for free to a taxi driver selling peanut butter to his passengers in Manila is making waves on social media.
Troy Sitosta, owner and creative art director at Shao Long Bald, took to Facebook to share how he was inspired by the story of driver Roderic Almeda, who has been selling homemade peanut butter to passengers to send his three children to school. One of them has already finished college.
“I found it really inspiring at how creative and brave Kuya Roderic is by offering goods to sell to all of his passengers for extra income for his family. They have been slowly growing their business for the past 3 years already and he does it so that his children can have a better future than he did. I was so touched because he showed me that there are still really decent and honest people in this country who want to make a better life for themselves in the right way. He had hopes for a brighter future and he gave me hope as well,” Sitosta wrote on Facebook last Friday.
The designer said he bought two jars of peanut butter from Almeda and offered to design a label for his product “so that they can finally have a face for their small business and that will hopefully allow him to grow it even more.”
“In my job, people keep saying that I have the ability to change the world with design. But to be very honest, most of the time all I am doing is just pushing products and ugliness out into the world. I may not be changing the world right now but I hope I can change Kuya Roderick’s world for the better,” he said.
Sitosta on Tuesday took to Facebook anew to share the news that he had already labeled the driver’s peanut butter product.
“He thanked me constantly and told me how his wife and kids are gonna be happy to see this. We added a bonus sign for his car so that he can have an easier time talking to his passengers about his product. We made something very simple that could reflect its homey origins and pretty enough for his passenger market (the ones who can actually afford to cab). A good honest work for a good and honest family man,” he said.
“It really feels great to be able to give someone a proper start or a jump up. Moments like this give purpose to what I actually do and gives a clear image about what I do and how big of an effect my job can give to people like him,” Sitosta added.
He also urged fellow designers to “get out of your screens” and use their talents to “do something not for money” but to help other people.
“This is to remind yourself that your work can actually make a real change. We are tremendously lucky already to even afford to take this line of work,” he said. RC
For those who want to place an order, Sitosta said Almeda may be reached at +639329851618.
