by Mariah JC
“Hindi nila na-enjoy ‘yung childhood nila.” An aspiring lawyer looks back at his first memory of seeing inequality as a child – a bitter taste of reality which served as his greatest inspiration in fighting for equality through advocacy and charity.
Howard Tuanqui of Legazpi City went back to Napo, Polangui, Albay, the place that gave him the best memories of his childhood. But among all the happy moments of spending the weekends in Napo and experiencing countryside bliss as a city kid – playing with his cousins, feeding ducks and chickens, picking mangoes and rambutan from trees, eating lola’s home cooked meals, swimming in the swamp and river with their lolo, escaping in the evening to go to the perya, among others – a not so picturesque impression was left on his mind as he recalled seeing the children in town from the window of their ancestral house. They were around the same age as him, but they were working under the sweltering summer heat.
“Iniisip ko noon, bakit kaya kaming magpipinsan ang saya namin dito, hindi kami naiinitan? Pero bakit sila ‘yung mga kaedad namin, o yung mga mas bata pa sa amin, kailangan nilang gawin ‘to, na imbes mag-enjoy sila, kailangan nilang maghanapbuhay?” At such a young age, Howard could not shake off this image of inequality in his head.
Howard is now a law student. “Kung ako nga na medyo privileged na, I’ve had experiences in my life na I felt oppressed, yung boses ko pinipigilan para hindi ako makapag-express, makapag-voice out,” he acknowledged his challenges despite his comfortable social position and the responsibility of giving back by sharing his dream of being of service to those who are less fortunate. “I want to help the underprivileged and the oppressed, to fight for their rights at para maging boses nila.”
“The essence of a true great lawyer is really knowing how to administer justice through making yourself an instrument of how social justice and equity would be able to thrive in the community.” It is clear in his mind that the path to becoming a full-fledged lawyer is the answer to his lifelong desire of doing his part in alleviating his countrymen’s poverty and creating sustainable change. But Howard also knew that helping others does not require a law degree. His relatives shared how generosity is simply a core of Howard’s nature, something that runs through their bloodline
“‘Yung mga bata kasi kapag yun yung nakita mo di ba by example. Hindi yung sasabihin mo sa kanila na maging ganito ka, maging ganyan ka paglaki mo. Si Howard na-absorb n’ya kasi bata pa. Yun ang nakikita nya, kaya yung yung nagma-manifest sa kanya,” his aunt Susan shared, noting that Howard’s eagerness to help is probably inspired by his grandfather’s stint as a dependable Barangay Captain who would start repacking relief packs as soon as the news of an incoming disaster reaches the airwaves.
“Just imagine kung deprived ‘yung mga batang ‘yon ng chance at opportunity. Who knows kung isa sa mga beneficiaries na ito ang magiging susunod na presidente ng Pilipinas o makaka-discover sa cure ng mga sakit ngayon?” Howard said he wanted to make an impact as soon as he can for he truly believes in the power of empowering the youth by starting them young. He reckoned, “Kung hindi natin sila matutulungan, just imagine the loss it would be to humanity?”
To celebrate his 27th birthday, he fulfilled his promise to himself that he will one day help the children in his beloved barangay of Napo. Through a partnership with BEAGIVER, Howard initiated a bag drive with the help of other generous fellows on October 30, 2022. More than 200 school children in Napo Elementary School received their sturdy yet stylish school bags and raincoats, which would aid in their studies and ultimately push them in achieving their dreams.
The school’s principal Trixie Santor explained how the majority of the learners belong in low-income families. Most of the households’ breadwinners are tricycle drivers, farmers, and construction workers so they rely on support from various stakeholders to provide for the children’s education. Some of them are 4Ps beneficiaries but the cash grants do not suffice in funding their needs. The children’s education is usually the first thing being sacrificed. Sometimes, the teachers would pool their extra money so they could buy school materials for the students.
Howard’s father Dennis expressed great joy in his son’s altruism, encouraging his son to keep sharing his blessings. “Sana ‘yung anak ko can continue sharing sa ibang ways ulit naman. You don’t have to be wealthy, ‘pag sinabing sharing ‘yung kaya mo lang,” Dennis said. Their other relatives pointed out that it was largely due to his parenting and teaching by example that made Howard the giving man he turned out to be.
Howard’s 7-year old cousin Alexandra also started signing up her help in his initiatives, proving that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. “I felt good. It felt good,” Alexandra shared her experience when she donated food with her Kuya Howard.
“Marami, hindi lang ako maraming maraming maraming tao ang handang tumulong sa inyo at handang tumulong para marating at maisakatuparan ninyo ang mga pangarap ninyo and sana pagdating ng araw na kayo naman ‘yung nasa lugar namin, may kapasidad tumulong,” Howard addressed the student beneficiaries of the bag drive and humbly recognized that every person can and should do far more.
We can all come together in common cause to tackle inequality. Bring hope and help alleviate poverty, one student at a time, by partnering with BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need. Visit beagiver.com.ph now to know how you can contribute.
by Mariah JC
Aside from imparting lessons from the curriculum, a teacher wears many hats – a counselor, a talent scout, a coach and a referee, the list goes on and sometimes even a nose wiper as parents entrust their young kids to teachers as early as 5 years old. This means they also serve as second parents who are able to shape the minds and characters of members of the society as most learners spend the first two decades of their lives in the hands of educators.
To some, teaching might just be a profession that pays the bills. But some teachers see it as their life’s calling – and they are willing to go above and beyond their job title and salary grade. This is the case for Jan Michael C. Sotto, an educator from Lolomboy, Bocaue, Bulacan, fondly called Sir JM by his students. Aside from the many side roles expected from being a department head in a public high school and teaching in two colleges, he also plays the role of a community development worker.
They say that the best teachers see their students as a continuum of oneself; and true enough, Jan Michael pursued this vocation wanting to pass on the optimism that teaching brings. He shared that it was because of his high school teacher Rosalinda Ventura that he pursued this career despite being fully aware of its challenges. “Everytime kasi na papasok siya magtuturo siya with costume, with props talagang namo-motivate akong matuto at nacha-challenge akong matuto sa kanya. Kaya nung time na makikita ko siya pinapangarap kong maging teacher, at pinangarap kong maging teacher,” Jan Michael reminisced some core memories from his school days as the learner.
As a college student, he started out community projects with his friend who is now also a teacher, Eljer David. After he graduated and met his workmates, he joined Junior Chamber International (JCI), a non-profit international non-governmental organization that aims to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change. Then as if fate decided for him to have more avenues for helping, he saw on his Facebook timeline a post about BEAGIVER, which enabled him to be part of initiatives such as Pasko sa Ika-apat ng Mayo and Fruitscapades, projects where they distributed foodpacks, and fruits and nutritious foods to the children of Bocaue respectively. Through the help of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, they were able to donate laptops to less fortunate students which enabled them to continue their education during distance learning. Jan Michael also manages another advocacy organization called Project Go 100 which always partners with BEAGIVER so that they could broaden their reach.
“You can help in your own way. Pwedeng yung service mo, pwedeng yung talent mo, yung ability mo, so ganun ko po ini-inspire yung mga kasamahan ko sa team na nagtutulong-tulong kami even though lack of resources darating minsan ‘yung biyaya kasi ginagamit namin ‘yung kung anong meron sa amin para mailapit ‘yung project namin sa ibang tao o sa mga taong may kaya,” he noted about the many community projects he has worked on. He may not have a lot of money but what he lacks in financial resources, he makes up for in the passion to be of service to others. This is something he also instilled in his students. “Tumutulong din po kami sa ibang mga tao though hindi naman po kami nakakapagbigay in monetary but, ‘yung act of giving po of our time para po makatulong sa iba.Nakilala po namin si Sir JM as sobrang sipag na teacher and aside from that is ‘yung willingness niya po na makatulong sa ibang tao and makapagbigay ng hope and light sa ibang tao,” one of the students who received free laptops expressed how Jan Michael lighted the fire of volunteerism in them.
Jan Michael has been with BEAGIVER as a Lead Giver and initiator. Due to the pandemic some of their activities were forced to go into a hiatus, but on September 2, 2022, the heavy rainfall did not stop Jan Michael together with his other co-teachers and volunteers to continue a much anticipated bag drive where they gave away schoolbags to 50 Grade 7 students in need at Lolomboy National High School.
“Pangarap kong maabot din sila nung iba’t ibang mga tao para dumating yung time na may mga pangangailangan sila ay masuportahan sila, at pagdating ng araw sila naman yung gaganap sa mga ginagampanan nung mga taong tumulong sa kanila,” Jan Michael shared his greatest aspiration. A lot of people are the way they are because of a teacher that touched their lives. Sir JM is one of the best educators who treats his students like his own children and makes sure they always do their best. Through BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need, anyone can inspire hope and share the gift of education by helping less fortunate students in attaining their dreams. Visit beagiver.com.ph now.
by Mariah JC
In a dog-eat-dog world, some people will go to any lengths to achieve success. In a country where abject poverty is a common sight, Filipinos have the word “diskarte.” The expression which has no direct translation in English originally implied making do with what you have and being ingenious to overcome a difficult situation, but over time this expression has connoted a toxic trait of doing whatever it takes even if it means stepping on others. Poverty breeds hopelessness and desperation and it’s hard to blame people in less fortunate situations for adapting such a mindset, but people like Marlo and Gelai uphold that the only way to heal the world is through acts of kindness.
Marlo Flores and Gealdine Jorduela-Flores are truly a match made in heaven. These two kindred spirits from Makati City who found a new home for their family in Dingalan, Aurora achieved great success through their hard work and dedication with Marlo as a Sun Life unit manager and Gelai as a financial advisor in the same company. Growing up, the couple knew what it’s like to be dealt a bad hand in life. And now that they’re enjoying the fruits of their labor through their purposeful careers, they’re on a mission to spread the ripple effect of contagious generosity.
“Ako mismo nakaranas na tinulungan before, so alam ko ‘yung pakiramdam ng tumatanggap. Iba ‘yung joy, so gusto ko rin ‘yun ipa-experience sa mga bata (I experienced receiving help before, so I know what receiving feels like. It’s a different kind of joy and I also want to make the kids experience that),” Marlo said in an interview. The couple acknowledged that they would not be where they are now without the people who helped them in the past. On August 27, 2022, Marlo and Gelai celebrated their gratefulness for the blessings they have received by sharing it with 200 indigent students of Dikapanikian Elementary School and Paltic Elementary School who were gifted with school bags through a back-to-back bag drive made possible with the support of their generous friends and through their partnership with BEAGIVER.
There’s more than one way to make a dream a reality. Both Gelai and Marlo are certain that their good education was what paved their way to prosperity. This is why they want to inspire every child in the community they love to stay in school. They wanted to instill the value of education in these kids’ hearts as an empowering tool that can free them from the shackles of poverty. “Alam niyo dalangin ko sa inyong mga bata, ‘yung sigasig niyo ng pag-aaral sana umalab katulad o higit pa dun sa pangarap niyo (My wish for you is that your perseverance in learning will be as good as your perseverance in reaching your goals, if not better),” Gelai addressed the student beneficiaries during the bag drive.
The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but Marlo and Gelai who both experienced being a receiver and a giver proved that a little help can make this place a bit brighter. You too can be a giver. Through BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need, anyone can inspire hope and aid students in realizing their aspirations. Visit beagiver.com.ph now.
Written by Mariah JC
“You don’t look in your neighbor’s bowl to see if you have as much as them, you should only look to make sure that they have enough.” Educator Roldan Pagaduan may have unintentionally imparted this invaluable lesson on fairness and sharing to his students when he gifted new quality school bags to over 50 disadvantaged children through a bag drive on August 13, 2022, teaching through example that no one is too young to give, and people of all abilities can change lives. This line from a sitcom might be an unlikely source of wisdom, just as Roldan’s altruism started from a heart-tugging story that happened by chance.
At 25, the natural-born giver from Tarlac who puts a premium on the role of education in uplifting one’s life, currently works as a course content developer in an e-learning company. It was in 2019 when he worked as a substitute teacher at Taguiporo-Cabaruan Elementary School that the students who normally learn from his lectures taught him something that changed his perspective forever and urged him to do something.
Roldan met a student who used a bag that was a freebie from a milk brand to carry his items to school. It was so small that the student could only carry his pencil and pad paper. Because of this, the student had to borrow the books of his classmates which made the little kids a bit irritable. Roldan gave his second hand bag to the student and other children in need heard about the teacher’s generosity. As he learned that a lot of school children are in need of bags but they don’t have access to these things due to indigence, he reached out to BEAGIVER founder Josh Maghinay. This is where his journey of sharing his blessings to the less fortunate learners started. Roldan happily continues his cause especially now that Filipino students are returning to in-person classes after a long hiatus due to the pandemic.
“Kung nawawalan na kayo ng pag-asa sa pag-abot ng inyong mga pangarap. Lagi niyong tatandaan na ang nagbigay ng bags sa inyo ay naniniwala sa inyo. Naniniwala sila na kaya ninyong abutin ang inyong mga pangarap (Whenever you’re losing hope in attaining your goals, always remember that the people who gave you the bags trust you that you can achieve your dreams),” Roldan said in one of his speeches during the recent bag drive in the same school where he first witnessed the poverty of many Filipino students.
Roldan is a testimony that there is no barrier big enough to stop anyone from making a difference. You too can bring hope and help students reach their dreams by partnering with BEAGIVER, a social enterprise focused on spreading a culture of generosity by providing school bags to children in need. Let’s make a bigger difference this year as more students will be needing their school bags this back-to-school season. Visit beagiver.com.ph now to know how to help.
The kids could not hide their excitement upon seeing the new school supplies given to them by HBW for the culminating activity of its Christmas Giving Project held last November 21 at Purok Doldol, Zamboanga Sibugay. According to their teacher, Mahsher Shariff, having school supplies is a privilege that the kids’ parents in their purok cannot afford. Thus, the kids only use the school supplies that their learning center can provide. But, unfortunately, after weeks of lessons and educational activities, the school supplies are getting scarce, not enough for the almost 100 students of the learning center. So, when HBW chose their school as the beneficiary community of their Corporate Social Responsibility program in partnership with BEAGIVER Ventures Inc. as its implementer, Teacher Mahsher was truly happy that his students would finally have school supplies of their own.
Distribution of the school supplies given by HBW Enterprises Co.
School supply kits from HBW
Kindergarten pupils of Purok Doldol’s Teach Anywhere Class/ Kubo Learning Center
Teach Anywhere is a project led by Teacher Mahsher Shariff in partnership with the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation and AHA Learning Center, and was inspired by the Teaching at the Right Level program of Pratham Education Foundation in South Africa, where many children too, need help to access education.
Teacher Shariff applies the approach that he learned from PRATHAM Education Foundation.
Co-teachers of Teacher Shariff also dedicate their weekends to facilitate the classes in Teach Anywhere.
Teach Anywhere aims to support students in need of learner-centered guidance to improve their literacy and numeracy skills.
Through the program, Teacher Mahsher and other volunteer teachers aim to support students in need of learner-centered guidance to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. The program, which ran from September 1 with a little more than 20 students, grew to almost a hundred before its completion in the third week of October. Following the success of the first run, Teacher Mahsher and his team are looking forward to the next set of students that will benefit from their approach to Teaching. Hopefully, with corporations like HBW’s support, more of Teacher Mahsher’s future classes will be as successful as the first one, with equally happy and inspired students.
Spreading the culture of generosity– generation after another. BEAGIVER Myra together with her mother and lola— the people who inspired her to initiate her campaign in 2019
“Hindi hadlang ang kahirapan para makatulong at maka-inspire sa ibang tao. Sobrang natutuwa lang ako na kahit gaano karami o kaliit ang meron tayo ay kaya pa rin nating magbigay sa iba” Myra Resultan, a former OFW and now a seamstress in Pasig talks about the reason why she started her project for a school in her mother’s hometown.
Eldest of 7 siblings, Myra had been exposed to the realities of life at an early age. As a child, she would walk to nearby towns or hike up a mountain to find people who would buy her lola’s goods. When she got older, she took a course in Dressmaking, and used her knowledge and skills to go abroad and work in Saudi. Her life as an OFW was hard. She was filled with fear and uncertainties. Yet, amid all these hardships, what helped Myra get through them all is her loving family. So, she thought that if everyone had someone who stayed by their side— who gave them love and support, then maybe more people could get through the challenges of life.
Such realization led her to partner with BEAGIVER Campaigns, a platform by BEAGIVER Ventures Inc. where individuals and organizations can realize their advocacies and initiate projects for their communities. Through BEAGIVER’s platform, Myra initiated a campaign that aims to raise school bags for the children in her mother’s hometown which could hopefully motivate them to pursue their studies and keep going. So far, her campaign has already raised 15 school bags out of 100. Currently, Myra and BEAGIVER are working together to fulfill her goal before Christmas comes.
Since 2017, BEAGIVER’s platform has given support to campaigners across the country, touching the lives of 83,694 school children from 219 schools and communities.
Now that the season of giving is drawing near, more campaigners are coming onto the platform to start their giving projects for Christmas.
If you too, are interested in realizing your advocacy through BEAGIVER’s platform just go to our website at www.beagiver.com.ph. You can also simply give your support by choosing any of their existing campaigns.
Join the Generosity Village of BEAGIVER! Go to our online group at https://tinyurl.com/GenVille or visit our website at www.beagiver.com.ph
Are you thinking of spending your birthday by giving back? Here are some of our campaigners who made their days even more special by sharing their blessings:
BEAGIVER Gabe and the kids in Abra, her father’s hometown
In 2018, one of our campaigners, Gabe Brillantes went to her father’s hometown in Abra to give bags to 100 students in Tayum Elementary School. After 7 long hours of travel, Gabe and her family finally arrived in the hometown of her father at exactly the date of her birthday! Watch the whole video here to see Gabe’s journey and how happy the kids were with their new bags and Jollibee treats.
BEAGIVER Gabe with the kids of Tayum Elementary School on her 23rd birthday, 2018
BEAGIVER Edwin and the children in Andres Bonifacio Elementary School, Pasay
Edwin’s childhood was not easy. But the generosity of the people around him helped him make reach his dreams. In an interview video, Edwin recalls an anecdote as a child born with little resources but with a huge appetite for learning and surrounded by people who cared. Watch this video to hear about Edwin’s inspiring words and how these memories led him to initiate a campaign during his birthday 2 years ago.
BEAGIVER Edwin poses with the cheerful pupils of his alma mater, 2019
BEAGIVER Myra and the students of San Rafael National High School, Quezon
Even before Myra went to Saudi as an OFW, she has already been advocating for different causes. When she finally went back to the Philippines, she applied all that she learned from her work in Saudi and built her own small tailoring business in Pasig. She creates gowns and clothes for different occasions. Even as a small business, Myra still uses a portion of her profit to buy bags as gifts to the students in San Rafael National High School, a school close to her heart. Other than being the school where her mother went to, the small school in Quezon is special to Myra because of how dear it was to her grandparents who supported the school in its earlier years. To celebrate her birthday this year and to honor the memory of her grandparents, Myra initiated a campaign to raise bags as gifts for the students of San Rafael National High School.
Support BEAGIVER Myra’s campaign. Go to this link.
BEAGIVER Myra sits beside her lola who inspired her to initiate this campaign, 2019
BEAGIVER Jan Michael and the kids in Bulacan
You would not imagine how teachers like Teacher Jan Michael who already have little time for themselves can still carry on organizing campaigns to help their students! Growing up in a loving but poor family, Jan Michael was all too familiar with the challenges that children like him have to go through just to finish school– a right which, in our country, has already become a privilege to many. Now that he has become a head teacher in Bulacan, through the help of many people who contributed in his path, Jan made it a tradition to share blessings on his birthday by visiting a community and sharing goods with them.
BEAGIVE R Jan hands out the gifts that he raised for the kids in their community, 2019
Cassie’s Bag of Dreams Campaign for children in impoverished Filipino communities
As young as 6 years old, BEAGIVER Cassie would already celebrate her birthday by raising funds to provide the educational needs of students in impoverished Filipino communities. In 2014, she started the Bag of Dreams challenge on our platform to raise school bags as gift to hundreds of children in Lucena, Quezon. Since then, with her dedication and the support of her givers, she has touched the lives of so many children, some her age and some even younger. This photo of her is one of the many shining moments 
we captured during her bag drives. Despite the pandemic, BEAGIVER Cassie continued her advocacy by raising Chromebook laptops to help address the inaccessibility of education caused by the shift to online classes.
Look back at BEAGIVER Cassie’s past bag drives by watching this video.
All smiles, young Cassie and her mom pose with the founder of BEAGIVER and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, 2017.
We may not be able to gather like we used to but we can still do simple acts of kindness for our communities. Like our birthday campaigners, you, too, can celebrate your birthday by giving back! Fill out our campaign form or send us an email at beagiverph@gmail.com for your queries.
Written by Coleen Raro
Leading the participating communities are Ruel Visca (Romblon), Romeo Jr. Ayyong (CAR), Beaulah Torres (Zambo. del Sur), Haydee Sijera (Palawan), Kezia Jungco (Negros Occidental) and Rowan Celestra (Sorsogon).
Spreading the culture of generosity and creating sustainable and meaningful impact has always been at the core of BEAGIVER. This year, we take our efforts up a notch through the Community Empowerment Program 2020, a three-month long program running from September to November 2020 that empowers leaders and in turn, empowers their communities as a whole. Community changemakers from six BEAGIVER communities nationwide namely CAR, Palawan-Rizal, Negros Occidental, Romblon, Sorsogon, and Zamboanga del Sur signed up to undergo sessions on Sustainable Leadership and Enterprise Development.
Sustainable Leadership
Empowered communities are led by empowered leaders. Thus, before our changemakers can move forward and look into the strengths of their community and how they can take part in creating change that matters, they have to take a step backward and look into their own strengths and how they can further realize their potential as community leaders. This is why first, we’ll be having five sessions the whole month of September on Sustainable Leadership headed by Mr. Prudy Verzo, an experienced life coach, counselor, teacher, motivational speaker, organizational alignment trainer, and master trainer who has worked with different academic, corporate, and religious organizations.
Enterprise Development
The second program is on Enterprise Development which will be headed by Mr. Kein Chito, the General Manager of Barney Auto Lines Group of Companies. He will be teaching the chapter leaders and their team the basics of marketing, operations, finance, and strategy spanning four sessions, the first two weeks of October. We believe in the potential of every community to stand for itself. Thus, the Enterprise Development Program is designed to help our core leaders, together with the members of their chapters, to learn about the process of creating efficient and well thought-out opportunities that fit the conditions of their community under the principle of shared-economy.
Mentorship
These teams will not be left on their own as they will be mentored by six respected entrepreneurs that we sought with specialties in different areas and fields: Dr. Raul Manaligod, Atty. Jetjet Vergara, Mr. Kein Chito, Engr. Dalareich Polot, Ms. Annika Chua, and BEAGIVER’S very own CEO and Founder, Mr. Josh Mahinay.
Dr. Raul Manaligod is the Managing Director of the DBP Service Corporation, one of the country’s largest outsourcing and staffing firms. His years of experience gave him expertise on Business Management, Leadership, Human Resource, Strategy, Training & Development, and Research.
Atty. Jetjet Vergara is an entrepreneur who owns Caramel, one of the leading bakeshops and restaurants in the Bicol region. Her expertise is on food manufacturing and retail.
Mr. Kein Chito is a highly-experienced businessman working closely with different teams on the areas of operations, supply chain, business development, customer service, marketing, people training and development, and finance. Aside from consulting for various enterprises, Mr. Kein is also a multi-awarded book author.
Engr. Dalareich Polot, “Bohol’s Chocolate Princess,” is a multi-awarded young entrepreneur who is the Founder/CEO of social enterprise Ginto Fine Chocolates Corporation and the manager of Dalareich Food Products. She is dedicated to her advocacies on sustainable community development, social entrepreneurship, cacao farming, and women empowerment.
Ms. Annika Chua is the head of Business Development in Annaiah Marketing Corporation, a global houseware brand known for their “Lock and Lock” storage products. Her strengths cover Digital Marketing, Finance, and Operations.
Mr. Josh Mahinay’s journey in establishing startups including BEAGIVER and his first-hand experience working with communities on impactful projects using entrepreneurial models will surely provide important inputs to the participants.
This group of mentors will guide the participants on the conceptualization, development, and prototyping of their chosen enterprise idea. An initial Grant Funding of PHP 50, 000 will be given to the approved enterprise proposals. The chapters will be given the time to present their results at the end of November. After the Demo Day, an additional PHP 50, 000 will be given as Grant Funding for execution and growth of potential enterprises. There is also a potential for additional funding and capacity-building resources from our networks and partners who will be present on the Demo day.
We believe that it is vital to mold changemakers into becoming better leaders first before we teach them how to start an enterprise venture based on the needs and strengths of their respective communities. We see empowering leaders and teaching their communities how to be sustainable as the highest form of generosity since we guide them and help them stand on their own. We at BEAGIVER are very excited about what the chapters are going to come up with. We have high hopes that through the Community Empowerment Program 2020, seeds of development and progress will be planted and nurtured in our localities.
Every child has a right to proper education. However, in the Philippines, thousands of children are still deprived of this right– and with the ongoing war against the pandemic, education for every child has become even more difficult to achieve.
When the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was implemented in the middle of March, life for most Filipinos stopped. People stopped going out on the streets, laborers stopped going to work, and of course, students stopped going to school. Since March is usually the final weeks of the school year for elementary and high school students in the country, everything that is supposed to happen in the classroom, even the graduation ceremony, turned digital– at least for schools and households that could afford to do so.
However, in far-flung communities where transportation is already a major challenge that hinders most kids from going to school, the reality is and will definitely be a different story. Now that the virus has already reached many provinces, opening of school is delayed until the middle of August forcing the kids to continue staying at home for almost 4 months now.
According to child psychologists, kids stuck at home should continue learning and should be provided with educational materials to protect their psycho-social well being. But how can households and schools in rural areas create this environment for their children if they could not even afford to buy basic school supplies or gadgets needed to access online learning materials? Sadly, providing children with their needs to protect their mental health from the consequences of this pandemic is a privilege that several families in the country do not have.
With the intent to help address this problem, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation partnered with our platform, BEAGIVER Campaigns to launch the Hope in a Box, a nationwide campaign to provide local school children with learning kits and educational materials while they are at home during this difficult time. This campaign aims to reduce the anxiety caused by this pandemic to children and provide them with simple means to cultivate creativity and learning.
This campaign was first created by one of YBH’s Hope Paddlers, Teacher Ruel Visca, to provide learning kits to kindergarten pupils in Sta. Maria, Romblon who are forced to stay at home due to the community quarantine. With the help of Ruel’s fellow teachers–who were more than willing to donate what they can such as extra school materials, the Hope in a Box initiative was born.
Teacher Ruel hands out the box of hope to one of the students in Sta. Maria, Romblon.
Teacher Ruel’s team of volunteers for Hope in a Box.
Kids in Sta. Maria, Romblon who received the boxes of hope.
After seeing Ruel’s first wave of distribution, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation’s Ambassadress, Pauline Amelinckx, got inspired and adapted the campaign to give art materials and basic school supplies to the Bol-anon kids in her hometown in Tubigon, Bohol. In just a few weeks, Pauline was already able to distribute over 40 boxes to the children in her barangay who were very happy with their new art materials and coloring book created by Pauline herself.
Pauline went around her barangay to give the Bol-anon kids her boxes of hope.
One act of giving really gives birth to another. In just a few days, Hayds Abid-Sijera also adapted the campaign and initiated the Hope in a Box- Tanay for the Dumagat kids in the mountains of Labian, Tanay, Rizal. Hayds has been a community volunteer for years and has always looked for ways to help the communities she was immersed in. Thus, when she learned about YBH’s latest campaign, she immediately thought of the Dumagat kids in Tanay and how happy they would be to receive these boxes of hope. Now, Hayds has raised 11 boxes and is hoping for more support in the days to come.
Some of the Dumagat kids living in the mountains of Tanay, Rizal, whom Hayds would like to benefit through her Hope in a Box campaign.
The Hope in a Box campaign also reached the mountains of the north. In Mountain Province, the organization From Mountains also initiated the campaign to make the kids in the barangays of their hometown happy. Just a couple of days after their campaign was initiated online, From Mountains has already reached the initial target of their campaign, which benefits not just one but 3 schools! Thus, they decided to reach for more and continued to open their campaign for more givers.
The beneficiary children of BEAGIVER Romeo’s campaign back in 2018. Together with his friends, Riza and Melody, they are initiating another campaign again for the kids in their hometown.
Hope in a Box did not only reach the north, but it’s also going to Mindanao through the Sibugay Funds for Little Kids- Yellow Boat of Hope, a 9-year YBH chapter in Zamboanga Sibugay that has been advocating for the accessibility of education. Now that we are in the middle of this unprecedented pandemic, the Sibugay Funds for Little Kids represented by Jenifer Cardente aims to continue serving as a beacon of hope through Hope in a Box.
Jenifer Cardente along with the beneficiary students of The Sibugay Funds for Little Kids- Yellow Boat of Hope during one of their programs before the pandemic.
Now that the country is still under uncertain times, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation hopes that through Hope in a Box we can help more children access learning and cope with the anxieties caused by this pandemic. More than that, we also hope to empower more individuals to initiate their own Hope in a Box campaign for the children in their communities. Learning should never stop even though the children are away from school and with more people advocating for the right of every child to education, the hope that someday no child will be left behind lives on.
Support the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation’s Hope in a Box campaigns! Just click on the following links below, and read the story behind each Hope in a Box campaign. Hopefully, you’ll find one that you’d like to support. You can also initiate your very own Hope in a Box campaign! Fill out this campaign form or check BEAGIVER’s FB page for more updates.
Hope in a Box Campaign Links
Hope in a Box-Romblon: https://bit.ly/3daevuI
Hope in a Box-Bohol : https://bit.ly/3eaQvsK
Hope in a Box-Mountain Province: https://tinyurl.com/y9ecrg4
Hope in a Box-Tanay: https://bit.ly/2AO6OgP
Beacon of Hope (Hope in a Box-Zamboanga Sibugay) : https://bit.ly/3gfRb0w