Education Philippines Project #15541

Support 40 Typhoon Survivors Finish College

by Asia America Initiative

Project Report | Sep 23, 2014
Mission accomplished: Thanks to Our Donors

By Albert Santoli | Project Leader

Scholars and an advisor put their hands together

Asia America Initiative is pleased to announce to our donors who contributed to "Support Typhoon Survivors to Finish College" that we have met our goal to cover the cost of the education of the 25 youths who qualified for 2014 and 2015 graduation. The juniors and seniors were accepted into the Bright Futures Scholars program at Visayas State University in Ormoc, near the epicenter of the November 2013 typhoon in the Philippines. Girls and boys, they are studying a range of subjects such as agriculture, nursing, computer science, and food management. The scholars and their College Administrators have already received the funds needed to complete their college education and are properly accounting for all resources.

Our Global Giving community of donors contributed 15 percent of the total needed, an additional 25 percent came from corporations who adopted AAI's typhoon recovery programs through Global Giving. The remaining 60 percent came through a consortium of individual benefactors and non-profit charitable organizations such as IPI Foundation and One World Institute. Needless to say, service providers and the scholars are incredibly grateful to you all.

The scholarships represent hope of recovery to rebuild lives caused by the massive storrn, floods and devastation to millions of lives during and after Typhoon Haiyan. More than a million people remain homeless and more than a million others struggle to rebuild their lives in the Visayas area. During recent recent weeks steady hard rain from a series of monsoon storms continues to cause misery and slow the process of recovery. AAI and our partners are pleased to be part of the organizations, local and international, of all shapes and sizes, who contunue to try our best to assist those in need. We could not do it without kind and generous donors from around the world. No amount is too small. We are blessed because it comes from your hearts.

Thank you again for your kindness. May God bless you all.

2014 Bright Future Scholar was class Valedictorian

Entire community celebrates 2014 graduation

Visayas State University campus after the typhoon

Some of he scholars on campus between classes

Links:

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Jun 25, 2014
Education + Livelihood = Hope

By Albert Santoli | Project leader

AAI scholar Fatima Jean Dimas graduates cum laude

Two important keys to Peace and Development are education and livelihood creation. Asia America Initiative has committed to assist in the 2014-15 school year an additional 20 juniors and 20 seniors at the respected Visayas State Univerisy in historic Leyte island of the philippines to finish their college degrees with the promise from a public health corporation of employment opportunities for the graduates. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, after their families lost all of their possessions, these students did not believe they could finish school and learn professional skills. Today you can support these scholars to complete their educations and rebuild their communities.Our first graduates in 2014 included a number of Cum Laude Honors award recipients. They can be a shining success story for impacted communities, not only in the Philippines but all around the world.

Our first 20 graduates in 2014 included two young women Elisha and Fatima Jean, who graduated Cum Laude. The scholars "batch" of 2015 are also a wonderful group of young men and women. We are fortunate that while Asia America Initiave with support from our donors at Global Giving provided funds for tuition, fees, transportation and books,Our good friend at IPI Corporation [International Pharma] and their Foundation provided mentoring trhough Ms. Lourdes Damazo as part of the scholarship program [similar to intern but in classroom setting] and the One World Institute headed by Economics Ph.D. Yolanda Stern and her husband Dr. Tom Stern, MD of Stanford University in California provided other forms of advice and coordination. We all put aside our ego's to work unselfishly for the benefit of the students. At the end of the first seme4ster of the program 20 out of 20 scholars graduated and are now preparing for jobs.

Many students at VSU are the children of subsistance farmers and fishermen. One scholar, Daniel, age 21, comes from a rural farming area of Leyte. At graduation ceremony at VSU explained, "My family lost everything, and I have only one parent... so I was struggling to find a way to finish the last year of my education. I had no one to turn to. I feel inexpressable happoiness bcause now I have proved that we can overcome life's adversity with the encouragement and help of friends -- even if they are strangers who have not ever met me or my mother. Thanks to the bright Scholars program I can believe in having a future."

Another student, Elisha, 20, who became a Cum laude graduate stated, "I cried eery day becausse I did not even have 10 pesos [25 cents] to pay for the cost of a bicycle tazxi to get to my school each day. I could not believe when Ms. Lourdes and our College President announced that last year students would be chosen based on their grades ansd charactser to become Bright Future Scholars. I want to thank every perrson overseas who donated to me so I can now work and make enough pay to help feed my family."

VSU President, Dr. Jose Bacusmo thanks everyone who assisted, adding, "After the huge storm we did not know how a number of our excellent students could afford to finish schools due to their families and communities devasation, not even having houses to live in... not even tents. Our heartfelt joy is expressed every day. This scholarship program is beyond our most impossible dreams."

Dear Donors: The educators and students at VSU are a shining example for the wortld. They cannot do it alone. WE can do this together.

Commencement ceremony at VSU -- overcoming typhoon

Bright Futures Scholars all present and achieving

Ms. Lourdes, Elisha and VSU advisor

scholars 2014 batch on VSU campus

scholars with mentor Ms. Lourdes

Links:

web site

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May 8, 2014
NGO and corporate partners in e-classrooms

By Albert Santoli | President, Asia America initiative

Asturias Elementary School e-classroom set up

Asia America Initiative's Education and Entrepreneurship for Peace program has joined the Philippine Department of Education and Hewlett Packard Corporation [HP] in creating model electronic classrooms [e-classrooms] at Camp Asturias Elementary School in Jolo city in the highly impoverished and war-torn Sulu province. Most schools in Sulu lack the most basic education necessities such as chairs, books, paper and pencils, and lack the most basic medical and sanitation needs of the children. Since 2002, AAI has assisted more than 24 elementary and high schools and colleges in the province and more than 30,000 students and and we have helped provide training to scores of teachers. Camp Asturias Elementary principal Abdurasul Sajili says, "The e-classrooms have added inspiration and a new horizon for education and future employment for our pupils. Asia America initiative has been in our community working with teachers, parents and children to develop[ community ownership and pride in our educational efforts. With more humane classroom conditions, our student retention and graduation rates have increased substantially. Thanks to the encouragement of AAi and other NGOS and generous companies such as HP to assist with new technologies that let us know that our children can have a brighter future."

All of AAI's development teams in the area are locally born and speak the native languages, with a resurgent emphasis in remedial literacy and English langauge to qualify for the integration of new technologies that will link remote schools to modern economies. "We are inspired by the hard work and sacrifices of the local school teachers and parents who have sacrificed so much for the good of their children," says AAI president Santoli. "Technology copmpanies like HP provide the tools and training opportunities to inspire young people to study hard and not give up on life. The opportunity to work is a deterrence to violence and creates harmony within a community... We are also grateful to our donors from Global Giving who help make all of this possible with donations of all sizes."

To assist with this program, a chair for the computer lab costs only $8. A school bag filled with school supplies, notebooks and hygiene products like hand sanitizers costs only $10 per student. The cost of builing a septic tank and toilet for a classroom costs only $500, and a generator for back-up power supply for 10 computers is around $700.

AAI is honored to assist with the e-classrooms and we invite the global giving community to assist with the basic but all-important support components. Help us to "create peace by building hope" through education tied to livelihood.

technicians install HP computers in e-classroom

needy outdoor classrooms in Jolo

AAI's Al Santoli welcomed by Jolo school teachers

Al Santoli with kindergarten child, Asturias ES

crowded pre-K class at Asturias ES

chalkboards but no books in Asturias ES

new Asturias ES e-classroom needs books & chairs

Links:

Asia America Initiative web site

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