The need for support for education in the Philippines is great as currently only one in five children in the 3-5 years old age group have access to preschool education and social activities.  It is often said that the kind of society one lives in is mirrored in the lives of it’s children.  Picture the following:

There are approximately 32 million children below the age of 18 in the Philippines, making up 45 percent of the total population.  Sixty percent of these children drop out of school when they reach the second grade because their family earnings are barely enough to buy food and basic necessities we use daily.  Only 19 percent of children aged 4-6 years old are able to go to public and private preschools.

The numbers are growing each day.  These clearly depict the immense hardship which Filipino children are subjected to.  With your help, I hope to help provide the most basic needs like food, education, and nurturing to these children.  For now, I know I can’t save the world, but with your help we can change at least one child’s life forever.

I am feeling overwhelmed, scared that I am going to fail and it’s just not failing.  It’s failing in something that I put my
heart and soul into, failing people who matter to me (the children of Cavite).  I’m grateful I am not alone, for I have friends that really believe in this cause and in me.  They offered their help with eagerness, high hopes and I am determined to find more supporters.  There are lots of scams out there, so if you have any doubts about my outreach project I understand.  If you have concerns about not being able to deduct your donations since we’re not a non profit organization as of yet I understand. You can support the following organizations instead www.UNICEF.com, www.actionforchildren.org, www.edukidz.org, www.feedmhc.org, www.globalactionforchildren.org or any other organization you see fit.  The world is full of opportunities, some people enjoy an overabundance of them while others struggle, and I just want to help those without.

Despite everything fate has thrown at me, life is short and I’d want to do something useful.  I am determined to do amazing things with the rest of my life.

My friends and I will be in the Philippines from October 31 to November 12.  During this trip we will be buying the food and school supplies on the ground there to save on the cost of shipping and to avoid the rampant corruption.  We intend to visit the poorest of the poor and will personally distribute the food and school supplies to as many children currently living there.  I will be posting pictures of our journey online so you can see the children you are helping.

In addition to distributing food and school supplies, we will be talking with teachers, community leaders and others, looking at what areas need the most help, what resources are already there that we might be able to work with, and how we can effectively provide assistance to those who need it most.

Our long-term goal is to build an orphanage or school in the Philippines and get established as a nonprofit, which is a difficult task.  I am open to any ideas if you can possibly help us obtain nonprofit status through the IRS before our scheduled trip.

These words uttered by Gandhi are inspiring my friends to take action. We are fundraising for the money to give out food and school supplies to the Filipino children. Six hundred flyers were printed and we are scheduled to hand those out by next week. We are also trying to host some kind of charity event and start planning for it so we can start the ball rolling on how we can raise our goal of $3000. We need to get the word out and start enrolling people (not just our friends and family, which we are focusing on right now with letters and flyers), so please help us create the possibility for these children to be healthy and eductated. If you have any ideas on how we can fundraise, let us know!

I know the horrors of growing up in poverty and struggling from day to day just to eat. My story is not unique to people from the Philippines. I grew up in Cavite, a Filipino slum. Growing up was very hard. You can’t possibly imagine what it’s like to go without the most basic of needs. Many children end up in the streets as beggars, pickpockets, drug abusers and child prostitutes. Luckily I was able to avoid this fate.

Fortunately, I was able to attend school and work my way up and eventually end up in the United States, but not every child will be as lucky as I was. Most children cannot afford the basic and necessary school supplies and books to get their education. Without schooling there is little hope for them.

My goal is to raise $3,000 and go back to the very slum I was born in and help as many of these kids as I can… I am bringing school supplies, food and other basic necessities. Frankly I am not sure how I am going to do it but I am lucky that many people have stepped up to give their support. I can’t thank them enough.

If you would like to help me help these kids please click on the donate button to the right. Your support really means a lot.