Filipino homes will not be complete without the ornaments of laminated school diplomas on the wall. For majority of the Filipinos, diploma is a source of pride for the family and in most cases, hope for a brighter future.
This is why for average income-generating families, education is of highest priority. Because the Philippines is an archipelago, it is common for children waking up at dawn just to walk hundred miles to reach their school or would risk crossing rivers daily just to be present for their morning national anthem ceremony. Such is the case of Layag-Layag, Zamboanga City, one of the first beneficiaries of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (YBHF) in the country.
“In a country where opportunity is not universal, education is the only way to equalize the playing field. By improving access to education, Yellow Boat of Hope aims to to do just that until no kid is left behind. “ Doc Anton Lim, YBHF President and co-founder affirms.
“That is why the main program we have is to provide boats to communities to transport kids safely to their school, in areas where the only way to reach the nearest public school would be to cross rivers or the open seas.” Doc Anton Lim adds.
“Most of the provinces we have visited are low-income generating communities, where even assistance from the local government unit is also a challenge. Seeing the eagerness of kids to go to school daily, with no regard for the danger of using their make-shift bangkas (boat), is truly inspiring. It was difficult for us not to do anything about it”, Doc Anton recalls when he talking about how YBHF started. He is called “Chief Hope Paddler” since he manages the activities of all Hope Paddlers, as YBHF fondly calls its volunteers & supporters.
YBHF has expanded their assistance, aside from the boats they provide to communities, they also provide school supplies, books to school children and even scholarships. The community also receives medical and dental missions once in awhile. YBHF also teaches livelihood to community members to help them generate additional income.
“Sometimes the most complex of problems, like the lack of education opportunities, can be solved with a very simple solution. Aside from giving time or money, it can be as simple as downloading the JellyChip App to be part of the solution. Indeed, we are honored to partner with JellyChip, the world’s first social networking for charity, to help us generate more support worldwide. Their unique way to crowdsource support from people all over the world will open another venue for us to generate funds for our advocacy.” according to Doc Anton Lim.
YBHF is now part of JellyChip’s growing list of charitable institutions in the country, where their global members can instantly support YBHF using the points they earn from continuously using the JellyChip application on their iOS or Android smartphones.
Support YBHF by downloading the JellyChip application today. Use the code YELLOWBOAT to get instant 100 points for new users. For more information on what YBHF does, visit www.yelloboat.org.