Ira Jaan in Bulacan, Philippines
Our first learning center is in Brgy. Poblacion, Guiguinto, Bulacan Philippines, a low-income urbanized town.
The region has a large population of low-income individuals, but also a sizable population of those living in destitute or extreme poverty. For our first learning center we are supporting students of all ages and economic backgrounds (providing additional assistance in food & supplies if needed). The learning center is supported by 2 local staff - Jacob & James with support from the local government head of finance Cristy. Our center is a built out as annex to the existing government town hall building in order to help provide oversight and support.
The Community
Poblacion is a barangay in the municipality of Guiguinto, in the province of Bulacan. Its population is approximately 5000. A barangay in the Philippines is akin to a district, suburb, or neighborhood as part of a greater municipality. Approximately 11% of the population is between ages 20 & 24 and approximately 40% of the population is between ages 5 and 24. With such a high population of younger individuals and low access to job opportunity, Poblacion is poised for active growth and change. The population hold strong bonds and a much greater sense of community. This makes the area a very strong candidate for educational development and community support in long term sustainability goals.
Our Journey & Goals
We started our first center in Guiguinto in September of 2018. After a fundraiser in July, 2018 & support from online donations we were able to start & finish construction in September. After building the center we made multiple trips to interview potential staff, get connected with the community, and start sharing what our goals and plans were to help the members of the community. We established ourselves as a safe, after-school learning program for students of all ages to come and build digital literacy skills. Kids from 6-18 would be put in cohorts to learn together. Adults would come in and learn individually skills to enhance their job prospects. The program we offer is a blended-learning program where students spend time learning new technical skills, brush up on fundamentals of English & Math, and learn through activities & games to combine the different lessons they’ve learned so far.
Our Partnerships
In order to build our first learning center we worked with the local government in order to establish a long-lasting relationship with the community. The members of the community know that the facilities are safe, secure, and have government protection when visiting. We also have direct oversight provided by our local staff and the staff that work in the government building.
We have also worked with students and teachers in the neighboring schools in order to create awareness as an after school initiative. Our center also acts as a great resource for students to work on their school homework alongside the curriculum we are providing in the center.
