Message from our Executive Director on Mano Amiga's 8th year Anniversary

There comes a time in every person's life when you start to question whether the path you had taken was the right one. For me, this happened in 2012 when we found out that we had to find a new location for Mano Amiga, or else we would have to close down the school for good. The community leaders we were working with suddenly decided that the school was too troublesome because of the noise level during mornings, and that the area we were occupying was better off as their homeowners association office. The news came as a heavy and humbling blow to my team. We increased student learning outcomes and access to sustainable livelihood in the area, and our school model was gaining a lot of international attention, but we could not seem to win the hearts of the people whose opinion mattered the most.

We considered taking the easy route and to just close down the school. We had already been operating for four years, and we were hopeful that we've already equipped our students with foundational skills that would allow them to thrive, whichever school they're in. What motivated us to try to continue were the pleas of the families we've been helping- their countless stories of how Mano Amiga has improved their quality of life, and their commitment to help us in whatever way they can. The best encouragement came from the students themselves who found every opportunity they could, to tell me and their teachers that they will join us wherever we transfer.

What followed were four challenging years of looking for a new area, raising a huge amount of money for the property and the building, and eventually constructing a new school despited limited financial resources. I have learned so much from this experience. The first was learning to accept one's defeats with grace, and to focus on what one could still accomplish instead of what one had lost. Perhaps the most important was learning how to trust despite the disappointments- trust in the generosity and kindness of people, trust in the fidelity of God, and trust in the wonderful surprises that any challenging situation could bring. 

Last September, we found ourselves celebrating Mano Amiga's 8th year anniversary, not anymore in a small makeshift building, but in a spacious campus that could accommodate over 800 students. And though many challenges still lie ahead, we look back with pride and gratitude for what we have overcome, and look forward to the future with continued zeal and enthusiasm.

Once again, we thank you for your constant trust and support.

Sincerely,

Lynn

Eleanor I. Pinugu

Executive Director

Mano Amiga Academy, inc.

Vision for the future

LivPH chats with our Founder and Executive Director Lynn Pinugu, about the long-term vision for Mano Amiga Academy. 

What is the Mano Amiga Program?

Mano Amiga is a school that provides an international standard of education in a way that's affordable for low-income and middle families. Our dream is for every child in the Philippines, no matter what their socio-economic background is, to receive quality education and the necessary support in order for them to build better lives for themselves and contribute positively in society. More than just a school, we also serve as a community development center. We also provide our students and their families access to healthcare, values formation programs and livelihood opportunities.

What is the organization's long-term vision?

We envision Mano Amiga to be a center for educational innovations - a school that makes learning fun while focusing on teaching the skills that a child would need to thrive in the creative revolution. We would also like to be known as a Center for excellence in teacher training, particularly on how to effectively facilitate a class through engaging activities and projects. Lastly, we hope to replicate our success in our pilot school to at least 20 other locations in the Philippines.

How can people help?

So many families apply to our school for a full-year scholarship, but due to limited funds, we can only accept a number of them. Those interested to help financially may do so by providing scholarships to our students. It takes about P300 a month to send a student to Mano Amiga Academy.

People may also choose to donate their time, and to share with our students (and staff) whatever skills or talents they may have. We are always looking for role models who would be willing to mentor our students. It goes a long way in making a lasting positive impact on a child’s life.

Morphing for Good

My initial reaction when I received the invitation to the Microsoft Innovate4Good conference was one of disbelief. I’m not someone who falls under the tech-savvy category and felt anxious about what I would contribute to the discussions. As what another participant pointed out, I didn’t even know what basic terms like cloud computing meant, much less how they worked.

As head of Mano Amiga Academy, a non-profit school for underprivileged children, I try not to pass on opportunities that would help generate awareness about the school. I knew I had much to learn when it comes to maximizing what technology could offer, especially when it comes to giving our cause a global reach. Since the event brief for Innovate4good promised that it’ll expose me to the “transformative power of technology”, I threw my apprehensions about ‘not being techie enough’ out the window, packed my bags and headed for Singapore.

In the conference, I found myself surrounded by bright young minds from diverse backgrounds: student leaders, software developers, game designers, NGO workers, entrepreneurs; each one brimming with ideas and ablaze with passion to help shape a better world. After words of welcome from the Microsoft team, they informed us that we had a day and a half to come up with a project. The proposed idea should 1) incorporate technology in solving a pressing problem, 2) feature a sustainable business model and 3) be ready for presentation to an esteemed set of judges by the end of the conference.

The facilitators encouraged us to “keep asking questions” because this would enable us to explore the same situations with a renewed perspective. Any other doubts we had about whether or not our assigned task was feasible simply became irrelevant when two guest speakers shared how they put up their own NGOs despite their economically disadvantaged backgrounds. One of the founders was a genocide survivor, while the other was an 11 year-old boy who used to scavenge for trash.

The conference showcased the latest Microsoft technologies, not only to show us what the available platforms are, but also to demonstrate just how liberating technology could be in crystallizing ideas we would have never thought possible. I lost count of how many times I had to stifle a gasp of amazement during my hands-on trial of Microsoft Surface as I saw images and simulations simultaneously being brought to life by 50 different inputs. I couldn’t stop wishing I had my students with me so that they too could have the exhilarating experience of creating something tactile at the touch of a finger.

Microsoft said it is in the business of enabling potential. I personally believe Innovate4Good is a testament to this. In spite of time constraints and some language barriers (something common, given that Asia Pacific is a melting pot of cultures), the combined skills and expertise of the participants led to the birth of simple yet innovative ideas that address real-life challenges. More than anything, the event served as a good reminder of the magic of collaboration. Young individuals are capable of amazing things, but by working together, particularly with people whose strengths and experience differ from us, we would be able to accomplish greater things.

Imagination paired with technology leads to endless possibilities. It was so inspiring to see young people take available technology, build upon it and choose to use it for social change. With technology as our paintbrush and the world is our canvas, there is nothing stopping us from painting a brighter future.

As for me, a.k.a. the ‘least techie participant’? Well, my team’s project won second place for an idea I had been assigned to present. I’ve also made a firm resolution that Mano Amiga Academy would be more aggressive in integrating technology in our education programs and in seeking out which products and services could drastically enhance the learning experience of our students.

Oh and I no longer have to Bing ‘Cloud Computing’ to be able to tell you what it means…Admittedly, I have a long way to go, but am making encouraging first steps toward embracing technology and the world of opportunities that it offers.

Eleanor Pinugu is the co-founder of Mano Amiga Academy, Inc. The World Economic Forum recently named her as a Global Shaper for her work in development and was one of the 70 Shapers chosen to participate in the 2012 WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Her participation in Innovate4good@Microsoft has inspired her to work on her current relationship with technology—from being ‘one-sided’ and ‘transaction-based’ to a more fluid and mutually beneficial friendship. This blog entry is currently being featured in the Microsoft Citizenship Asia Pacific blog at: 
Morphing for Good Personal Highlights from Innovate4Good@Microsoft in Singapore

Whipping the Globe into Shape

(from l-r) Anna Oposa, Pie Alvarez, Lynn Pinugu

Fifty percent of the world’s population is under the age of 27. This astounding statistic suggests that the younger generation has the capacity to run (a better) world. This number also inspired the creation of the Global Shapers Community (GSC) of the World Economic Forum (WEF), a Geneva-based nonprofit committed to improving the state of the world.

Launched only last year, the GSC is intended to build a community of leaders between 20-30 years old to pursue initiatives in their communities and represent the youth in the WEF. The GSC is the younger version of the WEF’s Young Global Leaders (YGL) program, which convenes exceptional leaders between 30-40 years old.

The Manila Hub

Thanks to the support of broadcast journalist, 2010 YGL and “mother hen” Karen Davila, the Manila Hub has nine Global Shapers from different fields: Ponce Samaniego, co-founder of Outliers, a social enterprise that provides business expertise to nonprofits; Dr. Bryan Albert Lim, founder of a film festival on health issues; law student Mildred Ople, who organizes the youth in Bulacan to pursue agricultural development projects; Alexandra Eduque, founder of Habitat for Humanity’s youth council; TV host Bianca Gonzalez, UNICEF Ambassador; Jay Jaboneta, founder of Philippine Funds for Little Kids, a nonprofit that pools resources from all over the world to help kids go to school; Lynn Pinugu, founder of Mano Amiga, an international school for underprivileged children; Pie Alvarez, 24-year-old mayor of San Vicente, Palawan; and yours truly, co-founder of Save Philippine Seas and Isko Cleans UP.

If the world is small, then the world of Filipino advocates is even smaller. Each of us either knew the other or had heard of each other before (really, who doesn’t know Bianca Gonzalez?). But it was our first time to meet as a complete group on Friday, January 13, at the Global Shapers press event. We all clicked instantly, asking each other about current or upcoming projects and thinking how we could work together.

Global Meeting of the Minds

The WEF is best known for its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which brings together some of the world’s top movers and shakers in the fields of business, media, politics, arts, technology, and academics. For the 2012 Annual Meeting, seventy Global Shapers from all over the world were invited to attend for the first time—three from the Manila Hub.

Lynn, Pie, and I arrived in Davos on January 22 for the private Global Shapers Program the following day. It was a little (okay, a lot) daunting to find out we would be rubbing elbows with names like Bill Gates and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Global Shapers Team knew this and made sure our worries were gone by the first session. During the opening session, we were told, "You are not kids in a grownups' table. You are here because we want to know what you think."

(from l-r) Anna Oposa, Pie Alvarez, Lynn Pinugu with David Aikman

Davos Moments

The Annual Meeting delivered what it promised the Global Shapers: an opportunity to get involved in cross-mentoring with the communities of the World Economic Forum. I met several people I admired, like oceanographers Sylvia Earle and Enric Sala.

The best Davos moment happened during a session called IdeasLab, where Lynn and other Global Shapers were invited to present their projects to an audience of about 150 people consisting of colleagues and business leaders. An hour before the presentation, Lynn threw away the script she had been obsessing with. In the 5 minutes she was given, she shared the miracles and stories of transformation she has witnessed in Mano Amiga. To Lynn’s surprise, the Good Planet Foundation awarded her with $10,000 to further develop her project!

Real work

But of course, the real work begins when we go home and pursue the relationships and projects that the Annual Meeting sparked. First on the agenda is to expand the Manila Hub. From only nine, we hope to multiply and involve more Filipinos with great potential for future leadership roles in society. There has never been a more exciting time to be alive as a young person part of a generation so capable and equipped to create social change.

Source: Asian Journal http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-philippines/headlines/14950-whipping-the-globe-into-shape.html

Development Director Eleanor Pinugu on Education and Social inclusion

The World Economic Forum recently asked the Global Young Shapers worldwide to share how the WEF Annual Forum could help them improve their respective projects and advocacies. Mano Amiga Development Director Eleanor Pinugu talks about her dream of building a country where every child has access to quality education, and the small steps she has taken towards this vision. 

Mano Amiga Development Director to present at the World Economic Forum

Mano Amiga Academy Development Director Eleanor Pinugu was recently heralded by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Global Young Shaper. She will be joining Save the Philippine Seas movement founder Anna Oposa and San Vicente Mayor Carmela Alvarez in representing the Philippines at the upcoming WEF Annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.  

Eleanor has also been asked to present the Mano Amiga project in the Ideaslab session where she'll be discussing with the WEF participants, including different heads of state, the Mano Amiga model, it successes and how she could further improve it. 

MANILA, Philippines - Nine outstanding young Filipinos were chosen as among the 2012 “Young Global Shapers” of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The young achievers are Anna Rosario Oposa, Mayor Maria Carmela Alvarez of San Vicente in Palawan, Ponce Ernest Samaniego, Jay Michael Jaboneta, Dr. Bryan Albert Lim, Eleanor Rosa Pinugu, Mildred Ople, television host Bianca Gonzalez, and Alexandra Amanda Eduque.

“The Young Global Shapers are exceptional achievers who initiated projects that have positive impact in the community,” said ABS-CBN news anchor Karen Davila, WEF Young Global Leader 2010 and Founding Curator for the YGS Manila Hub.

The nine individuals – whose ages range from 20 to 30 - have been accepted by the WEF as potential leaders because of their positive impact in their communities, said Davila.

Oposa, 23, co-founded the Save Philippine Seas movement to protect the world’s richest marine life, and “Isko Cleans UP,” a waste management program in the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She is the daughter of Ramon Magsaysay awardee, environmentalist lawyer Tony Oposa.

Alvarez, 24, the youngest female mayor of San Vicente, has a degree in International Business Administration with a concentration in Environmental Technology and Global Marketing Management from Babson College in Boston. She aims to transform the town into a tourist destination municipality using sustainable development technology to preserve its natural environment and help residents become self-reliant in terms of its present and future needs. 

Samaniego, 21, is co-founder and chief executive officer of Outliers, a social enterprise that serves as an outsourced business expertise for non-profit organizations.

Jaboneta, 30, founded the movement Philippine Funds for Little Kids that helps schoolchildren in Zamboanga City who had to swim to go to school. He was the first and former New Media Head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office under President Aquino. He is also a board member of the Kabayanihan Foundation and Team Pinoy, Inc.

Lim is a practicing physician in San Pablo, Laguna. He is a program consultant of the Asian Institute of Management Zuellig Center for Asian Business Transformation, a research associate of the UP Universal Health Care Study Group, and the proponent of the Quisumbing-Escandor Film Festival for Health and serves as adviser in various health-related projects.

Pinugu is the founder of Mano Amiga Academy, Inc, a non-profit school that provides underprivileged Filipino children access to fourteen years of high quality education (K-12th grade), and all other support they need to have a better life. After two years of raising funds for the students’ scholarships through private donations and corporate partnerships, she helped establish a social enterprise that would generate a steady income for Mano Amiga, and at the same time give employment opportunities to the mothers of the students.

Ople, 25, is an advocate of countryside development through the adoption of innovative agricultural technology with profitable business concepts and ideas. She is also one of the founders of the Hagonoy Young Leaders Program and has worked with the Ayala Foundation on youth leadership and development projects. She is currently taking up law.

Gonzalez was recently appointed as Special Advocate for Children for the United Nations Children’s Fund-Philippines.

Eduque, 21, is involved with various humanitarian projects and endeavors in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines. She has been working with the organization for about seven years now, and is the founder and chairperson of the Habitat for Humanity Philippines Youth Council.

Davila said of the nine achievers, only Oposa, Pinugu and Alvarez were invited by the WEF to the 2012 conference in Davos, Switzerland next week.

The WEF is a Geneva-based non-profit organization best known for its annual meeting in Davos. It is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

The organization launched last year the Global Shapers community aimed at providing the youth with a global platform to shape the future – integrating personal, community and global dimensions. This community will help youth develop their leadership potential to serve society.

The Global Shapers community includes extraordinary young individuals with great potential for future leadership roles in society. Aged between 20 and 30 years, they represent all walks of life and share a spirit of entrepreneurship in the global public interest, the WEF said.

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