Unite Inter-Faith Children via Education and Water

Dear Friends,

Food supplies around the world are growing thin in places such as remote areas of the Philippines. AAI has been sending supplies to communities in the Visayas areas, including Cebu Province, and in Sulu, Mindanao located near the sea borders with Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Thanks to your support throughout the pandemic, we have been able to keep a continuous flow of essential food and material supplies into many of these areas and are also supplying hygiene and PPE items for teachers and students so they can more safely interact in schools.

In the Philippines, religious conflict and natural disasters have caused suffering for millions of Filipino children. This program provides for elementary school children who are the victims. Inter-faith education teaches students the value of cooperation and diversity. 

A school-aged population of more than 65 million children is mostly impoverished and malnourished. Sulu Province with a majority Muslim population remains near the bottom of the UN's worldwide Human Development Index. Christian communities in Visayas are recovering from natural disasters. In both regions, we supply schools with books, clean water, adequate nutrition, and hygiene supplies.

Thank you for supporting this project.  We could not achieve this humanitarian success without you.  If you would like to add to this project, please click the link below: 

Unite Inter-Faith Children via Education and Water

Join us on GlobalGiving (November 30) for Giving Tuesday all day long. This project report link will take you to the donation page. Thank you!

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website

Schools in the Philippines are to remain closed for the foreseeable future due to the Covid19 epidemic spreading in many regions of the country. . Unfortunately, many of the communities most affected are in the areas of greatest poverty. This is a real concern for the children and families affected. Students feel isolated from their education, teachers, and classmates. Their long-term attitude to have hope for a brighter future is diminished.  Asia America Initiative is partnering with innovative and courageous school leaders to overcome this crisis.

In Sulu, Philippines an AAI-sponsored school, Salih Yusah Elementary has created a "House to House" outreach mentoring program. The school principal, Doctor Merhama, and her faculty team of teachers, school nurse and volunteers are actively visiting the neighborhoods where their students reside to provide encouragement and substanative mentorship. 

"The emphasis is on reaching out to those students who have no internet connection or electronic devices and live in the poorest areas of the city," Dr Merhama explains.  "We want the entire families to know that they are important to us and that there is a future beyond the current hardships caused by the pandemic.". 

Sitting together on living room floors, educational assessments are made of student progress since the global pandemic and remote classroom process has kept the students away from school.

The School Nurse is included in the visit to check the general health of the students and to oversee the distribution of face masks and other protective materials. .

Schools are central to a young person's development. Parents trying to teach children at home face many difficulties due to limits caused by their own lack of education. 

In the Philippines, social conflicts and natural disasters have caused suffering for millions of Filipino children, even before the pandemic. This program empowers elementary school children who are victims of these natural and man-made disasters to feel connected to society.

Inter-faith education brings communities together and teaches students the value of cooperation and diversity. AAI programs provide books, school supplies, clean water, and hygiene supplies. In response to the Covid19 crisis, we are providing PPE protective gear, hand-wash facilities and nutrition programs for more than 5,000 children.

Unite Inter-Faith Children via Education and Water

Wishing you peace,

Albert Santoli,

Director

Asia America Initiative

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website

As schools remain closed around the world, students feel isolated from their education, teachers and classmates. In Sulu, Philippines an AAI-sponsored school, Salih Yusah Elementary has created a "House to House" program. The principal, Doctor Merhama, and her faculty team of teachers and the school nurse organized a multi-day event to visit students in their homes. Hundreds of students and their families were visited. The emphasis is on reaching out to those students who have no internet connection or electronic devices and live in the poorest areas of the city. 

Sitting together on living room floors, educational assessments were made of student progress since the global pandemic and remote classroom process began. Families were given hygiene kits and school supplies. Gifts of snacks were provided to the children. The Teachers and the Principal were able to re-connect with their students. "You could see it in their faces," observed Doc Merhama. "They were so happy to see their school teachers."

The School Nurse was there to check the general health of the students. She and the team performed psychological assessments of each child, deworming, anti-drug education, and demonstrated the proper way to sanitize hands and wear masks. So far, the event has been a big success. Other schools are now planning to do the same kind of outreach. 

Schools are central to a young person's development. Parents trying to teach children at home face many difficulties due to limits caused by their lack of education. The faculty at Salih-Yusah felt a duty to reach out to those students they knew were struggling and  lost in the COVID19 crisis. "The families were so relieved to see the Salih-Yusah team arrive," says Doc Merhama, "we were happily welcomed into their homes."

In the Philippines, religious conflict and natural disasters have caused suffering for millions of Filipino children, even before the pandemic. This program empowers elementary school children who are victims of these natural and man-made disasters to feel connected to society. Sulu is 90 percent Muslim and less than 10 percent Christian. Inter-faith education brings communities together and teaches students the value of cooperation and diversity. AAI programs provide books, school supplies, clean water, and hygiene supplies. In response to the Covid19 crisis, we are providing PPE protections, hand-wash, and nutrition programs for more than 5,000 children.

Thank you for your support of this very essential project. If you would like to participate in this week's Little by Little campaign, please click on the link below. The campaign is running from Monday, March 8 to Friday, March 12. GlobalGiving is generously offering a 50% match on donations up to $50.

This is a good time to make a difference as we are preparing these communities to return to in-person education, their school gardens, and school lunches. Thank you!

Unite Inter-Faith Children via Education and Water

Wishing you peace,

Albert Santoli,

Director

Asia America Initiative

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website

In the midst of the COVID pandemic and the battering rain, wind, and 10-foot floodwaters engulfing villages and towns, terrorism and civil war continue to torment the people of the Philippines. Asia America Initiative feels blessed to have groups of loyal donors who have made our ongoing relief programs effective and consistent. In addition, we have emphasized community-based teamwork among local community members. We have bolstered the dignity of men, women, and children to not surrender -- no matter how difficult the natural and man-made calamities are that weigh against their survival. 

AAI is pleased to assist ongoing efforts by local villagers and community leaders in the Patikul district of Sulu province to create new villages after years of war and destruction. Many thousands had been displaced and have survived in temporary shelters with support from big-hearted relatives, NGOs like AAI, the Philippine military, and local civic agencies.

For more than 50 years, religious conflict and natural disasters have caused suffering for millions of Filipino children. Our partnership programs empower the forgotten members of society to build model communities utilizing the values of peace and economic development. Inter-faith educational outreach teaches students the value of cooperation and diversity. We provide books, school supplies, clean water, and hygiene supplies. In response to the Covid19 crisis, we are providing protective gear, hand-wash facilities, and clean water systems, as well as nutrition programs for more than 5,000 children.

Sulu Province, with a majority Muslim population and an industrious Christian community, remains near the bottom of the UN's worldwide Human Development Index. In November, AAI proved our commitment to resettling more than 2000 people in two reconstructed villages in the shadow of the Bud Daho mountain. We are targeting at least two additional "Peace Zone" villages to begin resettlement by the New Year. 

Giving Tuesday is Tuesday, December 1. If you would like to continue to support this program, your contribution will receive a match from GlobalGiving if made before midnight. Click the link below:

Unite Inter-Faith Children via Education and Water

Wishing you peace in the coming year,  

Albert Santoli

President, Asia America Initiative

Links:

• Asia America Initiative website

The Bright Future Scholar program was created by IPI Foundation and AAI with the support of Visayas State University after the 2013-14 super-typhoon Haiyan brought devastation to the central area of the Philippines. Today, six years later, we continue to conduct this efective program to combine college graduation with job placement training and opportunities.

Our Bright Futures partners and mentors to the students, from Cebu-based IPI Foundation, sent this message to Class of 2020 graduates in Leyte and Iligan, Philippines who were not able to attend formal graduation ceremonies due to the Covid19 pandemic lockdown. 

"My Dearest Bright Future Scholars, 

We are honored to have been part of your life’s journey. We are extremely proud of you. I will continue to pray for your life's success. My greatest message for you all as I told you before during our training that wherever you are, especially that you are already at the top, please be humble and kind to all people. Be generous, always have gratitude and a pure heart. Be willing to look back where you came from and most especially, seek for God's Guidance. You will always be in good hands if you will do that. Our special thanks and gratitude to Mr. Albert Santoli and to our Partners. May God bless you all."

Communities in Visayas are recovering from natural weather disasters, as well as the economic pain inflicted by the pandemic. In all regions we supply schools with books, clean water, adequate nutrition, and hygiene supplies.

In a region torn by sporadic civil and ethnic civil war, the long-term positive impact of the Bright Futures program empowers Christian and Muslim youth to learn from each other through respective best practices. Asia America Initiative partners with IPI Foundation and One World Institute to serve as a communication bridge for action. Our social media facilitates transparent communication and dispels fear and myths that alienate communities who feel alone and abandoned. Based in local universities and in public schools, positive interaction and equal treatment of various cultural groups by AAI and our wonderful partners facilitates mutual respect and inspiration.

We are blessed and thank all of our donors who empower us to continue meaningful programs during dificult times.

Links:

• Asia America Initiative Website