Dell announced it has joined the advocacy of Childhope Asia Philippines, Inc. (CHAP) to help close the learning gap among underserved children. CHAP will receive a Dell Powering the Possible grant that will facilitate its aim to empower street children through education and computer literacy.
Since 1989, Childhope Asia Philippines has been at the forefront of advocating the cause of street children in the Philippines and in Asia. It reaches out to about 1,200 street children every year and works to uplift street children from the hazards of working and living on the streets and aims to realize a better future for them by providing learning opportunities outside the confines of a formal school set-up. Visit www.childhope.org.ph to learn more about the organization.
CHAP works with the underprivileged street children and out-of-school youth in Metro Manila to give them equal opportunities for learning through several programs, including basic literacy and numeracy, alternative learning system basic education, computer literacy, as well as life skills, values and primary health education. To facilitate its outreach and protection/education program, the charity is aided by mobile education vans with street educators that are deployed to 18 locations daily where street children are commonly found—in parks or on the sidewalks of urban centers—to teach children there.
The core of this partnership is to provide the underserved youth and educators with access to technology and serve as a catalyst for lifelong learning and career readiness. Dell technology will be used to equip the mobile education vans with laptops and the required education software to accomplish the work of accredited programs administered by CHAP, benefiting an estimated 500 children.
In addition, the grant will also enable CHAP to set-up a computer lab with Dell desktops to provide digital learning and basic computer literacy classes to 120 selected street children brought to the charity’s premises and to the areas in Metro Manila where CHAP operates.
The computers at the center will also be installed with a database program that will be used by the 25 street educators for recording and tracking the progress of the street children under the program. This will greatly help in monitoring the welfare of the children and in evaluating the impact of the program to the beneficiaries.
Quotes:
“We’re grateful for Dell’s support in our efforts to defend the rights of street children by providing them with learning opportunities and knowledge that can help protect them from the vulnerabilities of life on the street. The education and skills they acquire will also go a long way in preparing them for a future as productive members of the community.”
Teresita L. Silva, president and executive director, Childhope Asia Philippines, Inc.
“Our initiatives to empower youth by closing the technology gap and providing training in information and communications technology skills are focused on improving, enhancing and jump-starting learning for life. By putting technology to work for underserved communities, we aim to help young people discover new possibilities, change their lives, and unleash their true potential.”
Richard Teo, president,Dell Philippines
“Providing our world’s youth with access to technology is something that is dear to me and dear to Dell. Our Powering the Possible program is designed to change the way youth learn and access information today. Our work with Childhope Asia is giving us the power to provide the technology, the know-how and the resources to help the next generation grow and thrive in their communities.”
Ranjita Menon, Dell Giving Manager, Asia-Pacific and Japan
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
