FUNDRAISER FOR VULNERABLE SECTORS LAUNCHED BY LOCAL SK

By Doreen Marielle N. Rosales

To sustain the efforts of the local government unit, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of this city launched various fundraisers to extend assistance to marginalized residents.

During her guesting at the Network Briefing News on Tuesday, May 18, with Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Asec. JV Arcena, SK Federation Pres. Cynth Zephanee Nietes elaborated the projects of the youth to aid citizens in need when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic struck.

“Basically since last year, we had our resources realigned for COVID-19 responses so what we did was finding some network to support us financially kaya maraming naging partner namin from NGOs, CSOs, youth volunteers,” she said.

In April, they launched the Share-A-Cup, a donation drive for vulnerable sectors greatly affected by the pandemic during the heightened community quarantine such as homeless persons, street children, public utility vehicle (PUV)/padyak/ tricycle drivers, and stud ents as well as frontline workers.

Food packs containing rice, canned goods, instant milk drink, poultry products such as chicken and egg, crackers, and face masks were given to chosen beneficiaries.

One of such partnerships included that with Tudlo BXU, a non-profit, youth-led initiative that aims to help increase underprivileged students’ access to online learning. In July, they teamed up with the said youth group in four of its programs: Hataget;

Tudlo BXU Fundraiser; and Scratch4ED and distributed school supplies such as printers and reams of bond papers to select schools in the city.

Even with the gradual adoption of the new normal, the local SK Federation continues to launch activities to cultivate youth engagement in the comfort of their own homes. A three-day online discourse entitled “An Hour with YOUth” was launched from May 17-19, 2021, to showcase Butuanon youths who have made significant contributions to the community in various ways. For the first session, they featured Butuanon youth who excelled by pursuing their passion in sports, arts, and in their careers. Youth leaders whose a dvocacies are tied strongly to building peace and development in their community were featured in the second session and in the last session, youth advocates of philanthropy discussed their projects in response to the current crisis.

With the upcoming elections, Nietes said they are now actively encouraging the youth to actively participate in shaping the political climate of the country and have themselves register as voters.

“Kami kasi yung dapat nasa frontlines. Dapat hindi kami indifferent at nangingialam dapat kami sa nangyayari sa bayan,” she added.

This participation, the youth leader went on, can best be shown by religiously abiding health protocols. The local youth official called on fellow youth to listen to the authorities and abide by important advisories, especially those that will help curb the transmission of the disease. (DMNR/PIACaraga)