Orgs” to Partner with

“Orgs” to Partner with for Your Next Livelihood Project

by DDRAR Coleene Villanueva

Rotaract Club of RCDM Scholars

In celebration of the vocational and livelihood service month, you may have some projects in mind that are yet to be implemented. Your club may also be in search of an organization that you can partner with to help you meet your project needs and goals. Fortunately in the Philippines, we have an abundant list of organizations that focus on livelihood and vocational programs. Should you be interested, here are some organizations that you can tap for your next livelihood project.

Bukas Palad Foundation

Bukas Palad Foundation is a non-profit and nongovernmental organization that has programs for sustainable development, education, livelihood, and information and communication strategy. Their beneficiaries are mostly children, women, elderly, the urban poor, and victims of calamities and other natural disasters. As stated in their website, they live by the motto “Freely we give, freely we receive”. The foundation has already reached out to 10,000 families.

There are three sub-programs under their livelihood program: 1) Loans Program; 2) Sewing Program; and 3) Job Placement Program. The Loan Program lends small capital to sustain families or existing small businesses and enterprises. Meanwhile, their Sewing Program trains mothers and young women to develop the skills needed to thrive in the sewing industry. As a result, these women are able earn income by simply working from home, enough to sustain their families. Lastly, their Job Placement program helps beneficiaries to find work depending on the openings provided by Bukas Palad’s partner organizations and companies.

For more information, you may visit their website bukaspaladfoundation.org/our-programs

UPLiFt Philippines

This organization, as described in their vision statement, “is an organization working towards excellence with a holistic approach to guide the entrepreneurial urban poor out of poverty so they can live with dignity and be socially responsible. ” They empower their partner communities through “responsive and innovative microfinance, training, business and social development services. ”

Aside from financial support, UPLiFT offers nonfinancial support to their beneficiaries in the form of Pulong and skills training. Pulong training is facilitated courses targeted in enhancing capabilities on personal life management, business management, and social awareness. These courses include discussions about entrepreneurship, business planning, and savings. On the other hand, skills training aims to equip their beneficiaries with the necessary attitude and skills in developing a product or service. They teach skills on food processing, such as in the areas of meat production, fish processing, vegetable and fruit products, native delicacies; and nonfood products, such as candle making, soap making, perfume making, fashion accessories, cosmetology, reflexology.

Visit their websites at www.uplift.org.ph/nonfinancial.html

CARE Philippines

A leading international humanitarian organization delivering long-term development projects in different communities in the Philippines. Currently they are implementing programs on urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, and economic development. One of which is a project founded on the value chain where beneficiaries are trained from production to marketing of products and services. One good example is an association of women running a seaweed production enterprise assisted by the organization.

Be one of their local partners by visiting their website and sending them a message at carephilippines.org/.

iVolunteer Philippines

This organization houses all other organizations existing within the Philippines with a mission to promote volunteerism and provide volunteers a quick and convenient way of finding volunteering opportunities according to skills, interests, and advocacies.

If you want to explore and see more organizations that can help you in your projects in different areas of focus, you may search for potential partners using this link: https://www.ivolunteer.com.ph/organization. You may also partner with iVolunteer by sending them a message at partnerships@ivolunteer.com.ph.