NON-GOVERNMENTAL organization Springboard Foundation recently completed an educational drive aimed at keeping Filipino students in school.
Springboard Foundation President Sarah McLeod said their Pencil Drive project received donations for one-year scholarships across all levels and starter packs for grade-school students.
“We were able to put together 2,000 scholastic packs, along with backpacks, donated by Brixbee and with cash from Springboard Germany. The rest of the donations in kind, we were able to give boxes of art supplies to schools in Pinatubo area through Ava Foundation,” McLeod said.
According to McLeod, 4,400 students from 40 schools in the Pinatubo area benefited from their project, along with 100 more students from Stepping Stones School.
McLeod said they were able to collect 20,000 starter packs consisting of pens, pencils, ruler, notebook, scissors, erasers and exercise books during the duration of the campaign for the project.
All the donations were collected and packed last month and were distributed before the current school year started last week.
“It is an amazing activity where all groups and anyone can support. By accepting cash or goods, it means that people from all levels really make a difference by ensuring these children get the best start for their new school year,” McLeod said.
On its fifth year, the Pencil Drive project, individuals, companies, or organizations can donate in cash or kind for starter packs, backpacks, or scholarship packs for one year.
McLeod said the project started as a personal activity for her to get friends to donate and clear out their supplies for charities she supports in the Payatas area in Quezon City.
She added that the project is a simple way to support families that want to keep their children in school.
“Staying in school is so important and the only way to secure a future for these children who have so little. Next year, we hope to grow again and help even more children achieve their dreams,” McLeod said.
McLeod added that some of their main corporate donors include Acadis; Q2HR Solutions; Concur; European School; Sykes; and the Australian, American, British and New Zealand women’s societies.
Established in 2002, Springboard Foundation is a grant-making foundation. It mobilizes funds to promote the nurturing of environments for poor children in the country through giving to partner organizations.
