Facebook is pleased to announce the 13 participants who have been selected to be a part of its Community Accelerator, a six-month program that aims to equip communities with the training, mentorship, and funding they need to grow their communities. Four of these 13 communities selected from across Asia Pacific are from the Philippines, namely MentalHealthPH, Filipina Homebased Moms (FHMoms), BEAGIVER, and ARK – Advancement for Rural Kids.
Grace Clapham, Head of Community Partnerships APAC, Facebook said, “We received hundreds of applications across four countries in APAC – Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. In the end, it boiled down to communities that are already driving positive, lasting change, but need help to scale their efforts and grow in size. We’re excited to welcome a diverse group of community leaders and look forward to working with them to meet their goals and create further impact in their communities.”
Filipino communities enabling communities on Facebook
Led by Yves Miel Zuniga, MentalHealthPH was created to promote and protect mental health in the Philippines with the help of social media and digital technology. Through Facebook, they were able to grow their community from a group of five to tens of thousands of mental health champions.
Maria Korina Bertulfo started FHMoms with the goal to help mothers gain financial security and achieve personal growth, and help women find home-based livelihood opportunities. From its beginnings as a Facebook community, FHMoms has since grown into a platform offering e-learning, e-commerce, and job matching opportunities supporting its 209,000 members.
Founded in 2017 by Josh Mahinay, BEAGIVER aims to provide individuals and organizations opportunities to help make social impact in their communities. It has since become a movement that champions education for impoverished children – providing school bags, supplies, and scholarships, and supporting other education-related projects. The movement has so far reached over 67,000 school children in 200 communities within the country.
Ayesha Vera Yu started ARK in 2009 to partner with farmers and fisherfolk to solve hunger, get kids back to school, and create a self-sustaining future. Through ARK’s 5-cent School Lunch, farmers and changemakers helped communities in need stand on their own. They have since partnered with 16 communities and distributed one million 5-cent lunches to fight malnutrition, bring more than 5,000 kids to school, and stimulated small-scale economy.
Coaching for community leaders
In the first three months of the Community Accelerator program, community leaders will learn from experts, coaches, and create a customized curriculum to grow their communities. They will then spend the next three months iterating and executing their plans with funding and continued support from their network, as well as a dedicated team from the program. Up to USD 3 million will be awarded to the selected community leaders, each receiving up to USD 30,000.
The program will culminate in an event with community leaders showcasing their respective communities and progress to external funders and partners.
The Community Accelerator is part of the Facebook Community Leadership Program – a global initiative investing in leaders who are building communities around the world, bringing people together, offering encouragement, and driving change.
Find out more about the Facebook Community Accelerator program and selected participants at https://www.facebook.com/community/2020communitydirectory/.
