Empower

Empower

To make a difference

Always tell to student:

            “No One is too young to make difference because you can act now!”

No one is exempted from making a difference because you are ALL smart! When young entrepreneurs are raised to believe in themselves and in their ability to contribute to solving social and environmental problems, they will choose to make a difference. Children see the world through a simple lens. They are not afraid to ask “Why Not”. If given a chance, they come up with creative ways to make this world a better place.

Conversation with kids goes this way:

“Teacher, why does he not have any clothes?”

“Because he has no money to buy clothes”

“I have clothes I don’t wear, can I give them?”

“Teacher, why are they begging in the streets?”

“Because they are hungry and don’t have food.”

“I can share my baon, it is to much anyway.”

“Teacher, why are they in the streets?”

“Don’t they go to school?”

“Some of them don’t go to school because they have to help their parents.”

“I have old books, do you think they can read them so that they’ll learn?”

I thank God every day for reminding me, through the children, that indeed this world can be a better world if we only choose to do our part. It doesn’t matter if a child is five years old or a teenager, they are all capable of making a difference in their own little way. This becomes a habit so that when they are faced with bigger decisions to make.

They will choose to make a difference!

The White Elephant Sale

from trash to treasure

Learn about Philippine heroes. As a response to one of their lessons, they challenged themselves to be heroes in their own way. They wanted to help preschool children who had no books to read in their day care center. Since they were just 7 and 8 year-olds, most of them did not have money, so they thought of a way to raise funds for the “mini-library” they wanted to share with the preschoolers. They brainstormed and come up with a White Elephant Sale of their old toys and clothes. They sorted through all the goods, put them in boxes, and put prices on them. They made posters to let the caregivers in the school know about the sale, and campaigned in classrooms. On the day of sale, some of them were cashiers, while other were sellers. At the end of the day, they were able to raise more than P10,000. They chose the titles of the books they wanted to donate and brought these to the day care center.

The Good Shepherd Leads other to greener pastures

The Good Shepherd sisters are famous for their strawberry and ube jams that have become signature Baguio products. Since 1952, they have been able to create 91 products under the Mountain Maid label. Their products taste better because they are made for a good cause. Sr. Terry Danganan Shares: “We put up the business not just to make money. It was primarily established to finance the education of the poor, not only in Baguio but all over the Philippines”. It has been a sustainable business for student workers who earn their way through college, and the lay staff and the sisters as they seek greener pastures for everyone.

Raising Entrepreneurs to be the HOPe of the NATION

As a parent, educator and entrepreneurs, I believe in what Jose Rizal, our national hero said, that “The youth are the hope of the nation.” This hope for a better future is in the hands of every parent and teacher.

I am aware of the grim statistics. Out of 100 Filipino children who enter elementary school, only 40 will go on to high school. From that number, only 27 will continue on to college. And only 10 of them will graduate.

This only make the argument for Raising  Entrepreneurs Stronger. If your child faces the possibility of dropping out of school, is it not better that you equip him with an entrepreneurial mindset and tools to start his own business? If, on the other hand, your child will be privileged with an education and opportunities for success, will it not be even more important that you teach him to use his entrepreneurial mind to generate businesses that will help other?

How we raise the children that we are entrusted with will determine what kind of future will be in store for them. It will also ultimately determine what kind of future our nation will have.

I believe in the empowerment of every child to “use their intelligences to make a difference!” if our future entrepreneurs embark on a journey towards success, they will also be able to take the country along with them. I can look to our future with optimism, knowing that our youth entrepreneurs are the hope of our nation! Let us raise them well.