"This entry won and was awarded by his excellenccy Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino last December of 2012."
By Lesley Anne J. Pino
BASURASKWELA Correspondent
Describe your project entry:
In its effort to nurture and build a network of youth who will become leaders and change agents in moving their peers towards environment ownership, green entrepreneurship and sustainability, the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors (CYA) launched “BASURASKWELA” earlier in February of this year.Clearly demonstrating the youth’s indulgence in generating a non-deviated, goal-attaining, and community-oriented organization; our slogan “Changing Lives one bag at a time” has continuously provided a resonant and life-transforming change to a portion of the young Cebuano populace.
BASURASKWELA started from a single step, a single backpack crafted out from a tarpaulin damped in the storage room of a college university. It was an idea lighted to compose a mob of student members and volunteers who will explicitly stress out a deep regard for education and leadership making both stepping stones well-deserved by each Filipino for social and economic stability. The vision was officially dined at Tingub, an urban poor and depressed community located at the heart of Mandaue City, Cebu. Sometime nearly 8 years ago, livelihood activities were initiated by its townspeople making it an area well-suited for cultivating development and innovation. After being chosen as a venue for the BASURASKWELA project, its vision empowered housewives and unemployed mothers producing machine-sewn bags from used tarpaulins. In less than five months, 50 children of the local community have been funded from the proceeds of the project for basic education in both primary and secondary levels.
For the first time, this joint venture was carefully planned by the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors to drag and work in unity with the rest of the student leaders from a variety of Universities in the offshores and cities of Cebu. Coming up with countless reasons, the term BASURASKWELA (Basura and Eskwela), drove out its inclination in improving leadership potential among young Cebuanos, developing creativity and employing a means of living among members of poor community, cropping a plateau of opportunity for education, and living up an example towards reaching the relatively underdeveloped areas of the society.
In accordance to the project’s venture, the government of Cebu has expressed its sincerest support to this laudable socio-environmental initiative of the CYA and has approved the recently concluded resolution No. 12-3338-2012 dated June 12, 2012.
Give a brief background of your project entry. State the reasons why you thought of this project.
Apart from providing educational assistance for young individuals, it aims to suppress the surmounting effects of environmental hazards by recycling damped tarpaulins collected from various schools, public offices, and organizations. On another greater note, the project brings an enormous hope to parents in poor communities. They are able to sufficiently spend their time producing the BASURASKWELA backpacks while diligently teaching their children the importance of a livelihood activity.
Initially, the project started with the Cebuano Youth Ambassadors as the prime movers of its vision. To the surprise of the original organizers themselves, the number has gone up to 300 volunteers/members at this present time and will eventually grow larger in the months to come. With this unity and volunteerism, the young minds of our outgrowing Cebuano leaders will be harnessed towards shaping a heart for genuine public service.
In response to the current educational and environmental status of the country, the CYA has initially drafted the BASURASKWELA project making it a genesis for positive change and improvement.
Give a brief profile of your organization.
The circle of Cebuano Youth Ambassadors (CYA) were recipients of the prestigious Outstanding Cebu City Youth Leaders, members of the Student Council, the Sangguniang Kabataan, LGBT and various religious sectors, and local community leaders. It is the inventory of the most outstanding young leaders of Cebu who are committed to serve the people, the Community, and the Country. The group has different initiatives that involve the youth in noteworthy advocacy in the environment, student leadership, community development, education, student rights and welfare, and in youth empowerment.
With more or less 30 members of the CYA, the organization has also created a partnership with Cebu City Federation of Supreme Student Councils and Governments, and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines Cebu since it was first established in May 4, 2010. The CYA, although new, has gone through far and extra miles in just about 2 years. With the most promising student and young community-leaders of Cebu intact, it has organized and co-organized several youth assemblies and conventions, successfully made simple yet efficient and effective programs and lobbied several valid concerns to the Cebu City Government. So to say, CYA is currently having a fun and great time in its ‘BasuraSkwela’ project.
Who are the beneficiaries and how did they benefit?
• Children of Brgy. Tingub Urban Poor Community who are provided with educational support through tutorials conducted twice a month and financial assistance in school fees.
• The women in Tingub Urban Poor Community are provided a means of income to productively spend their leisure time in producing machine-sewn backpacks.
• Cebuano youth and student leaders are given an avenue to develop volunteerism and participate in nation-building.
• The CYA (Cebuano Youth Ambassadors) is given with the opportunity to work hand in hand with various organizations and the Cebu City Government itself in particular.
Process of Implementation: Who are the people/institutions/organizations involved in the project? What are their roles in the implementation?
• The Cebuano Youth Ambassadors oversee the whole implementation of the project and establishes linkages and partnerships with various organizations.
• The Student and SK Councils acts as the organizers of “BASURASKWELA Barkadahay” which gathers volunteers to solicit used tarpaulins from different organizations, companies, and facilities. They actively transform these into patterned sizes ready-made for sewing BASURASKWELA Tarpbags and will then be collected and transported by the CYA into the chosen Community .
• The women and youth of Tingub City Urban Poor Community transforms the pattern-sized tarpaulins into Tarpbags.
• The Junior Educators Alliance (JEA), Psych Society, and Eco Nowtbuks of CIT University are partners in implementing the BASURASKWELA Mentorship Program. The JEA conducts tutorials twice a month, Eco Nowtbuks members teaches kids in the creation of personalized and recycled diaries, and the Psych Society monitors the diaries’ inputs making those a bases for actively founding diverse activities.
• Junior Chamber International (JCI) serves as the marketing arm of BASURASKWELA Tarpbags in its distribution and availability to the public.
• The Cebu City Government & Cebu City Youth Development Youth Commission provides facilities (buses and venues) in the promotion and implementation of BASURASKWELA and other related programs such as BRIGADA, BASADORA, GREENBOREE, and more.
Is this project implemented only once? Or is it a continuing program? What are your future plans for the project?
Guided by its vision, the implementation of BASURASKWELA aims to encourage and motivate organizations to replicate the project making it feasible and attainable in their locations.
The CYA is eyeing for a wider number of members in the years to come thereby producing more hands in the implementation of the project, continuous product development and innovation, and additional skills training for women.The BASURASKWELA project started with the initial goal of sending at least 50 kids to school. However, with the undying support rendered by a network of organizations and the Cebu City Government, it will remain a continuous venture gearing towards reaching out a wider range of urban poor communities and underdeveloped areas of the country.As its members grow numerously, it will possess the capacity to cater and assist a larger population of students supporting them in their educational endeavors in the long run.
What resources did you use for this project? How was the group able to raise funds for the project?
Direct Material Component Material Requirement Per Bag Cost per Unit Material Requirement Cost Per BagZipper 1.5 m zipper Php 5.00 Php 7.50Slider 3 pcs 1.25 3.75Lodder Lock 2 pcs 2.00 4.00CP 3 m 7.50 22.50Nylon Strap 4 m 2.00 8.00Used Tarpaulin 4 m 0.00 0.00 Total Direct Material Cost PHP 45.75
DIRECT MATERIAL PHP 45.75DIRECT LABOR 60.00OVERHEAD 26.25(Light,Electricity,Thread,Quality Control and other Contingency and Operational Costs) ____________________Total Cost Per Unit Php 132.00
NOTE: The Cebuano Youth Ambassadors donated used tarpaulins and the mothers of Tingub Urban Poor Community initially utilized their available direct materials; both parties agreed on the labor cost and the overhead cost producing a total of 26 tarpbags. The total cost for the 26 units of tarpbags was Php 3,432.00 and later on considered as a beginning fund for the entire project.
