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Our Story

The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization in the Philippines that aims to provide access to education for children in remote and poverty-stricken areas by providing boats to reach their schools. The foundation’s story began in 2010 when a group of friends learned about the struggles of children in a coastal community in the Zamboanga Peninsula who had to swim to get to school. The group decided to provide a yellow boat to these children so they could go to school safely and comfortably. We got inspired by the concept of the yellow school bus and applied it on water.

Since then, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation has expanded its reach to other parts of the Philippines, providing boats to children in various coastal communities and far-flung areas. The foundation’s boats, which are painted bright yellow, not only serve as a means of transportation but also symbolize hope and a brighter future for the children.

The foundation’s journey has not been without challenges. We have faced logistical issues in delivering boats to hard-to-reach areas, as well as financial constraints in funding projects. Nevertheless, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation has persisted and has even partnered with other organizations and individuals who share our vision of providing access to education to children in the last mile.

One of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation’s most significant contributions is in bringing education to children in public schools located in far-flung areas. Many of these schools lack basic facilities and resources, and their students often have to travel great distances to get to school. The foundation’s boats allow these children to cross rivers and reach their schools safely without having to worry about the dangers of crossing the water or the fatigue of a long journey.

Moreover, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation’s efforts extend beyond just providing boats. The organization also conducts various programs to support the education of children in the communities they serve. We provide school supplies, conduct feeding programs, and offer scholarships to deserving students.

The foundation’s efforts have positively impacted the lives of thousands of children and their families, giving them hope for a better future through education.

In conclusion, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation’s journey from the waves to the classroom has been a remarkable one, demonstrating how a simple idea can make a significant impact in the lives of those in need.

The foundation’s efforts have shown that with determination and a clear vision, it is possible to bring hope to far-flung communities and last mile public schools, and to provide access to education to those who need it most.

Our philosophy is best described by this quote:

“The great thing a little lamp can do which the big sun cannot do is to give light at night. It shows no one is superior by the size but by purpose. If we cannot do great things, we can do small things in a great way. Little things make a big difference to God.”

The Reason Behind Our Mission

One of our missions is to leave a lasting impact to the world by helping every child gain access to excellent education.

These children are our future, and it is our responsibility as one nation to develop them into outstanding members of our society so they can uplift the lives of their families and impoverished communities, and ultimately to contribute to the improvement of our country.

We can end poverty and all its underlying problems through education. For this reason, we bring education to those who don’t easily have easy access to it – those living in geographically isolated and often neglected areas.

We do this even if we know that not so many children are in there, because we want to give a fair chance to all. Moreover, we can never know whom among these children will bring the much-needed change in the world.

problem statement

POVERTY

Because of poverty, children are deprived of their basic rights to education, healthcare, and decent standard of living. Our primary focus is to give children easy access to education because we believe that it is their key to escape poverty.

But alongside addressing lack of education, we cultivate communities so they can thrive into self-sustaining societies. To make this possible, we must address the main problems poverty has inflicted to these communities:

Lack of Access to Education

LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION

In reality, opportunity is not equally distributed amongst people. Those who have easy access to education have higher chances of having a better life. While those who don’t, they are forced to succumb into poverty. And the cycle keeps going.

This is what we are trying to change. If education is equally given to all, everyone has a chance to a better life – and this levels the playing field.

We strive towards this goal through our numerous programs revolving around child education and making it sustainable:

Yellow School Boat
Yellow School of Hope
Yellow Dorm of Hope
Yellow Bridge of Hope
Teach Anywhere
Educational Hubs
Scholarships

CHILD LABOR

We provide livelihood programs to communities so that parents of school children can work to support their children’s studies, and don’t have to rely on their children to earn a living.

We strive towards this goal through our following programs:

Adopt-a-Fisherman
Yellow Boat Adventures

MALNUTRITION AND LACK OF HEALTHCARE

To alleviate hunger in some of our communities where there is difficult access to nutritional food, providing our communities with vegetable seeds that they can consume when harvested. Our goal is to make sure that no Filipino children are left stunted or malnourished.

We strive towards this goal through our program:

Seeds of Hope

We also conduct medical and dental missions to these communities to bring healthcare closer to people who can’t afford it, or don’t have easy access to it.

Founder’s story

All children are born with equal rights — what may set them apart are the circumstances they are faced with when they are born.

Some are born without having to worry about their future, while some must carry heavy responsibilities at a young age. Some are sent to school, and some don’t even have money to buy food. So, they are forced to just work instead. The disparity is unfathomable, but the gap can be solved.

We believe that a child’s experience of inequality begins when he is deprived of his right to education. A child with no educational background cannot develop the skills needed to be competitive in this world, and a child that has no competency would find it difficult to get employment opportunities.

This thus leads to a cycle of poverty. This cycle of poverty will not end if we don’t make an effort to solve it. The answer to this may be simple — education.

Impoverished communities deal with issues such as lack of jobs or livelihood, malnutrition, absence of healthcare, and little to no access to educational institution — all these problems hinder parents in sending their kids to school.

To solve this, we develop tailored programs to address the specific issues communities face. We have a holistic approach in solving the problems of these communities and transform them into sustainable ones capable of sending their kids to school and support them until they graduate. We do everything to make this possible — even those that are beyond our means. But because of the people who are willing to impart a piece of themselves (our sponsors and volunteers), what seems improbable becomes possible.

If all children are given the chance to finish their studies, they can change the course of their family’s lives forever. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it only takes one child to change the face of a village. Now, imagine a village where every child is educated!

That is our vision. That is why, every day, we are inspired to keep on doing what we do. We envision a world where every child is given the chance to be educated. If that were the reality, the world could be better. Significantly better.

Mission & Vision

Mission

To ensure access to quality education in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) in the Philippines.

Vision

A Philippines where no kid is left behind and every child has access to quality education and opportunities to break the cycles of poverty and succeed in life.