Project PAG-ASA (or ‘Hope’ in English) is led by two Singapore based non-profit organizations – Little Heroes’ Dreams and Engineering Good. The main beneficiary organization is The Handmaids of Christ the King, a Catholic congregation of sisters who are currently operating a school in Bohol, Philippines for over 20 years.
This project will benefit the most vulnerable group, children and local community in need. The inclusive and holistic approach to this project addresses the resilience of local communities and building up capabilities to not only sustain but to expand organically.
The approach of project PAG-ASA is on empowerment of the beneficiary organization and the local community. It does this by investing in strategic capacities and capabilities; rather than continuous funding for a good cause that is not sustainable in the long run. Instead of supporting 50 children in need for a period of twelve years, the project will invest this amount in capabilities, which allows the project to support 400 children over the next 50 years and make a significant impact on the local community.
The scope of project PAG-ASA is to build a new children’s home with the capacity for 50 children, plus a mix of commercial establishments, which in return, will fully fund the children’s home. As education is one of the key components in this project, a private school for a capacity of 400 students will be established, providing high-quality education to the local community at affordable rates. In addition, there will be a hospitality segment added, which consists of an eco-hotel, restaurant, organic farm and local crafts shop, to leverage Bohol as one of the upcoming tourist destination in the Philippines.
The project is targeted to be completed within 5 years, where the focus will be placed on building up the capabilities needed to successfully operate the project, as well as for it to grow organically. We do this through the committed support from various experienced partner organizations, both private corporations, and public organizations.
Little Heroes points out that they have proven over the years in other projects that this sustainability model works. The non-profit group is happy to share its experiences in full detail with anyone who is interested.
Another major partner in project PAG-ASA is the social enterprise, Base Builds (part of the Hilti Foundation). Base Builds provides the technology and capabilities for high-tech bamboo-based construction. It has been implementing several low-cost housing projects in the Philippines, which are typhoon- and earthquake-resilient. Base Builds is also considered a leader in the full supply chain for bamboo-based construction. It does by establishing bamboo farms, treatment and processing plants, and training local farmers and craftsmen, who will own and operate the facilities after completion of the project.
For more information about the project, visit its website.
