Hunger has nestled itself into the stomachs of over 7 million families at the peak of the pandemic. This is one among the many social problems The Initiative PH has been organizing relief efforts for in the last four years. Since its establishment in 2016, the non-profit organization has been uniting Filipino youths of different paths, as well as bringing out the spirit of volunteerism and social consciousness through various advocacies and projects.
Project Katipunan is an initiative under the organization that seeks to develop sustainable programs for vulnerable communities along Katipunan Avenue. It has established two legacy projects, Project ISIP (Ilaw Sa Isang Pangarap) and Project WISH (Walang Iwanan Sa Hapagkainan). The first is directed towards enhancing the accessibility of tertiary education for senior high school students through educational programs, while the latter is geared towards addressing food insecurity within Katipunan through the provision of daily nutritional meals to vulnerable families in the area.
Launched in June of 2019 as a meal card system, Project WISH began its roots in partnership with TOSH Cafe (The Old Spaghetti House) and Locco Cielo. Learn more about their initial program through our 2019 feature: https://www.wheninmanila.com/the-initiative-phs-project-katipunan/.
Since then, the project has branched out with the support of other food establishments, and has also recently transformed into Project WISH Co(VID) in response to the economic effects brought about by the pandemic.
Project WISH Co(VID) is focused on providing twenty (20) families from Daan Tubo UP Campus, Area 1, and Area 3 with safe and nutritional meals. By combating the food insecurity in these areas, the project hopes to ease the financial repercussions of these families and assist them until they are able to regain economic stability.
In order to provide consistent meals to its beneficiaries, the project has also organized a series of giveaways for consistent donors. Regularly pledging can earn donors the following incentives and prizes courtesy of Project WISH sponsors: a gift bag from Beng-beng Chocolate, Calcheese, and Wafello for 1-299php pledges; gift certificates from Gibi Shoes for 300-499php pledges, and a bag from Herschel Supply Co. for donation pledges ranging from PHP 500.00 and above.
As we grapple with what this pandemic has left us with, may we also unite with our vulnerable brothers and sisters and leave no one behind in our path towards healing. We hope you can join us in filling these communities’ stomachs with healthy meals and their hearts with joy.
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. For more details, please kindly refer to the poster above. You may also access this link if you wish to see updates on where your donation is going: http://bit.ly/PKWISHTransparencyTracker.
For any inquiries, you may contact Gabrielle Maiquez, Department Head of Project Katipunan, through 0936 971 1341.
For sponsorships and partnerships, you may reach Bianca Whitaker, External Relations Head of Project Katipunan, through 0917 318 8389, or tiph.projectkatip@gmail.com.
This edition of Project WISH is co-presented by Herschel Supply Co., Beng-beng Philippines, CalCheese Wafer, CalCheese Cheese Choco Wafer, Wafello Chocolate Wafer, WhenInManila.com, BusinessWorld’s SparkUp, DZUP 1602, and in cooperation with Gibi Shoes.
Co-presented as well with UP Mathematics Club, AIESEC in DLSU-M, and also brought to you by Ateneo Special Education Society; this project is likewise working closely with one of its longtime food partners, Locco Cielo. Furthermore, the team behind Project Katipunan shall also be working alongside KUM (Kaisahang Ugnayan ng Mamamayan ng Daan Tubo), which serves as the food distribution partner for this segment of Project WISH.
For more details and updates, visit The Initiative PH’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theinitiativeph/.
