NGO in Cebu inks agreement with civil society, LGUs for youth dev't program

NGO in Cebu inks agreement with civil society, LGUs for youth dev't program
Philippine Information Agency
August 17, 2011

CEBU, August 16 (PIA) -- The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) inked a partnership agreement with six civil society organizations and four local government units for the project development phase of the Young Minds Academy (YMA) Season 5.

With the YMA scholars and the project partners they signed the agreement recently at the Bryant George Hall of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (EADSC). YMA is RAFI's youth leadership and citizenship development programs.

Since March 2011, the YMA scholars underwent learning sessions on character and leadership building; creative thinking and social development; research and participatory project development; thematic input sessions, community exposures, and immersion.

These allowed each team of scholars to develop projects that address issues and concerns related to poverty and social welfare, the YMA season 5 theme.

The project partners in concurrence with RAFI identified the project sites for the scholars to work on with.

EADSC executive director, Evelyn Nacario-Castro said this is the first time that RAFI engaged project partners in the entire project development process of the YMA scholars.

The project partners will also manage the grant of not more than Php 100T that RAFI will give to qualified projects. YMA, run by EADSC, is sponsored by City Savings Bank and UnionBank of the Philippines, Castro stated.

“As we upscale and innovate in YMA, we also make the engagement of our partners more meaningful,” Castro added, RAFI has always worked with internal and external partners in delivering the various components of YMA.

Partners of the program are the Fellowship for Organizing Endeavors (FORGE) Inc., Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Gawad Kalinga, Mag-uugmad Foundation Inc., Kadasig Parents Association Inc. (KAPAI), Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc., Cebu City, and the Municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, and Cordova.

They will guide the different teams of YMA scholars in developing a community assets or needs-based project model and will serve as co-implementing partner should the project of their assigned team be qualified for funding.

RAFI may also directly co-implement some of the qualified projects through its Integrated Development unit and RAFI Micro-finance. For more information about YMA, please contact 418-7234 loc. 110 and look for Mel Yan. (PIA-7/MBCNewman & RAFI)