Our project aimed to support the children living in Smokey Mountain, Manila — a community built around a 50-meter-high mountain of over 2 million tons of waste. This challenging environment limits access to essential educational resources, so our mission was to provide much-needed school supplies to help empower these children in their pursuit of education.

 

We partnered with the Sacro Costato Missionary Sisters of Manila to donate over a hundred backpacks filled with essential school supplies. To gather these supplies, we collaborated with St. Francis High School Filipino American Student Union members and St. Catherine of Siena Parish, who generously donated materials such as notebooks, pens, pencils, and other learning tools. Once we had collected the supplies, we joined forces with the Burlingame Leo’s Club to pack the backpacks.

 

Finally, we partnered with LBC, a shipping company, to ensure the efficient transport of the supplies. The donations were packed into two large Balikbayan Boxes and shipped directly to the Smokey Mountain community in Manila. Through this project, we aimed to provide hope and practical support to children living in one of the most challenging environments in Manila, empowering them with the resources to continue their education and build a better future.