Overseas Filipino nurse Aldrin Licayan is sponsoring tablet computers for Pinoy kids who need gadgets to continue schooling.
The 27-year-old Filipino Youtuber nurse based in Ireland is already in the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 but is finding time to raise funds to provide gadgets to schoolchildren from the Philippines who are facing a new normal in schooling.
The upcoming school year in the Philippines will take on a ‘blended’ or ‘distance’ learning approach to keep kids safe while learning in their own homes. Much of the classes will be conducted over the internet.
Prior to launching the campaign, Aldrin said he had already been receiving a lot of messages on his social media from fellow Pinoys who were wondering if he (Aldrin) could sponsor a tablet. Moved by their struggle, Aldrin decided to start a fundraising campaign to buy gadgets and aid children who don’t possess the means for ‘distance learning’.
His GoFundMe post reads: Department of Education or DepEd will start distance learning this summer. However, millions of youth will be left behind. Thousands of households have no access to internet, gadgets and other materials to study amidst this pandemic…I have no experience in this donation drive but I had no choice but to use this platform to gather funds that will change our youth’s future.
“There are a lot of Filipinos that are going to miss out on online classes or distanced learning. The problem here is not the fact that they’re going (to) do the online learning, but these children could not even have three meals a day, [so] what more a tablet?” Aldrin points out on his YouTube channel.
The video, posted on June 17, 2020, raises awareness regarding the distance learning method that will be adapted this upcoming school year in the Philippines. He urges people to donate, adding that no amount would be too small to make a difference in kids’ lives.
“Help them (Filipino kids) get access to education. They can be nurses, doctors, police, lawyers etc… They have a big future ahead of them. So please help me help them. And please save them from social injustices we are currently facing this year, 2020,” Aldrin adds.
The Filipino nurse and vlogger also shared why he was so passionate about the campaign. As a kid, Aldrin recalls walking to his relatives’ homes and asking for allowances and school supplies. His wasn’t an easy childhood, and he recognized the same struggles being faced by kids in the Philippines.
His GoFundMe campaign, called “Distance Learning Tablets for Filipino Youth” has raised over 1,342 euros as of this writing. On August 3, Aldrin posted an update on his Facebook page sharing that their first batch of tablets has already reached 20 children from the Philippines.
Beneficiaries of the project were mainly from Isabela, Cotabato, Cebu, and Davao del Sur provinces.
After his 12-hour shift as a health care professional, Aldrin uses his free time to livestream and reach out to more people for his campaign. He plans to have a second wave of distribution with the accumulated amount he collected from friends and donors.
He also wants to expand his campaign to include giving out alcohol and face masks to teachers after he received several requests. You can find his GoFundMe page here.
More good-hearted people are raising funds to get gadgets to poor Filipino kids for the upcoming school year.
Celebrities like Heart Evangelista and her Big Heart PH provide students with distance learning tools while Alden Richards is giving away gadgets and cash gifts.
UST students’ Streets to Schools donation drive for gadgets help kids with distance learning.
The city of Manila will also issue tablets, laptops, and WiFi for students and teachers.
SEND THANKS in the comments below to overseas Filipino nurse Aldrin Licayan for sponsoring tablets for Pinoy kids to continue their schooling under the new normal.
Want to know how to be a Proud Pinoy? Like, Follow, Subscribe to GoodNewsPilipinas.com, and our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Good News Pilipinas! TV on YouTube, for new story notifications, and e-mail newsletters for updates on more Filipino Pride stories.
