Outdated schoolbooks, a lack of school supplies, limited access to technology the world is powering ahead on—these are the ills that plague schoolchildren all over the Philippines. They, among other factors, keep the educational system from fulfilling its promise: to provide future generations of Filipinos with the knowledge and critical skills they need to get ahead in life. It’s a problem in urgent need of a solution.
One such solution comes in the form of the new e.Studyante program launched by P&G Philippines and its partners, Smart Communications Inc. and the Synergeia Foundation. The e.Studyante program provides beneficiary school children with child-friendly laptops sourced through the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Association and Internet connectivity from Smart.
The program involves not only the distribution of laptops to grade school students, but also the setup of the necessary technology and training for educators in the beneficiary schools and the vetting and updating of educational software and materials. It aims to make learning fun, empowering, relevant, and easier for kids. P&G plans to bring 1 million laptops to grade school students by its 100th anniversary in 24 years.
“We intend for this to complement traditional learning methods and tools instead of competing with them,” Chad Sotelo, P&G’s Country Marketing Manager explains. “A laptop and Internet connectivity becomes [the kids’] window to the world’s knowledge and places it at their fingertips [in] real-time. People and places they had no access to before are now within their reach. These tools expand their horizons and minds and encourage them to dream and attain a brighter future.”
Funding for the e.Studyante program will be built up over the next several years via P&G promo packs, which are available at leading supermarkets and stores nationwide. Purchasing a promo pack will not only ensure that a portion of the earnings from will go to the e.Studyante program, but it will also allow you to buy the items at prices up to 40 percent off the regular rates.
Watch the video and click through the gallery below to learn more about the program, as well as see photos of the first beneficiaries—the students of the Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Tondo, Manila—from the program launch on December 2. You can also visit the e.Studyante Facebook page.
