Most of us never went to school hungry, and we probably didn’t go to bed hungry, either. Most of us didn’t carry the responsibility of providing for our entire household because one or both of our parents couldn’t work due to illness, disability, or death.

But there are young people all over the world that wake up and go to sleep trying to ignore the ache of hunger. Many of them take on the role of bread winner for their families or find that role assigned to them. They carry the responsibility of keeping their younger siblings fed while also caring for ailing parents and grandparents. Often hopeful that an education will help them change their futures, these students attempt to keep up with the demands of high school, class reading and assignments, extra activities, and exams. But the bottom line is this: their top priority is the survival of their families.

Side by Side Alliance believes that change is possible for these young people and their families. Knowing that God is the One who brings about lasting transformation in any of our lives – that’s where we start. We love sharing the life-changing difference that faith in Jesus Christ makes, and we’re encouraged when a student, likewise, shares with us about his or her faith in God.

We also believe that viable livelihoods are life-changing. With the ability to earn and save money comes choices, decision-making power, and the belief that things can be different.

At the invitation, and with the backing, of officials in the local government and through our alliance with the faculty and staff of the Marabut National High School and our supporters in the Philippines and the United States, Side by Side Alliance successfully launched its first livelihoods project in January of 2020! We were excited to be able to partner with students in the junior and senior classes of the high school, encouraging them and helping them learn a skill that has the potential to be a steady source of income for them.

Sixty-seven students opted to take advantage of this opportunity and participated in the three days of training provided by two experts in upcycle weaving. These students represent four separate vulnerable communities in the Municipality of Marabut on the island of Samar in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. Multiple generations often live in their households, including many siblings. If there is only one parent in the home, or if a parent or grandparent suffers from poor health, the student often carries the weight of providing for the entire household, or perhaps shares the responsibility with another sibling.

January 31, 2020, arrived and almost all of the students showed up at the training site early, excited and ready to learn! They are smart and motivated to make changes in their lives and to make things better for their families and communities. At different points during the training seminar, the students were offered the microphone and asked if they wanted to share anything about how they planned to use the skill of upcycle weaving to improve their situations.

Hearing the students’ testimonies was inspiring! They talked about what this project means to them and how they want to use the skill they are learning to impact their future in positive ways! We’re excited as we see these relationships growing and leading to open doors in each of the barangays where the students live.

Side by Side Alliance considers it a privilege to build into these students’ lives as we, too, learn from them. We look forward to our continued partnerships with the students and faculty of the Marabut National High School and with the communities they represent in the Municipality of Marabut!

If you want to join us as an ally, you can donate today!