OVERVIEW
SWIBU, a non-profit organization with its office in Switzerland and a registered corporation in Cebu City, is helping children and public schools in need on the island of Cebu, Philippines.
School systems in the Philippines are divided in three major parts. Elementary school for 6 years, High school for another
6 years. After that, College and University. Our duty is to support Public Elementary and High schools only, however for high achieving students, there is a fond to further support them in college and University.
The government provides the base for every child to attend school, however the parents have to bear costs, like school fees (300 – 500 PHP = Euros 6 – 10 p.a.). Next to that, school uniforms, shoes, sports dresses, school bags, school books and materials, project items, food, transport etc. which easily ends up to an amount of PHP 5’000.00+ p.a. (Euros 100.00) per child.
For the majority of families with an average monthly income of 10’000 PHP, and four children are two months income already spent. Not to talk about families with up to 10 children plus.
Classrooms and classes; are in high needs of improvement, e.g. furniture, teaching and learning equipment, restoration, etc. to guarantee the 40 to 50 students per class a more professional environment.
Teachers in most of the schools are highly educated und motivated, even working under such hard conditions and environment.
Fundraising local; all the schools elect at the beginning of a new school term the PTA (Parents – Teachers – Association), a team of 5 members. One of their duty is to raise some funds for their school and students in need. However, and unfortunately their activities are to collect money from the students, teachers and parents again, which already suffer a lot of financial hardship to provide school to their offspring’s. The money has to be raised from outside, by sponsors, donators e.g. companies etc. to relieve the financial burden and pressure of the parents. SWIBU is providing seminars in regards of fundraising for them.