The project to establish ehubs is an initiative of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (YBHF). Now present in 16 locations across the country, these ehubs serve as learning spaces for the students from their adopted communities. Along with their partner, BEAGIVER Ventures, Inc., YBHF reached out to ASUS Philippines for help in providing laptops for this very timely and important project.

Lack of access to digital technology

In a virtual interview with Dr. Anton Mari H Lim, DVM, the co-founder, president and the chief hope paddler of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, he says that “technology plays a key role to implement projects even without traveling.” In communicating within their organization. He adds that even with the lockdown, “a laptop serves as a basic connectivity tool”.

However, for Josh Mahinay, the founder and CEO of BEAGIVER Ventures, Inc., “it’s really challenging most especially during this time of the pandemic, where schools are disrupted and the parents, students and even teachers were not ready on how to engage in the new normal of education.”

With schools remaining closed, students and teachers continue to have a hard time with distance learning. “Students don’t have the means to access the internet because they don’t have the laptop” while “we have teachers who need to print modules but they don’t have the laptop to do it,” he added.

Fortunately, these were the challenges that the ehubs addressed. “With the ehubs and sponsored laptops, the number of kids that can submit a complete module is very high”, Dr. Lim said.

I need a laptop that is plug and play and will last long. The ASUS Chromebook C223NA fits the bill.”

Dr. Anton Mari H Lim

Co-founder, president and chief hope paddler of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.

Reliable partners for social change

YBHF and BEAGIVER started their movements with a mission to provide underprivileged kids the basic access to education and opportunities to succeed.

Each Yellow Boat ehub was provided with six ASUS Chromebook C223NA laptops, a modem with one year of free WiFi and a printer for the school. The beneficiaries included the adopted Santa Maria National High School, and Donsol Vocational High School. Dr. Lim chose ASUS as their partner in this project. “ASUS has always been there and it’s known as a producer of quality products,” says Lim.

For Dr. Lim, the ASUS Chromebook was his initial choice, considering that the recipients who are mostly from far-flung communities are first-time laptop users. He also chose the ASUS Chromebook due to its compatibility with their students’ basic needs. “I don’t need a very complicated laptop, I need a laptop that is plug and play and will last long. The ASUS Chromebook C223NA fits the bill,” he added.

ASUS Chromebook is designed for freedom to study and work anywhere with its practical operating system and long-lasting battery life.

Meanwhile, the laptops Josh Mahinay chose provided them with the practicality, the very straightforward design, and the affordability they require.

ASUS has generously promised to donate more brand-new Chromebooks to the Yellow Boat ehub project. Aside from the purchased Chromebook C223NA, ASUS Philippines also donated five additional ASUS X441NA laptops to BEAGIVER for their communities.

Both BEAGIVER and YBHF have been partners since 2017 and they are successful project collaborators because they are always able to maximize their individual strengths. As a social enterprise, BEAGIVER uses the profit it generates to fund its project partnerships with YBHF, and the latter has been excellently handling the on-the-ground implementation and mobilization of these projects.

If people who are in a far better situation would reach out and give back to the community, I think that is going to be transformative for our society and our country in particular.”

Josh Mahinay

Founder and CEO of BEAGIVER Ventures Inc.

The ripple effect

The YBHF and BEAGIVER share the same vision as ASUS — reach out to more people and create a meaningful impact in the community. BEAGIVER’s Mahinay believes that “if people who are in a far better situation would reach out and give back to the community, I think that is going to be transformative for our society and our country in particular.”

For Dr. Lim, “all it takes to change the world is for one person to care.” ASUS recognizes that all these initiatives are making great strides in changing the lives of children in the Philippines.