The $10-million project, launched in November 2001, is targeting 450 indigenous youths with leadership potential.
The young leaders undergo a 12-month training program that instills leadership and livelihood skills in them, enabling them to effectively relate and live productively in the culturally diverse Philippine society, as well as improve the quality of life in their communities.
"It’s a universal concern to equip young people with life skills that will enable them to face the challenges of the future. The Make A Connection – Nurturing Future Leaders program targets the Philippines’ indigenous groups because we believe that an effective and sustainable youth leadership program will allow them to confidently lead productive and empowered lives," said Parikshit Bhasin, Nokia Mobile Phones Phils. country general manager.
Of the more than 100 indigenous tribes (roughly 11 million people) scattered throughout the archipelago, one-fifth are comprised of young men and women between the ages of 15 and 24.
Of this number, 70 percent are either elementary or high school dropouts or have never even had formal education.
"The lack of education and hence, opportunity for gaining employable skills, has been one of the factors that has kept indigenous communities in a cycle of poverty and isolation. With the Make a Connection program, the youths are taught and trained within the bounds and practices of their own cultural traditions, while still learning skills that will benefit them in the long term," said Felicitas Rixhon, Consuelo Foundation executive director.
Several indigenous youths flew to Manila recently to share their experiences as recipients of the Make A Connection – Nurturing Future Leaders program in a press conference.
They belong to the Higaonons of Misamis Oriental, the Tausugs of Sulu, and the B’laans and T’bolis of South Cotabato.
The Higaonon youths implemented a sustainable sukuran project, a livelihood program involving vegetable and crop farming. A feasibility study-cum-training in sustainable livelihood and training in simple bookkeeping and management was conducted for 50 Higaonon youths in preparation for the program.
The program is now in full swing, with the fields now cultivated and partly planted to green onions and bananas.
For the Tausugs of Sulu, a commercial poultry-raising project was inaugurated last February. In preparation for the project, the youths were trained in small-scale business procedures, simplified bookkeeping and poultry house construction.
The consumer cooperative store of Tausug youths in Parang, Sulu is now also operational.
In South Cotabato, 36 B’laans and 15 T’bolis established a corn mill cooperative – a fitting project for a province where 84 percent of the population is involved in farming and an even greater percentage subsist on corn instead of rice.
Aside from the corn mill, training for pre-school and adult literacy teachers were also provided for the T’bolis.
This year, participating communities of Nokia’s Make A Connection – Nurturing Future Leaders program include the Bugkalot, Kankanaey and Kalanguya tribes in Nueva Vizcaya (50 youth participants), the Sama tribe in Tabawan Island, Tawi-Tawi (50 participants) and 25 youth participants each from the Iranon and Maguindanaoan tribes in Cotabato City.