HS students turn GK ‘teenpreneurs’

High school students participating in the “Teenpreneur Challenge,” the country’s first inter-high school entrepreneurship contest, are all set to showcase their ideas on how to improve the business performance of livelihood projects for Gawad Kalinga communities.

A total of 23 private high schools from Metro Manila will display the products they have enhanced for GK in a bazaar at the SM Mall of Asia on GK’s fourth anniversary from Oct. 25 to 27.

The GK expo will gather volunteers, workers and partners who have been working for the last four years to fulfill GK’s vision of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years.

Teenpreneur Challenge is the brainchild of Vivienne Tan, chairperson and co-founder of the Entrepreneurs School of Asia Development Foundation (ESADF) in cooperation with the Go Negosyo movement for the benefit of the GK Bayan Anihan projects.

The program also aims to instill the values of social entrepreneurship in the students even at a young age.  For three weeks, the participating students will immerse in a GK community and help the residents improve their products with their fresh ideas, creativity and innovation.

“The students are so excited for the program because we are not just out there building houses. We are able to encourage and hone students’ potential and mindset in entrepreneurship not only for personal achievement but also for social development. The Teenpreneur Challenge is beyond just building houses or products, we are also training the youth,the next generation of entrepreneurs to be socially aware and compassionate for the less fortunate in society,” says Tan, daughter of Taipan Lucio Tan.

The participating schools are: Ateneo de Manila University, Colegio de Sto. Domingo, Elizabeth Seton School, Infant Jesus Academy, Lourdes School of Quezon City, Manila Waldorf School, St. Paul’s College (Pasig), St. Paul’s University (Quezon City), Aquinas School, Diliman Preparatory School, International Christian Academy, Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila School, Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, Makati Hope Christian School, O.B. Montessori, Philippine Science High School, Reedley International High School, San Beda College, Southridge Paref school for Boys, St. Theresa’s College and Tabernacle of Faith Christian Academy.

The students add zest and creative touch to GK livelihood products like bamboo picture frames, banig handbags, capiz shells, waterlily slippers, baskets, rags, ceramics, nipa bank, detergent and jewelry boxes.

GK Sunshineville

The GK Sunshineville’s livelihood program is considered a success story in terms of attaining sustainability and profit.

The GK village, home to 92 families, is located in BF Homes, Las Pinas. The residents make and sell baskets, wine holders, keychains, slippers and sandals made from stalks of dried water lilies.

They collect the water lilies from a nearby river, let them dry and then weave the stalks to make durable and functional baskets and other products.

Jenny Ronquillo and Bong Ragojos, project director and project manager of GK Sunshineville’s livelihood project, respectively, say dried water lilies are good indigenous materials in crafting handicrafts because they are light and durable.

The community sells around P7,000  worth of crafts in a month.

Last year, Ronquillo says a company ordered 300 pieces of utility boxes (a coffee and cup mug basket) for their Christmas giveaways.

Aside from the handicrafts, residents of the GK Sunshineville work in a gotohan or mini carinderia for a living.

The area of the gotohan and the livelihood center used to be a garbage site but BF village residents offered it to GK and the lot has been transformed into a vegetable garden.

Students from Southridge Paref, an elite private school for boys, go to the livelihood center of the GK Sunshineville to help the residents improve their rubber slipper products.

After a hectic day at school, Raymund  Figueroa, Joey Gonzalez and Miko Sison  mingle with the GK residents and give their suggestions.

The boys said that for the competition, they have thought of putting checkered designs on the rubber slippers.

“The rubber slippers are something we can relate to because they’re the easiest to modify. We thought of designing the plain slippers and weave studs or simply put checkered prints on them. What also makes our concept original is the interactive part of it. At the GK expo/bazaar, we will ask the customers what type of design they’d like us to put in their rubber slippers and we will do it right there and then,” says Gonzalez.  

Aside from Southridge, International Christian Academy and Diliman Preparatory School students are also helping out GK Sunshineville residents enhance their livelihood projects.

The Diliman Preparatory School students, for instance, tried to infuse stylish and modern designs on the water lily rubber slippers and sandals by putting beads, crystals, ribbons and buttons.

Ronquillo says the ideas of the students amaze her and enhanced the marketability of their products.

“We noticed there have been improvements when they added their own designs. Our products became more saleable. We had more orders because the students’ designs appeal to young and old alike,” Ronquillo says.

Productivity component: GK’s next phase

Filipino-American Ed Figueroa who helps in the Bayan Anihan project of GK, says productivity is the next phase of the GK 777.

“We have addressed the shelter component, so our next phase is to address the resources of the land and the sustainability of the livelihood projects of each GK community. We want to develop different kinds of product lines and make the products globally competitive,” Figueroa says.

He says they will choose world-class GK products from all over the communities and find business partners in the US who can market these products there.

“Before, we look for partners for shelters. Now we are looking for business partners in the US for these products. The products are now not just for the Philippine market but for the global market,” says Figueroa, a resident of San Jose, California.

Finding a home in GK Sunshineville

Catherine Joyce Dy, a bubbly third year student apprentice of Diliman Preparatory, has been going faithfully to the GK Sunshineville in Las Pinas since the Teenpreneur Challenge started a month ago.

She bonded with the residents and feels indescribable joy whenever she helps them weave baskets or design slippers.

Catherine is brought by their family driver from their home in San Juan to Las Piñas, where she spends hours with the residents, eating, working, weaving baskets, slippers, keychains and other stuff.

“This is like my province and I don’t mind coming here. It gives me joy to help the residents and be part of this undertaking and of the Teenpreneur challenge. It’s a nice feeling to empower the poor, to help them rise above their poverty. We just don’t give them homes. We give them livelihood and raise their dignity. I am proud to be a part of this,” Catherine says.