Dell's 'Powering the Possible' Program

Earmarking more support to empower street children

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Dell  announced recently  its additional support  to the advocacy of Childhope Asia Philippines, Inc. (CHAP) in helping close the learning gap among underserved children. CHAP  received an additional P19K from Dell’s Powering the Possible grant during the company’s blocked screening of the movie “Wolverine” at Greenbelt 1 cinema in Ayala Center Makati. Said additional funding will help facilitate CHAP’s aim to empower  over 600 misplaced streetchildren through education and computer literacy.

“Our initiatives to empower youth by closing the technology gap and providing training in information and communications technology skills are focused on improving, enhancing and jump-starting learning for life. By putting technology to work for underserved communities, we aim to help young people discover new possibilities, change their lives, and unleash their true potential,” declared Richard Teo, president of Dell Int’l Services – Philippines

“We are very pleased to be able to extend funding support for Child Hope Asia’s street children outreach program. Child Hope Asia has been a strategic partner of Dell under the Powering The Possible program. Last year, Dell worked with Child Hope Asia to provide a computer lab with state-of-the-art technology as well as equipping mobile vans with mobile laptops so that the street children of Manila can have access to these learning tools. Our employees have been active in providing skills training in computers as well as other creative skills like singing & dancing and the arts. The additional funding support is intended to enable further outreach so that the deployed technology can be fully utilized by these misplaced youth,” Teo intoned.

CHAP works with the underprivileged street children and out-of-school youth in Metro Manila to give them equal opportunities for learning through several programs, including basic literacy and numeracy, alternative learning system basic education, computer literacy, as well as life skills, values and primary health education. To facilitate its outreach and protection/education program, the charity is aided by mobile education vans with street educators that are deployed to 18 locations daily where street children are commonly found—in parks or on the sidewalks of urban centers around Metro Manila—to teach children there.

The core of this partnership is to provide the underserved youth and educators with access to technology and serve as a catalyst for lifelong learning and career readiness. Dell technology is used to equip the mobile education vans with laptops and the required education software to accomplish the work of accredited programs administered by CHAP, benefiting an estimated 500 misplaced children.

"The Childhope Board of Directors, staff, and the many street children we assist, are truly and deeply grateful for the commitment and substantial financial support given by Dell to our street children's education; which will have a life-long impact on their development and well-being as well.as towards being useful contributors to society as a whole. May Dell continue in all its outreach endeavors," intimated Teresita Silva, president & managing director of Chilhope Asia Inc.

In addition, the grant will greatly help in the maintenance of the set-up computer lab with Dell desktops that has started providing digital learning and basic computer literacy classes to 120 selected street children brought to the charity’s premises and to the areas in Metro Manila where CHAP operates.

“We are grateful for Dell’s support in our efforts to defend the rights of street children by providing them with learning opportunities and knowledge that can help protect them from the vulnerabilities of life on the street. The education and skills they acquire will also go a long way in preparing them for a future as productive members of the community” Silva continued.

The computers at the center were also installed with a database program that has been used by the 25 street educators for recording and tracking the progress of the street children under the program. This will greatly help in monitoring the welfare of the children and in evaluating the impact of the program to the beneficiaries.

Providing the world’s youth with access to technology is something that is close to  Dell’s corporate value. The company’s ‘Powering the Possible’ program is designed to change the way youth learn and access information today. Dell’s partnership with Childhope Asia is in giving the latter the power to provide the technology, the know-how and the resources in helping the next generation grow and thrive in their communities.“This is the first time that different groups of people – from our sales as well as BPO offices – are together in one place. Our customers are also now part of our outreach endeavors. Technology is now accessible to the underprivileged and in the hands of streetchildren. A number of Dell employees share their time too in teaching computer literacy to the kids,” Teo said at the close of the short program prior to the movie screening.

Since 1989, Childhope Asia Philippines has been at the forefront of advocating the cause of street children in the Philippines and in Asia. It reaches out to about 1,200 street children every year and works to uplift street children from the hazards of working and living on the streets and aims to realize a better future for them by providing learning opportunities outside the confines of a formal school set-up. Visit www.childhope.org.ph to learn more about the organization.

Dell’s ‘Powering the Possible’ program focuses on four areas of giving that includes learning, children’s cancer care, disaster relief and social entrepreneurship.  The ‘Powering the Possible’ project is designed to give others the power to do more through a combination of Dell technology & solutions, resources, as well as know-how. This initiative in support of  learning, empowers the youth by closing the technology gap through provisions in training, in information & communications technology skills – all focused on improving, enhancing and jump-starting learning for life.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Powering the Possible is Dell’s commitment to put technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people and the planet. Dell works with nonprofits to address pressing social issues by donating a combination of Dell technologies and solutions, funding, expertise and volunteer support. In 2011, Dell gave more than $44 million, and Dell team members volunteered more than 418,000 hours in their communities. Learn more at www.dell.com/communities.