On 4 November 2019, CFSI officially launched the Sama Bajau Education Support Project (SBESP), made possible through the funding support from Educo PH – Fundacion Educacion Y Cooperacion, beginning with preliminary activities such as the Inception Workshop.
The SBESP aims to improve literacy and employability of male and female Sama Bajau adolescent children and young adults through facilitating access to the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd) and appropriate technical and vocational (TechVoc) skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Representatives from CFSI and Educo participated in the SBESP Inception Workshop held 04 November 2019
After the Inception Workshop, a series of home visits and interviews were done in the communities of Rio Hondo, Kasanyangan, and Arena Blanco from 11 to 22 November.
Among the many families visited was Amboy Bisingan’s household. Amboy, 50, is a single parent of three children, ages 16, 13, and 9. Amboy is a Sama Bajau fisherman who, like most of other men in his tribe, earns a living through catching fish. He recounted his dreams for his children — to see them graduate one day. As a child, 50-year old Amboy told the SBESP team how he envied children who goes to school everyday with their backpacks and water jugs. But then, because males in their community are expected to help in the livelihood activities of their parents, Amboy started fishing at a young age and did not have the opportunity to go to school. When he had his children, he worked twice as much as he did to send them to school. But then, after he and his wife separated, things went out of control including the education of his children. His children has stopped going to school for a year now.
The opportunity provided by SBESP to Sama Bajau adolescent children and young adults is seen by families like that of Amboy as an opportunity that would provide their children with better futures and a more secured life ahead.
The SBESP will be implemented in Zamboanga City by CFSI with funding support from the Educo PH from October 2019 to December 2020.