Yellow Boat of Hope: Filipino non-profit makes education accessible

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With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines faces a huge challenge teaching children in remote towns. One charity is bridging that gap by literally crossing rivers and oceans to either take kids to school or bring the school to them. CGTN's Barnaby Lo has our 'Inspirers' story.

It was a welcome fit for a hero. Heroes, in fact, as public school teachers and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, co-founded by this man, Anton Lim, have changed the lives of the people of this island forever.

JENNIFER CANELA SITIO LIPATA RESIDENT "When I was a little girl, whenever the water's high, we had to do sidesteps and hold on to rocks on the cliff, and then cross a river, just to make it to school."

High school was an even farther expedition for Jennifer Canela so she decided to just drop out of school. Here in Sitio Lipata and in neighboring islands, that isn't uncommon.

CATHY ALARZAR TEACHER "One of the reasons why many drop out of school here is because of the distance to the nearest school. I saw firsthand how difficult the travel is for students, so I knew this place needed help."

But the teachers needed help as well. They hired boats to get to Sitio Lipata using their own money. It wasn't sustainable.

WINDEL ALVAREZ TEACHER "We spent thousands of pesos just to reach children on remote islands. But because it's our own money or sometimes out of the generosity of boatmen, we couldn't get to as many children as we would have wanted."

Anton Lim, whose foundation had by then been providing boats for school kids in more than one hundred remote villages, recalls a persistent Windel Alvarez asking for help. Yellow Boat responded by providing three boats.

ANTON LIM YELLOW BOAT OF HOPE FOUNDATION "The usual Yellow Boat story is the boat bringing kids from point A to point B where the school is. But here, it's the reverse. The teacher will bring education to where the learners are because of the distance. So what Windel did was to equip the boat with all the materials you need to give education to the community."

Now dozens of teachers volunteer to teach not just children, but adults, on the island.

BARNABY LO CARAMOAN, PHILIPPINES "So when Yellow Boat started its alternative learning program on this island, they started out with kids as their students. But of course it's the mothers who would take the kids and they would sit and they would watch. And now they have their own set up here; they have their own classroom, they're getting their own education."

With the demand for an education increasing on the island, plans for a concrete school building is now in the works. The lack of facilities, however, was never an obstacle. A few of Sitio Lipata's students, like Jennifer, have graduated from high school.

JENNIFER CANELA SITIO LIPATA RESIDENT "I want to pursue further studies. I want to take up a vocational course so I can get a good job."

Jennifer says finishing her studies, despite her age, was also her way of giving the island's children hope that anyone, given the opportunity, can make it in life. Barnaby Lo, CGTN, Sitio Lipata, Caramoan, the Philippines.