ELSA Global Home

Field Orientation sets the stage for ELSA 2

April 08, 2008

Koronodal City, March 25,2008- Carrying the message of “One Heart, One Dream, One Team,” the Education and Livelihood Skills Alliance (ELSA), under USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS) program, held a field orientation activity at the Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) for its second phase of operations.

Representatives from International Youth Foundation, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Petron Foundation, Ayala Foundation, and Consuelo Foundation were present to introduce the scope, objectives and interventions of the program to the local implementing partners and new staff members of ELSA.

USAID’s EQUALLS program aims to increase access to quality education and livelihood skills in Mindanao, particularly those most affected by conflict and poverty through local community organizing, teacher training capacity and youth civic engagement. “Through better coordination and integration, we are hoping to reach deeper impact and scale for Phase 2,” said Dr. Zenaida Domingo, ELSA’s program director. The activity further establishes EQUALLS’ commitment of working towards convergence to improve quality and access that will benefit various communities in Mindanao.

“This gives us a great opportunity to further understand the EQuALLS- ELSA program. I am happy that we are given the chance to put faces to names and name to faces and we are certainly looking forward to be working with ELSA,” said Brother Wilfredo Lubrico, President of the Notre Dame of Marbel University. NDMU is one of ELSA’s local implementing partners for the reintegration of out-of school youth.

To kick off its second phase, ELSA will have several community launches and orientations over the next 2 months to introduce its programs to the communities.