Mindanao, located in the southernmost region of the Philippines, was known in the past as the “Land of Promise,” with its rich and abundant natural resources. Yet today, the region’s most valuable resources, its young people, face enormous challenges as they struggle to realize their own promise and hopes for the future. Mindanao’s high level of poverty, impoverished school system, and unstable social and political situation, place its young people at particular risk.

In 2004, IYF, in cooperation with an alliance of Filipino NGOs, foundations, private corporations and the US Agency for International Development/Philippines, launched the Education and Livelihood Skills Alliance (ELSA) to further increase the opportunities of the Mindanao Youth. This multi-stakeholder partnership seeks to create and expand school and community-based learning and job training programs for the region’s young people, especially in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and other conflict areas.

The key partners of this initiative are the Ayala Foundation, Consuelo Foundation, the Petron Foundation, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the Southeast Asian Minister of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH).

The work of the Alliance is being strengthened by funding assistance from the United States Agency for International Development’s EQuALLS (Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills) project, which shares and contributes to similar goals. USAID/Philippines developed EQuALLS to increase community-based learning opportunities over the next five years in conflict-affected areas and communities without schools.

The Alliance is governed by a Steering Committee that includes members from these organizations and other stakeholders in Mindanao’s social and economic development. ELSA is working closely with the Philippine Department of Education, the Department of Education –ARMM, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private companies, school boards, training institutions, and schools, as well as those already participating in the EQuALLS Project.

Among its accomplishments as of January 2007: ELSA has constructed 37 new classrooms; distributed 9,500 chairs and desks and 23,000 reference books; improved the performance of 72,000 students in math, science, and English; graduated 780 out-of-school youth from an alternative education program, and benefited more than 1,000 jobless youth who have either graduated from or are in the process of completing a job training and technical education course.

ELSA was launched with support from a $US 4.1 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development/Philipines, and has raised $3.8 million in financial and in-kind resources to support its youth development programs.

In 2007, ELSA won the ANVIL Award, considered the "Oscar" of public relations practice in the Philippines, for the succesful implementation of its In-School Youth Engagement Program.

Visit the ELSA website at www.elsa.org.ph

Resources
"Policy Research on Access to Quality Basic Education for Muslim Learners"

Success Story
Read how ELSA positively impacted the life 15-year-old Rowena from Mindanao.

Download the ELSA brochure

Read the Press Release announcing the launch of ELSA

Learn about our other initiatives that focus on Education and Employability