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Hope International

After weeks of build up, the distribution for the Pencil Drive and Back to School challenge was finally under way. Spanning over 20 schools and organisations across Manila and beyond. Find the Pencil Icon on the map to see the different sites. In total over 3000 students received school supplies and 80 teachers received teaching packs.

We received donations from, Bixbee Bags, Springboard Foundation Germany, Concur, Sykes Asia, Q2, Colliers International Philippines, Arcadis, The German Club, Mad Dogs Motorcycle Club, St. Andrews Society, British School Manila, International School Manila, The German School, Weir Minerals, Nestlé as well as numerous private individuals. Thank you to you all! Also a special thanks to Versatile Enterprises for producing the backpacks for us!

It was an enormous task that required organising the collection of donations, recording every item donated, finding schools who needed help, finding volunteers to help with the packing of the supplies, packing the supplies into the individual packs, organising distributions across multiple sites, as well as liaising with many companies and private donors scattered across Manila. Now that the distributions are now complete, the unglamorous wind down task of getting all the official paperwork together and reconciling the books begin. Wish us luck!


  • Pencil Drive
    Contents of the Pencil Drive packs

Recipients of the Pencil Drive received a school pack that contained the following: 2 notebooks, 2 pencils, a pencil sharpener, a box of crayons, a pair of scissors, an eraser and a ruler.

Recipients of the Back to School Challenge received a pack of school supplies (as listed above) and a backpack.

Teachers at the various educational establishments received a teachers pack that contained, glue, marker pen, art paper, a pair of scissors, ball pens, Manila paper, stapler, staples, tape dispenser, tape and bond paper.

A massive thank you to everyone who donated to those who lent a hand at the various stages of the Pencil Drive and Back to School Challenge.

Keep watching this space to see more photos from different distributions as and when we receive the photos.


Cashew Nut Elementary School

Cashew is located in the north of Manila in an economically deprived area called Payatas. Many families make a living from scavenging through waste at the dumpsite or processing/re-purposing materials scavenged from the dumpsite.

Cashew received 160 school bags with school supplies and 12 teacher’s packs.

  • Cashew, Payatas
    Back to School Challenge bags handed out to Cashew students

Calayan Island 
Calayan Island located 24 miles (39 kilometers) west – southwest of Babuyan Islands, north of Luzon.

Calayan Island received 97 school bags with school supplies for their students in partnership with Go Share Foundation.

  • A boy felt attached with his bag

Fairplay For All

Fairplay For All…..located just up the road from Cashew in Payatas.

FFA received 60 packs of school supplies for their students and 8 teacher’s packs.

  • Fairplay For All
    Pencil Drive distribution at Fairplay For All in Payatas

Pittland Elementary School

Pittland Elementary School located 1 hours drive south of Manila.

Pittland received 460 packs of school supplies for their students and 15 teacher’s packs.

  • Pittland Elementary
    Students of Pittland Elementary school

Hope Worldwide

Hope Worldwide is located in Binan, a small town south of Manila.

Some of the donated school supplies went to their other site in Daanbantayan, Cebu.

Hope received 360 school bags with school supplies and 13 teacher’s packs.

  • Bixbee
    Distribution day of Bixbee bags for students at Hope International

Kalayaan Elementary School

Kalayaan Elementary School can be found close to the office of Springboard Foundation.

Kalayaan Elementary received 527 packs of school supplies, 321 school bags with school supplies and 19 teacher’s packs

  • Distribution of school supplies at Kalayaan Elementary School in Paranaque

Little Mary’s Home

Little Mary’s is a small orphanage run by nuns in Merville that looks after both boys and girls.

Little Mary’s received 10 school bags with school supplies.

  • Little Marys Home
    Some of the recipients of school bags and school supplies

Kalayaan Community Ministries

Kalayaan Community Ministries is located near the Smokey Mountain dumpsite in Tondo, Manila.

Kalayaan Community Ministries received 30 school bags with school supplies.

  • Children in Tondo happily holding their school bags filled with school supplies

Payatas Orione Foundation

Payatas Orione Foundation is located in Quezon City.

Payatas Orione Foundation received 250 school bags with school supplies and 6 teacher packs.

  • Payatas Orione Pencil Drive Distribution
    Children with their school bags

Kid’s International Ministries

Kid’s International Ministries helps at-risk children in indigent communities.

Kid’s International Ministries received 40 school bags with school supplies and 2 teacher packs. The donations were distributed in Leyte at the Lighthouse.

  • Girl hugging her bag

Manggahan Day Care

Manggahan Day Care is located in Sitio Manggahan 2 near Merville.

Manggahan Day Care received 45 school bags with school supplies and 1 teacher pack.


Bonfal West Elementary School

Bonfal West Elementary School is located in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya.

Bonfal West Elementary School received 273 school bags with school supplies and 4 teacher packs.


Wella Day Care

Wella Day Care is located in Sitio Wella near Merville.

Wella Day Care received 66 school bags with school supplies.

  • While children are waiting to receive their bags

Go Forward Foundation

Go Forward Foundation is located in Biñan, Laguna.

Go Forward received 41 school bags with school supplies.


Iris Ministries

Iris Ministries is located in Metro Manila.

Iris Ministries received 200 school bags with school supplies.

  • Iris Ministries
    School bags ready to be given away

Mango Children’s Home and Grapevine

Mango Children’s Home and Grapevine is located in Manila.

Mango Children’s Home and Grapevine received 157 school bags with school supplies and 4 teacher packs.

  • Mango Children's Home and Grapevine