In the coastal community of Baseco in Tondo, Manila, utilities like electricity and water are not guaranteed luxuries. Children and adults are prone to skin rashes and other illnesses due to extreme heat, poor sanitation, and lack of ventilation and clean drinking water.
Fortunately, there are young leaders in Baseco Compound who are quick to put their thinking caps on to address these problems. These “child leaders” are honed in the ING Learning Center (ILC) of Dutch financial institution ING Bank. Their solution: practical science.
Science in the summer
Elementary to college students from the ILC, regularly tutored by ING employee-volunteers in coordination with World Vision, gathered and bonded as savvy young inventors for the first-ever ILC Science Fair during the summer months.
Grade 9 students Nicole Andrea and Arif John created a fan-and-light gadget made out of recycled materials and powered by a single AA battery for 12 hours, ideal for young learners’ bed stand and has a low environmental impact. Another group of young inventors produced a two-in-one insecticide and purifier made of olive oil, citronella and charcoal to help repel mosquitoes and houseflies in their neighborhood.
“We challenged the kids to think of a problem in their community and solve it through science. The invention should be highly useful, replicable and sustainable,” said Reuben Estrada, assistant vice president at ING Bank’s Manila branch who conceptualized the science fair. The child leaders were given a P2,000 budget per group and advice from employee-volunteers of ING Bank’s Manila branch and ING Business Shared Services Inc. (IBSS) and teachers.
For the young learners of Baseco, however, it’s not just about discovering the world of science, but also exploring new means of livelihood to help their families.
Seventh-grader Gerald and 10th grader Hazel Joy showcased’ a homemade vending machine that dispenses healthy and wholesome local drinks, such as coconut juice. They shared the top prize with the fan-and-light duo group and bagged laptops and other premium educational items.
For ING Bank, the science fair was an important exercise for the ILC’s child leaders, who in this unique model pass on age-appropriate lessons in math, English and reading to younger learners of the same underprivileged background, as well as actively participate in barangay-based child-welfare activities.
“In this program, aligned with Unicef’s global initiative for quality education, we’re choosing the future leaders. Fun summer endeavors like this test their aptitude and intelligence, giving them an avenue to pick each other’s brains, work hard and find practical solutions to some everyday problems in life,” Estrada explained.