Volunteer group in Philippines builds boats for students who cross water to go to school

Since 2010, the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation has been providing critical support to students who face the unique challenge of crossing bodies of water just to attend school.

By building and donating boats, the foundation has given these students a safer, more reliable way to access education.

To date, the foundation has donated over 5,000 boats, benefiting more than 81,000 students in 149 adopted schools nationwide.

“We donate both paddle and motorized boats,” said Dr. Anton Mari H. Lim, DVM, co-founder and current president of the foundation. “The designs of the boats are adapted to the community’s needs and the capabilities of local boat builders.”

Dr. Lim explained that the double-outrigger paddle boats can transport up to five elementary students, while the regular engine-driven boats can ferry 10 students. The largest boats, also engine-driven, can carry as many as 30 students at a time.

According to Patricia Diana S.A. Ayo, the foundation's grants and partnerships officer, the cost of a double-outrigger paddle boat ranges from P12,000 to P18,000, while the engine-driven boats cost between P70,000 to P100,000, depending on their size, capacity, and the location of the boat builder.

An added benefit of these boats is that, when not in use by students, the recipients’ families can use them to fish, providing an additional source of livelihood. “The parents of the recipients can use the boat to catch fish while their children are in school,” Lim added.

In keeping with the theme of student transport, the school boats are painted yellow, similar to school buses.

One of the foundation’s recent projects saw the donation of 30 boats to students in the province of Sulu, over 1,500 kilometers south of Manila, who need to cross waters to reach their schools.

The foundation’s journey began with a simple Facebook post in October 2010 by co-founder Jay Jaboneta, who called for donations to build a boat for students in Zamboanga, a city in the southern Philippines.

The response was overwhelming, enabling the foundation to build its first double-outrigger engine-driven boat, which could transport 30 elementary school students.

“Our first recipients in Zamboanga had to swim to school, with plastic bags on their heads to keep their learning materials dry,” Lim recalled.

In addition to supporting students, the foundation also aids fishermen who have lost their boats due to natural disasters. Following the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Typhoon Haiyan) in 2013, the foundation donated over 600 boats to fishermen in the central Philippines, particularly in Leyte, Samar, and Cebu.

Super Typhoon Yolanda was one of the most destructive and costliest typhoons in the country’s history, attracting international aid. Among the contributors was American best-selling author Mitch Albom, who, through the National Bookstore, donated six boats to the foundation.

Each boat was named after one of Albom’s books, including Have a Little Faith, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Time Keeper, The First Phone Call from Heaven, and For One More Day.

In 2023, the foundation built and donated at least 120 boats to fishermen under its Adopt-A-Fisherman program, which works in partnership with various organizations and individuals. “The program seeks not only to provide fishermen with a means of livelihood but also to support their children’s education,” said Lim.

The foundation’s efforts extend beyond boat-giving. They have built classrooms, dormitories, bridges, and learning hubs, all painted in the foundation's signature yellow.

Through its Hope in a Box program, the foundation also supplies students with essential school items like notebooks, pencils, and crayons, along with groceries.

The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation has adopted communities across the country, including in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Bulacan, Palawan, Mountain Province, Bohol, Cebu, Cotabato, Basilan, and more, providing vital support to both students and families.

In recognition of its work, the foundation was honored with the Metrobank Foundation's Partners in Empowerment, Advocacy, and Commitment to Excellence (Peace) Award in 2019.