International education nonprofit U-Go and Ayala Foundation recently hosted a fundraising dinner, raising over P19-M to support 300 promising young women in finishing their college degrees.
Held last May 2 at the Ayala Museum, the fundraiser featured a special dinner prepared by renowned chef Miko Calo and was attended by business leaders and education advocates. The dinner was sponsored by JP Morgan Private Bank and Mishcon de Reya LLP.
The event highlighted the need for more educational opportunities for women from low-income backgrounds and underscored Ayala Foundation’s commitment to empowering young women as future leaders in their chosen fields.
Said U-Go Founder and CEO John Wood, “When we launched U-Go, many ‘experts’ told us that we would not be able to raise large sums of money in Manila- that it was somehow different from Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. We ignored that conventional wisdom and are so grateful to the local business community for really stepping up and proving that sometimes in life we have to take calculated risks. As a result of one magical evening, we will be able to add 300 more ambitious and promising young Filipino women to our program between now and the start of the school year in September.”
Ayala Foundation President Tony Lambino added, “Tonight, we celebrate the important role of education in supporting the next generation of Filipino women leaders. Through the U-Go Scholar Grant, we are providing financial assistance to promising young women, so that they can focus on their studies and finish their degrees despite financial pressures. We are grateful for the opportunity to help our U-Go scholars achieve this transformative goal.”
U-Go grants help women from low-income households in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Tanzania, and the Philippines.
To date, U-Go has supported 408 scholars in the Philippines and aims to expand to 1,000 beneficiaries over the next few years. The U-Go Philippine program also produced its first graduate last year, Dona Mae Oco, who received a Values Education degree, with honors, from Philippine Normal University.
Scholarship applications for 2024 are open until June 13, 2024 via https://afi.ph/ugoeligibility2024.