Do you have old or unused cellphones, tablets or laptops? Do you have some unused chargers or pocket WiFi? Well, open up the ancient boxes and brush off the dust from your old gadgets because you can give them a better ending by helping to start other people’s journey by sharing at AmbaGadyet.
With the bend but not break attitude of the Department of Education (DepEd), Pasukan 2020 was moved from August 24 to October 5, 2020 to give time for the preparation of learning and teaching materials for the new learning modalities for students. Gadgets certainly will play a major role in providing a platform for non-contact education in this troubled period, but another dilemma sprouted, not everyone can afford to buy gadgets.
Aiming to help students meet the needed gears to cope up with the new method of learning by providing new or secondhand gadgets and accessories, the gadget drive AmbaGadyet was born. The charity’s mission is to provide gadgets for selected 80 Grade 7 to Grade 12 students from Marcelino Abadiano Javarez National High School (MAJNHS) in Barangay Maryugon, Puerto Princesa City.
“Kami po sa AmbaGadyet ay naniniwala sa potensyal ng kabataan, lalo na ng mga kabataang Palaweño at sa kinabukasang maari nilang mabuo. Kaalinsabay nito, amin ding kinikilala ang katotohanang hindi lahat ay may kakayanan makaangkop sa bagong normal sa pag-aaral. Dahil dito, naglayoon kaming tumulong sa mga nangangailangang kabataan sa Puerto Princesa upang kahit papaano ay mabawasan ang problema ng iilan,” said the charity founder, Pernelle Bruno, a Palaweña BS Biology graduate of University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus and first year student in UP College of Medicine.
Your old gadgets can help students to continue to lay the foundations for their better future by providing them the tools to cope up with online learning, just like how the story of an old laptop started AmbaGadyet.
“Nag-umpisa ‘to kasi bumili ako ng bagong laptop for medschool so yung old laptop ko di ko maisip anong gagawin ko and ayun I realized na since online learning na, for sure maraming hindi agad kaya maka-cope sa bagong mode of learning this pandemic. After ko ‘yon naisip, lumapit ako sa friends ko sa Palawan, lahat kami either alumni or student sa UP. Nag-usap kami through zoom meetings at nacoin namin ying project name “AmbaGadyet”,” she added.
From the Filipino words ‘ambag’ or share and ‘gadyet’, AmbaGadyet’s path was paved and made possible by other Palaweño UP students and alumni; Ares Parales, Matthew Ora, Aries Austria, Wendell Tabang and Elka Pagliawan.
The drive which accepted cash and gadget donations from July 27 was able to collect P11,500, 3 tablets, 2 laptops, 1 projector, 12 earphones, 7 connectors, 3 pocket WiFi, 2 mouse, 1 powerbank, 1 headset and 1 micro-USB charger. AmbaGadyet was scheduled to end last August 24, but due to the rescheduling of the opening of classes to October 5, the drive will still accept donations until September 30, 2020.
AmbaGadyet’s founder believes in the brighter tomorrow of these students in the face of the global crisis brought by COVID-19 pandemic, and hopes for the appropriate attention from the government to support education.
“I still believe, though, that despite the situation, mayroon pa ring kinabukasang nag-aantay sa mga kabataan. Nawa lamang ay mabigyan ng tamang atensiyon at suporta ng gobyerno ang mga isyu kagaya nito,” said Bruno.
Everyone can support and contribute in this cause, you can contact Matthew Ora – 09458999689 for cash donations, Ares Parales – 09569677684 for gadget donations, and Pernelle Bruno – 09171240009 for inquiries. You may also visit AmbaGadyet’s Facebook page where you can see updates and transparency reports about the donations.
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