Childhope PH uses music to educate kids

Non-profit organisation Childhope Philippines is using music to help out-of-school youth gain access to quality education with its new "school on the streets" or "KalyEskwela" initiative.

The "school on the streets" initiative is a program that utilises a mobile van equipped with audio-visual resources to deliver alternative educational sessions sanctioned by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines. It was also created in partnership with BBDO Guerrero. 

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As part of "school on the streets", Childhope's instructors, musicians and producers introduce "singing lessons" where rhythm-infused rap songs serve as engaging educational tools. It also allows out-of-school youths to retain their learnings more efficiently. 

“For these kids, the streets serve as their classroom, which is far from conducive to learning. But with ‘singing lessons’, we’re able to capture their attention, making the learning process enjoyable and effective," said Mylene Lagman, resource mobilisation unit and communications manager at Childhope Philippines. 

This year, with the help of songwriter Migs Saludes, Childhope expanded its library of songs in the program. The first single, called “Bayani” (Heroes), delves into the introduction and history of the Philippines’ national heroes. The second track, ‘Karapatan’ (Rights), educates children about their fundamental rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“I had a great time collaborating with BBDO Guerrero. Writing music with the purpose of education; it's a refreshing experience. Coming from a place where I've seen how important knowledge and learning is, I think that Childhope is taking a huge step towards that," said Saludes. 

Last year, in partnership with Hit Productions, BBDO Guerrero created tracks covering basic English, multiplication, and gender sensitivity. These efforts were rolled out across various locations under the KalyEskwela program in 2023.

“It’s always great to see work that makes a difference in the lives of people that need it the most. We’ve put in a lot of time and effort to make sure these kids get the education they deserve," added Caleb Cosico, creative director at BBDO Guerrero.

This activation comes the agency collaborated with Facebook, Child Rights Network and the Stairway Foundation to educate children about the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.

The collaborative team launched the GiF Learning Library: a series of GiF-animated stories that teach kids about staying safe at home and online.

BBDO Guerrero created these stories for lockdown, under lockdown. Using resources at hand, the team crafted each page of the book by layering GiF stickers on hand-illustrated backgrounds. This created a fully-animated scene, designed to keep young children focused without using over-stimulating animation.

Three titles have been released, available in English and Filipino, with a live storybook reading by local celebrity mom: Bianca Gonzalez. The library has also added interactive storybook quizzes and build-your-own GiF sticker pages.

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