MANILA, Philippines – A Pinoy student in Australia found a way to help indigent pupils in Leyte through his gourmet tuyo business. Thanks to his advocacy, at least 2 schools in Leyte will regularly receive financial assistance to help them print modules for their pupils.
Ryan Sta Maria is a Filipino international student who is taking up commercial cooking at William Angliss Institute in Melbourne, Australia. Just like many other Pinoys who study abroad, he also had a job while in school.
When he lost his job in June due to COVID-19 pandemic, the young student refused to give up. Instead of complaining about his difficult predicament, he used this as an opportunity to open a small business while also helping others.
As part of his advocacy, Ryan uses 10% of his total sales to buy school and office supplies to help print modules for the pupils of two elementary schools at Banahao and Malbago, two barangays in the town of Bontoc, Southern Leyte.
According to Ryan, the two schools currently have a total of 7 teachers and 268 students. Because the learners don’t have access to gadgets and the internet, the teachers have to provide them with printed modules.
Because their budget is not enough to cover the weekly printing for the modules, Ryan promised to help through his advocacy.
He encourages everyone to help. One way of helping is through patronizing products from Spice of Life Gourmet by Ryan as 10% of the sales will go to this advocacy.
Another way of helping is through directly donating to the schools through these people:
Malbago Elementary School
Banahao Elementary School
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Ryan Sta Maria is a Filipino international student who is taking up commercial cooking at William Angliss Institute in Melbourne, Australia. Just like many other Pinoys who study abroad, he also had a job while in school.
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| Photo credit: Ryan Sta Maria |
When he lost his job in June due to COVID-19 pandemic, the young student refused to give up. Instead of complaining about his difficult predicament, he used this as an opportunity to open a small business while also helping others.
“Spice of Life Gourmet by Ryan is a social enterprise. I believe we can end global poverty in this lifetime, together. That's why I commit that part of the profit from my products to helping kids in need. Almost a billion people live in extreme poverty, while six billion people don't. We reckon the six billion of us could work together to put an end to global poverty, for good,” Ryan explained.
“I operate like any for profit business, investing in all the things necessary to create great products and stay competitive. The main difference to other for profit business, is that I commit part of SpiceofLifeGourmet by Ryan’s profits to ending extreme poverty. This means I don't have any private shareholders (never have, never will). All of the distributions to SpiceofLifeGourmet by Ryan are paid out to my project partners to fund sustainable development projects to help end poverty in my community.”
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| Photo credit: Ryan Sta Maria |
As part of his advocacy, Ryan uses 10% of his total sales to buy school and office supplies to help print modules for the pupils of two elementary schools at Banahao and Malbago, two barangays in the town of Bontoc, Southern Leyte.
According to Ryan, the two schools currently have a total of 7 teachers and 268 students. Because the learners don’t have access to gadgets and the internet, the teachers have to provide them with printed modules.
Because their budget is not enough to cover the weekly printing for the modules, Ryan promised to help through his advocacy.
He encourages everyone to help. One way of helping is through patronizing products from Spice of Life Gourmet by Ryan as 10% of the sales will go to this advocacy.
 |
| Photo credit: Ryan Sta Maria |
Another way of helping is through directly donating to the schools through these people:
Malbago Elementary School
- Head Teacher: Mercidita Briones
- Address: Malbago, Bontoc, Southern Leyte, 6604
Banahao Elementary School
- Head Teacher: Marwena Q. Castillo
- Address: Banahao, Bontoc, Southern Leyte 6604
- Contact number: +63 9466644742
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
