FWD Life Insurance, JA Philippines empower out-of-school youths’ dreams through pop-up bazaar

Out-of-school youths (OSY) put their financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills into practice at the Dreamers Pop-Up: Empowering Out-of-School Youth Bazaar, organized by FWD Life Insurance (FWD Philippines) and Junior Achievement of the Philippines (JA Philippines) last 5 July.

The event was a testament to the transformative impact of entrepreneurial education to over 430 OSY provided by FWD Philippines and JA Philippines through their JA It’s My Dream program.

“The biggest achievement of this program is giving kids the confidence to sell not just their products, but also their ideas and skills. It’s the first and most important step in uplifting their lives. We help them with tools, mentorship, and support all the way to ensure their dreams become reality through the power of financial literacy and entrepreneurship,” said FWD Philippines Chief Marketing and Digital Business Officer, Roche Vandenberghe. She also underlines the importance of the partnership with FWD and JA Philippines, as it contributes to the insurer’s commitment to nation-building and empowering the next generation of Filipinos.

Also present during the event was JA Philippines Executive Director Krishna Alejandrino who underscored creativity and innovation as a clear indication of an entrepreneurial attitude. “If you dream to become successful in business, you must start small, start somewhere. FWD and JA Philippines are here to help you and give you the knowledge that nobody can steal from you. Continue your dreams, not only for yourself but also for your families,” he shares during his speech.

The bazaar showcased a variety of locally crafted products pitched by the OSY participants to sell, including bags, beauty products, fashion accessories, food, massage oils, and perfumes.

La Kumpas, one of the participating startups, stood out for their hand-woven multipurpose bags. These bags, featuring ethnic designs from elderly artisans in Ilocos Sur, not only impressed with their craftsmanship but also supported sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

Mark Joseph Esteban, speaking on behalf of La Kumpas, shared the team’s motivation, “Nakita po namin yung quality nung produkto kaya naisipan po naming ito yung i-pitch at ibenta. Malaking tulong din po ito sa mga matatanda sa Ilocos Sur dahil ito po ang livelihood nila. Maganda rin po na nakakatulong kami sa pag-spread ng mga gawang Pilipinas, mga local products.” (We saw the excellent quality of the products, so we thought to pitch and resell it ourselves. This is a big help to the elderly in Ilocos Sur who rely on making these bags as a livelihood. It’s also great that we’re able to help spread Philippine-made, local products.)

Renalyn Lucaban, another program participant, expressed her excitement about participating in a bazaar for the first time, “Hindi po kami sanay sa ganitong event, pero nakakatuwa po kasi kada may dumadating po, talagang nagugustuhan nila yung product namin.” (We’re not used to this kind of event, but we became excited when people started coming in and complimenting our products.) She credited the JA It’s My Dream program for equipping her with the necessary skills to confidently present and sell their products.

Antonio Macalalag Jr., mentor from the Sandiwaan Center for Learning, highlighted the program’s impact on the participants, “Noong una, walang bumibili, pero nung dumami, mas na-hype sila na lumapit at kausapin. Tapos nalaman nila mas mataas yung benta ng kabilang booth, mas gusto pa nilang habulin para tumaas yung benta.” (At first there were no buyers, but people started coming eventually, and the kids became hyped to the point that they were the ones approaching and talking to the people. When they’ve also learned that the other booths were already making sales, they became even more motivated and pushed themselves to catch up with an even higher number.)

Antonio expressed gratitude to FWD Philippines and JA Philippines for providing such opportunities to OSY, emphasizing the program’s role in expanding their horizons beyond traditional educational settings. “Maraming Pilipino, mga kabataan, mga dropouts, and out-of-school youths, ang makikinabang sa ganitong opportunity. Sana maipagpatuloy pa ang mga initiative na kagaya nito, para yung mga next batch ay mabigyan din ng JA at FWD ng ganitong programs and activities para masubukan ng mga bata yung pagne-negosyo,” (There are a lot of Filipinos, youths, dropouts, and out-of-school youths who can benefit from this kind of opportunity. I hope we can continue to have initiatives like this, so that the next batch of OSY can also be given the same opportunities by JA and FWD, and those kids can also experience what it takes to have a business) he shares.

JA It’s My Dream is under FWD and JA Asia Pacific’s groupwide financial literacy program, JA SparktheDream, which was launched in 2023 and has since received a Bronze Stevie Award for Innovative Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility at the 11th Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.