2013 was a year of growth for the organization and we’re thrilled with the impact we’ve had on the lives of women and young people. With your support, this year we:

• Met the contraceptive needs of 448 women
• Provided prenatal exams and vitamins to 132 pregnant women and girls and assisted with 51 births
• Educated 146 women on the basics of maternal health in two community sites
• Instructed 34 women in our new financial literacy programming
• Trained 15 women as Community Health Advocates, bringing our total number of CHAs up to 30
• Taught 51 teens in our community sites, 1,189 high school students in 7 schools and 1,427college students in two universities about self-esteem, healthy relationships, setting goals and reaching for their dreams, and the basics of reproductive health
• Empowered 33 future Student Health Advocates from within our high school and college communities
• Spent time with 180 children singing songs, playing games and learning basic math and reading skills
• Created and distributed 86 Vertical Gardens, bringing the total number of gardens in our sites to 274.

We are thrilled with the impact we had in Puerto Princesa this year and are fortunate and thankful that typhoon Haiyan did not inflict any damage on our city or disrupt our services and programming.

Spotlight on a Client:
Laura is a petite, 19-year old mother who lives in Little Tondo, the site of our pilot program in Financial Literacy. When we started the sessions there, she joined in even though her husband kept telling her she probably wouldn’t be able to handle the math problems. She threw herself and her energies into the class, shouting out answers during games, always doing her homework and never missing a meeting. She did well and by the midpoint of the classes had mapped out a savings plan for herself, with the very specific goal of putting away enough money to rebuild the walls of her nipa hut home. She saved diligently and one week after the final lesson had saved enough money to buy the materials for her home. Not only did Laura improve her financial planning and math skills, by the close of the program, she was able to advise other people including her husband on interest rates when buying products on payment plans!