People at the poverty line are hit especially hard. Jo Bautista is tackling these challenges with her project #SendtoGive, which allows people to send emotion-inspired art postcards to friends around the globe, raising funds for those in need in the Philippines.
Art and business to solve the world’s problems
Jo is a Filipino citizen, an artist, and a Master’s degree student of ESCP Business School’s Sustainability Entrepreneurship and Innovation program. Currently living in Berlin and away from the Philippines, she has dealt with anxiety and is greatly concerned about the growing issues in her home country and across the world. Bringing together her passions for art, business, and sustainability, she has launched her first entrepreneurial project to contribute in fighting the impact of the corona crisis.
#SendtoGive is centered around a series of paintings called The Corona Culture: “The images in this series reflect the experiences we share as we live through this time. Faces of the new normal that our generation must witness and define. A newborn culture that defies age, nationality, and predisposition”, she writes. The paintings RESILIENCE, INNER STRENGTH, HOPE, EMPATHY, COURAGE and WASH YOUR HANDS are now available as postcard prints for 10€ each. Through the website, customers can include a personal note and directly ship postcards to anyone in the world. All profits from each purchase go to providing food and financial support to struggling Filipinos.
The corona crisis is hitting the poor the hardest
Jo is very worried about her fellow citizens — homeless people and daily wage workers such as drivers, hair dressers, and sewers, who are left without income and thus oftentimes food and shelter since the crisis hit. As 21.6% of Filipinos are below the poverty line (most current data as of 2015), food and financial support are urgently needed for a big part of the population.
At the same time, Jo highlights how the private sector is pulling together initiatives to help their fellow Filipinos out. “I am amazed by the spirit of how Filipinos help each other”, she says – and joins in with her own efforts. #SendtoGive (https://campaign.jobautista.com) supports two local initiatives: #ProjectFoodTrunkLP, a private effort of photographer Mau Aguasin who gives fresh, pre-cooked meals to the homeless people of Las Pinas City every day, and ambag.me, a transparent online community that distributes financial support to daily wage workers. Details of the positive impact will be posted online starting 10 June.
#SendtoGive now
You too can help create a global community of love and support in times of COVID-19. Send someone a personalized Corona Culture postcard to help them feel thought of during these challenging times and in doing so, send help to the Philippines for those who need it the most. You can follow Jo’s initiative on her website (https://campaign.jobautista.com/) or Instagram @sendtogive.