Lack of financial capability makes quality education inaccessible to many people, making their aspirations just a distant dream.

To help people in this situation, an academic institution in Parañaque City is making high-caliber education affordable.

Using an international curriculum adapted to the local setting, Mano Amiga Academy is focused on improving the lives of the students and their parents by providing scholarships and sustainable livelihood without sacrificing the quality learning experience the school can offer.

"I first encountered Mano Amiga when I was living in Mexico as a youth missionary," co-founder Lynn Pinugu said.

"It was a very good school for children who can't afford it and the reason why we decided to bring it here to the Philippines is because when you look at the students, and when you realize how confident they are, they would approach me after and they would talk about their dreams, I realize, that's the kind of success I want to bring home," she said.

Aside from better education, the school also aims to imbibe a positive and forward-thinking mindset among students, a skill necessary to hurdle over any endeavor they may face in life.

"Another thing that we always do in Mano Amiga is what we call growth mindset," Pinugu said.

"Students from low-income families start at the disadvantage. So, what we try to teach these students is to understand, that whatever setbacks that they encounter are just temporary and that mistakes are part of the learning process," she added.

Pinugu also shared that the school conducts visits to their students' residence to tailor the experience and needs that their academic institution can offer.

"Every year, we have what we call home visits, because we really make it a point to visit the homes of the children, so we
understand also what their family's circumstances," she said.

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