On July 18, 2025, six (6) students from the Self-Employment Track of Project Bamboo gathered at the Asian Social Institute for a full-day Macrame Bag Making Activity—a hands-on livelihood training session that fused creativity, skill-building, and empowerment. Guiding the activity was Angel Alviz, a proud Project Bamboo graduate of Batch 1 – 2024 who has since returned as a mentor to inspire and equip the next generation. Her presence stood as living proof of how programs like Project Bamboo can transform lives and open new doors for vulnerable youth.
The workshop wasn’t just about crafting bags and wallets—it was about cultivating the mindset and ability to create sustainable sources of income. Six participants were divided into two groups: one focused on creating intricate macrame bags, while the other crafted macrame wallets. Through step-by-step instruction and patient guidance, students were introduced to the techniques, discipline, and attention to detail required in handmade crafts—skills that hold value in both entrepreneurial and artistic spaces. More than that, they learned that the things they make with their hands can help shape their futures.
Project Bamboo, spearheaded by Childhope Philippines Foundation, Inc. in partnership with ACC21, is a livelihood and life skills training initiative tailored for street children and hopeful youth. It is built on two core tracks: Self-Employment, which focuses on equipping participants with skills for independent earning such as baking, crafting, and product-making; and Employment, which provides job-readiness training for roles such as housekeeping, foodservice, and barista work. This macrame workshop served as a practical step for those pursuing the self-employment path, giving them both the knowledge and the confidence to turn their creativity into potential livelihood.
What makes Project Bamboo truly impactful is its commitment not just to teaching skills, but to nurturing resilience, hope, and dignity. Many of the youth who participate in the program come from backgrounds of hardship and instability. Through activities like this, they are given the opportunity to rediscover their self-worth, to learn at their own pace, and to envision futures beyond survival. They are no longer seen as beneficiaries of charity, but as future entrepreneurs, artisans, and changemakers in their communities.
In the end, the macrame bag making activity was more than a training session—it was a powerful symbol of what happens when young people are empowered with the tools, support, and belief to shape their own paths. Because when the youth are given the tools to create, they don’t just make products—they create possibilities. They are reclaiming agency, one strand at a time. With every knot tied, a future is rewoven. – Jap Condeno, Volunteer Intern