About Us

2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership which has become Project Ripple. Starting with one school in the mountains of Cebu back in February 2015, it has grown as more schools have come under our wing over the past decade. With a formal MOU in place with Obo and Cancabalong Elementary Schools under the Dep Ed ‘Adopt-A-School Program’, we have ‘expanded’ to provide ad hoc informal support to other needy schools in Cebu.

None of this work is possible without financial donations and I am deeply humbled by the ongoing faith and trust over the past 10 years from sponsors in Singapore and beyond who continue to support our annual fundraisers. In 2025 we are focusing on projects to upgrade badly needed infrastructure at Obo and Cancabalong to provide a legacy of donor funds. We hope you will be part of this journey with us! And of course, we’ll try to sprinkle funds elsewhere where possible to continue making an impact.

Early beginnings become annual visits

Support for the schools started in 2015 when I first visited Obo ES after visiting Osmeña Peak. This first visit lead to a vow to return and help with resources. It evolved into fundraising and an annual initiative called “Balik Eskwela’ (Back to School) where international and local volunteers visit to provide school supplies, uniforms and teaching materials in June for the new school year.

What’s in a name?

The name Project Ripple came about one day in April 2022 when I was telling someone in Cebu about the activities we do. She asked what the name of the project is, and I was stumped because we didn’t have one. “You should call it Project Ripple” she said. “When you drop a stone into a pool of water it creates waves which get bigger as they spread out, and that’s what you are doing.” And so, I have adopted Project Ripple as our working name going forward. 2025 sees a rebranding of our site and social media to reflect our growth beyond the original school at Obo.

From the summit to the sea

Located high in the hills above the town of Dalaguete, the small villages of Obo and Cancabalong are approximately 4hrs drive south from Cebu City. The main source of employment is agriculture, with vegetables grown for sale in the markets of Cebu. Most local families depend on this subsistence farming activity for their small ‘day labourer’ income, which is usually not enough to provide all their needs, and especially all the additional items needed for school activities. In the local area we have also provided some ad hoc assistance to Lingatong ES and Tulang ES.

This year I ventured down from the mountains and out into the seas around Cebu. Via contacts in Bantayan Island I conducted site visits to two Last Mile schools in Lipayran and Doong as part of a growing community outreach and I look forward to assisting them where possible. On Bantayan Island itself, we started an engagement with Sungko ES in 2023 and aim to grow support where finances allow.

Daghang Salamat – Maraming Salamat – Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir! – Xie Xie nie – Terimah kasih. A huge Thank You for supporting the education and development needs of our children and their school communities. Pay it forward!

Mike Hickey (Ireland) – Volunteer Coordinator, Project Ripple