Meet Melai & Ann: Our ASPIRE Scholars

Melanie Barahim (Melai) from Claret Samal Bajau Foundation Inc. (CSFI) in Basilan, and Marie Ann Bermejo (Ann) from Home of Hope (HOH) orphanage in Bacolod City, are Create Foundation’s first full scholars for the Digital Marketing online specialist course offered by CIIT College of Arts and Technology.

Create ASPIRE is our program for Digital Skills for Social Good, Education Leadership in Tech, EdTech, and Tech for Education. Under this program is our Scholarship Grant project that aims to equip community workers with the essential skills and knowledge to benefit the communities that they serve. 

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Melanie Barahim, or Melai for short, is the Livelihood Coordinator at Claret Samal Bajau Foundation Inc. (CSFI) in Basilan. She is one of the first two scholars of the ASPIRE Scholarship Grant project. As a Livelihood Coordinator, Melai hopes to promote the high-quality products of her community and attract more buyers of their woven products. She is dedicated to helping the Sama-Bajau weaving community in Maluso build sustainable economic opportunities. 

Despite having no device of her own, Melai participates in the Digital Marketing course every Saturday, learning her way through social media, search engines, and paid advertisements so that she can greatly contribute to her community.

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The other scholar of our ASPIRE Scholarship Grant is Marie Ann Bermejo,  or Ann as we call her. She serves as an Administrative Assistant at the Home of Hope (HOH) orphanage in Bacolod City where she prepares reports and manages the orphanage’s social media page, helping to share their mission online. Ann aims to improve the orphanage’s online reach to engage a wider audience, and attract more donors to support HOH’s meaningful work. 

Now, Melai and Ann are gradually gaining the skills to enhance online visibility, adapt to digital trends, and strengthen initiatives within their community.