Meet Maricar: a future ICT Educator and our Coin Grantee from Iloilo

Maricar, 18, is a first-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLED), majoring in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at Iloilo Science and Technology University. In class, she learns computer fundamentals, programming, and multimedia production — skills she hopes to one day teach to future students as an ICT educator.

As early as her first year, Maricar was already managing multimedia and animation projects using professional applications like Adobe Animate. Much of her coursework relies on digital submissions, editing software, and computer-based activities—requirements expected to become increasingly demanding as she advances through the program.

In her home in Alimodian, Iloilo, technology remains a secondary priority to survival. With her father’s unpredictable earnings as a pedicab driver barely covering food and utilities, the family’s budget is stretched to its limit. In a household where every peso is earmarked for basic needs, a laptop and stable internet are not just tools for education—they are unattainable luxuries.

​Without a personal computer, Maricar relies heavily on her mobile phone to complete schoolwork. For projects that cannot be done on a phone alone, she rents computers at nearby computer shops whenever finances allow, often needing at least five hours at a time just to finish an animation and editing requirement. ​

During her first year, Maricar once spent an evening roaming one street after another in search of an open internet café to finish an editing project due the following morning. Finding the shops closed, she felt a sense of helplessness, unsure if she could meet her deadline. This lack of personal computer access, coupled with limited laboratory hours, has frequently forced her to seek extensions from her instructors for delayed submissions.

Beyond her studies, she also takes on small online editing projects whenever opportunities arise. These freelance tasks not only help her earn extra income for school expenses, but also allow her to sharpen practical digital skills outside the classroom. However, the lack of reliable equipment restricts the volume of work she can handle and hinders her ability to fully realize her creative potential.

A Coin Grant from Create Foundation would provide Maricar with a laptop and a stable internet connection, essential to bridging the gap between her academic potential and current financial constraints. With reliable tools, she hopes to complete requirements more efficiently, fully participate in the digital demands of her program, and prepare for a future teaching ICT to students who, like her, may also be learning despite facing limited resources.

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The Computer and Internet (Coin) Grant—a key initiative under our Create ASPIRE program—is designed for students, home-based workers, and community leaders. The Coin Grant provides laptops or desktop computers along with internet subsidies to individuals who are digitally literate but lack the means to purchase.

Learn more about the Coin Grant today. Click here to start.