Delivery rider faces better future through Hapag Movement, Tzu Chi Foundation

At 27, delivery rider Angemar Abot has big responsibilities. He and his wife are raising a six-year-old, and another is on the way. Three of his siblings are also still in school in need of support.

That’s why despite qualms about shuffling all his tasks, Abot signed up for a technical-vocational training offered by Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines through its partnership with Globe.

The Hapag Movement is Globe’s banner program that aims to help address involuntary hunger through supplemental feeding and sustainable livelihood programs that provide education, training, and mentorship. By partnering with various organizations, Globe creates opportunities for marginalized members of society to upskill and uplift their lives.

Under the training program of Tzu Chi Foundation, a Hapag Movement implementing partner, Abot completed a two-month ‘Refrigerator and Air-conditioning’ Course, which provides hands-on training under a scholarship covering tuition, school supplies, transportation allowance, and an assessment fee with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Abot initially hesitated to enroll, as it may take away from his main source of livelihood — his delivery job. But he challenged himself as he saw the training as a way towards better earning capacity.

“If I studied from 8 a.m. to 5 pm, where was I going to get the resources for our daily needs?” said Abot, who learned about the scholarship through his aunt, a Tzu Chi volunteer active in the foundation’s upcycling initiative.

“But I also saw it as a good opportunity because everything is free. All I had to do was show up. If I finish the course at Tzu Chi, I would have more and better work options. So I focused on my family’s future rather than the hardships I was facing,” he said.

It was a difficult road for Abot, who had to immediately go to work once classes ended at 5 p.m. But his perseverance paid off when he completed the program, and he is now equipped with skills and knowledge that put him at an advantage in the workforce.

Through the experience, he also learned about the importance and purpose of life.

“I learned to give, not because I have much, but because I know exactly how it feels to have nothing. It’s really hard when you have nothing. But you don’t have to be rich or wait to be rich to help. Whatever you have, no matter how small, you are blessed and you should share it with others,” he said.

Thanks to Tzu Chi and its involvement in the Hapag Movement, Abot is now looking forward to a brighter future, one where he will be able to better provide for his family.

There are plenty more people like Abot who need help, and the Hapag Movement is determined to make sure they are provided with the same opportunities.

Being a leading digital solutions platform, Globe is leveraging technology to provide a way to drive collective action towards achieving sustainable and inclusive development for families experiencing involuntary hunger. Aside from providing supplemental feeding, the Hapag Movement, through its partners, also provides microentrepreneurship training and support for community-based cooperatives, and assistance with job placements.