Rotary Club of AIM at the Missionaries of Charity Home of Joy for the Sick Children in Tayuman Sunday, donating milk products for tube-fed children in the orphanage.
Photo by Theo Anthony Cabantac for DAILY TRIBUNE
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Fresh off securing a major international grant for neonatal hospital equipment, the two-year-old Rotary Club of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) maintains its civic momentum, pairing immediate grassroots relief with long-term corporate mentoring for marginalized communities.
Operating as the only school-based Rotary chapter in the Philippines, the young organization is utilizing its members' business-executive backgrounds to reimagine how community aid is delivered and sustained.
Targeting immediate medical needs
On Sunday, members delivered a month's supply of enriched tube-feeding milk to the Missionaries of Charity Home of Joy for the Sick Children in Tayuman.
The orphanage houses 25 wards between the ages of 2 and 31. Due to severe cognitive and physical conditions, the facility classifies all residents as children. Because the wards are mostly bedridden and rely entirely on nasogastric tubes for feeding, the club identified an opportunity to provide immediate, targeted aid while planning for long-term solutions.
"You can't just give whatever spare items you have at home," project lead Daniel Nicanor said. "You need to assess what their actual needs are so you can provide appropriate and impactful help."
By coordinating directly with manufacturers, the club secured discounts to purchase 30 boxes of the highly nutritious formula. Members also sourced specialized lotions and assorted medicines through professional medical connections, which were given to a neighboring Home for the Elderly also managed by the Missionaries of Charity.
Charter President Jake Que said the initiative relied on members contributing their distinct resources rather than just financial capital.
"Rotary has three T's: time, talent, and treasure," Que said. "Some Rotarians share their treasure, some share their talent, and some share their time."
Nicanor added that the club strictly adhered to the orphanage's privacy policies, noting that the sisters managing the facility refuse formal corporate sponsorships.
"If you really want to help, it's because you want to help, not for publicity," Nicanor said. "But with this coverage, we also want to encourage other doctors and individuals who will voluntarily give their donations and services."
Individuals inspired to assist the Missionaries of Charity in Tondo can coordinate direct donations by visiting the facility on Tayuman Street or booking an appointment through the orphanage's landline at (02) 8252-3870. The Rotary Club of AIM also welcomes prospective volunteers and donors through its ongoing organizational channels.
Future plans: Training marginalized groups
While the young club continues to address immediate medical crises, its long-term future plans focus heavily on operational training to help communities establish self-sufficiency.
"Because we are from a business school, we want to maximize our impact by helping communities run their organizations and livelihoods," Nicanor said. "Instead of just giving them rice, it's better that we teach them how to do it right. We want to teach a man how to fish."
This corporate mentorship model was successfully applied last year in Muntinlupa, where the club helped parents establish a community baking enterprise. While other organizations taught the physical baking skills, the AIM chapter stepped in to handle the operational framework, teaching the parents how to calculate profit margins and effectively market their products.
The club plans to replicate this mentorship model for its next major project on 15 May in Lobo, Batangas.
Partnering with the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Rotarians will assist a local people's organization focused on mangrove conservation. Rather than just participating in a traditional coastal cleanup, the club will help the environmentalists navigate corporate governance, marketing, and legal compliance with government agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
By providing foundational instruction in legal and business operations, the young chapter aims to equip local organizations with the structural tools needed to independently grow their operations for years to come.
