We are all familiar with the ‘Kiddie King and Queen’ contest—a fundraising activity where children compete for the titles of Kiddie King and Kiddie Queen by raising the most funds. At some point in our lives, we have slid cash into a white envelope for that one kid. And yes, this is one of the most popular resource mobilization activities where people have fun for a cause.

A Day Care Center in barangay Sto. Niño Village, Baroy, Lanao del Norte tried the strategy to reach a goal. After their classroom improvement in 2023 financed by the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), they realized that there was still a need for tile flooring.

“Gi-try man namo mag floor mat, pero rough gihapon kaayo ang salog. Mahadlok ko inig mag dagan-dagan ang mga bata unya madagma, masamad sila,” said Stifany Reyes, Day Care Teacher.

(We tried using a floor mat but the floor is still very rough. I’m afraid whenever children run around, they might trip and get hurt.)

Stifany presented the idea of the popular ‘Kiddie King and Queen’ contest to the parents and the barangay council, which received their support. After a month of soliciting donations, they raised Php53,940 for the project. The winners were proudly crowned, looking dashing in their gowns and tuxedos.

Today, the Day Care Center boasts a newly tiled floor along with upgraded facilities from the previous PMNP project, which include a reinforced ceiling and roofing, three restrooms, and an expanded learning area.

“Bati gyud among classroom sauna, igang kaayo. Dili conducive for learning sa mga kids,” Stifany remarked.

(Our classroom used to be in a poor condition; it was very hot and not conducive to learning for the kids.)

The ‘Kiddie King and Queen’ initiative is an activity that Stifany and the parents want to sustain for future projects.

Resource mobilization is an effective strategy for supporting project operations and maintenance. Part of KALAHI-CIDSS mission is to engage with community organizations that can assist in sustainability efforts and lead initiatives.

Who knows what the next fundraising activity for the Day Care Center could be?