Hello friends,
My name is Jessica, and I live on a small island in the Philippines called Malapascua Island, a place known for scuba diving with thresher sharks, its kind-hearted people, and its vibrant yet humble way of life.
Malapascua is tiny - just 2.5km by 1km. Small enough to walk from one end to the other in an hour, and home to a close-knit community that relies heavily on tourism and fishing to survive. When the waves are rough or visitors are few, income disappears. Many families live day-to-day, often unsure where their next meal will come from.
For many young adults, the only path to financial stability is leaving the island for cities like Cebu or Manila, working long hours away from their families. It’s a difficult choice, and one that often pulls communities apart.
Over the past several months, I’ve been quietly building something called Malapascua Dreamers — a small, heart-led children’s program that gives local kids a safe and consistent space to learn, play, and grow. A place where they can imagine something bigger, without having to leave the island they love.
What We’ve Built So Far
- The Dreamers Garden — where each child plants and cares for their own vegetable seed, learning patience, nourishment, and the joy of growing their own food.
- Sunday Gatherings — weekly shared meals followed by creative activities like coloring, painting, and crafts. A simple but powerful moment of connection and care.
- The Dreamers Playhouse — a toy library where children can come to play, imagine, and simply be kids in a safe environment.
Each project began with what little we had — recycled bottles for pots, donated art supplies, and home-cooked meals shared on the floor. But slowly, it’s grown into something truly special. Children have brought home food they grew with their own hands. They’ve made art, learned kindness toward animals, and found a sense of belonging and pride.
Our Next Dreams
Now, it’s time to take Malapascua Dreamers to the next stage — creating stability, sustainability, and opportunity for the children and families here.
Here’s what we hope to do next:
- Launch a small merchandise line: t-shirts, tote bags, and stickers designed in collaboration with Filipino artists. These will help raise funds and share the story of Malapascua Dreamers around the world.
- Find land for a permanent garden: a stable space where we can grow enough produce to feed more families and sell to local markets and restaurants. With time, we hope to add hydroponic towers to grow more efficiently and sustainably.
- Start a flower garden: there’s currently no florist on the island. We dream of growing flowers to sell locally and to resorts for welcome gifts — creating beauty, income, and small business opportunities for families.
- Offer free training & scholarships: helping local youth gain skills that allow them to work remotely and sustainably: design, coding, digital marketing, or scuba instruction. We want them to earn a fair income without leaving their families or island behind.
- Welcome volunteers: we plan to invite volunteers to join for a week or more, helping with Sunday meals, teaching crafts, running the toy library, or joining beach cleanups and excursions with the children.
- Host meaningful retreats: blending my background in yoga, somatics, and scuba diving, we hope to create retreats where visitors can spend a week here — learning, relaxing, diving, and sharing creativity with the kids.
- Create a community space: one day, we dream of building a multi-purpose space that combines a café, garden, and gathering area. A place where locals and travelers meet — with a “buy one, feed one” model to continue nourishing children in need.
Why We Need Your Help
Malapascua Dreamers isn’t a large organization — it’s just me, a small group of island kids, and a big dream. Every dollar goes directly into food, art supplies, educational materials, and the growth of our community projects.
Your support helps us:
- Create long-term stability for the children
- Build skills and opportunities for local youth
- Strengthen families and the island economy
- Foster independence and pride through creativity and care
Together, we can help Malapascua Dreamers grow into something that truly sustains — not just today, but for generations to come.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and believing in this little dream on our tiny island.
Jessica & the Dreamers
Organizer
Jessica Boldt
Organizer
Victoria, BC