ManitobaA Steinbach-based charity formed by four women who met at a lunch table at work has helped feed and educate hundreds of people in the Philippines.’A small kindness … will have a big difference,’ says Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity co-founderChristopher Gareau · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Students in the Philippines have had help from the charity Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity, based in Steinbach. (Submitted by Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity)A Steinbach-based charity formed by four women who met at a lunch table at work has helped feed and educate hundreds of people in the Philippines.On a recent trip to the landlocked province of Nueva Ecija, the Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity paid for a student’s college tuition, gave grants to six high school students, provided freezer equipment to a co-operative of over 250 dairy farmers, and provided meals and school supplies to over 100 children.A recent event in Steinbach was organized to thank all the volunteers who jumped at the chance to help.”When we talk about helping other people, we have the same mission — that we want to help other people,” said Marianne Tejada, the charity’s founder and finance chair.”It doesn’t mean that you have to be rich or wealthy to give back to the community. A small kindness to other people, I think that will have a big difference.”Cecilia Cajurao, a MCAH co-founder and the charity’s board chair, said she was among those who received help from Canadians while growing up in the Philippines.”I used to be a sponsored child when I was younger. There were four of us, and my parents didn’t have a stable job,” said Cajurao.”So I said that I want to, when I finish school here and really establish myself with my family, I want to do bigger. But I can’t do it by myself.”Volunteers at a Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity event in Steinbach on Nov. 22. (Submitted by Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity)Marilou Bonilla, the charity’s audit chair, and board secretary Learni Mendoza are the organization’s other founders.Bonilla is part of the selection committee that chooses who gets MCAH’s tuition grants. Decisions are based on grades and financial need. In some cases, they go to youth who are already doing their best to support themselves and their family.”When I read the background of one of the students, she is creating a flower vase out of … recycled tin, and then selling it online,” said Bonilla.Most of the students also help their families on leased farms when they are not in school.In early November, two back-to-back typhoons displaced over 500,000 Filipinos, affecting families MCAH is involved with.”It hit a lot of farmers,” said Tejada. “So this grant is very important to them, because somehow we gave them hope that they can still continue their education for next year.”All four women work full-time as they organize fundraisers, and are looking to increase their reach beyond the Philippines two years after MCAH became a registered charity.”Our aim is globally, but we’ll start with where we came from first,” said Cajurao.MCAH also aims to inspire students at home in southeast Manitoba.Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity Scholarship finalists in the Philippines. (Submitted by Manitoba Canada Ambassadors of Humanity)It launched a youth empowerment program in Steinbach, with speakers including aspiring lawyers, accountants, and presenters from the Academy of Learning Career College, connecting with students in grades 9 to 12 who immigrated to the area.MCAH hopes that helps students find their way as they approach adulthood, said Tejada. “Sometimes when you’re new here in Canada, you don’t know what to do, or if you’re interested in school, what’s the first step?”The four women say the organization is always looking for more volunteers and business sponsors, and they hope to do more fundraising and create more opportunities for students in Manitoba and abroad.ABOUT THE AUTHORChristopher Gareau is a CBC Manitoba reporter based in Steinbach who covers the province’s southeastern region. He has previously covered southeastern Manitoba in print, and worked in radio and print in northwestern B.C. and southwestern Ontario. You can reach him at christopher.gareau@cbc.ca.
Steinbach-based charity helps provide meals, school supplies, tuition grants to kids in Philippines
