Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. (CFI) is a duly recognized non-stock, non-profit organization that seeks to nurture Filipino indigenous heritage through culturally relevant education.
Since its founding in 1999, Cartwheel has supported over 12,000 Indigenous Peoples across the Philippines.
A Philippines where Indigenous Peoples enjoy their rights to quality education, self-determination and active participation in community life amidst a thriving heritage.
Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. exists to empower Indigenous Peoples’ communities by harnessing self-sustaining capacities through culturally relevant education.
Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. was established in 1999 in response to a request from Talaandig elders to open an early childhood school for the youth of Miarayon in Talakag, Bukidnon. Nestled in the foothills of Mt. Kalatungan and Mt. Kitanglad, this indigenous community became the pilot site for Cartwheel’s education programs.
Today, Cartwheel continues to journey with more indigenous cultural communities, supporting their endeavors to thrive in the richness and uniqueness of their heritage.
Cartwheel’s programs are designed to respond to the needs and current realities expressed by the community. Through an inclusive approach to consultation and planning, Cartwheel ensures that the community owns the process.
Beyond being a service provider, Cartwheel upholds the rights of indigenous communities and supports their pursuit of amplifying their inherent strengths to engage as active partners in development.
Through education rooted in indigenous knowledge, systems, values, and practices (IKSVP), Cartwheel helps develop the literacy and life skills of children and their wider community within a safe and enabling learning environment.
In order to achieve its mission, Cartwheel employs a three-pronged strategy that focuses on (a) Empowerment, (b) Improving Self-Sustaining Capacities and (c) Improving Access to Equitable Resources, as depicted in the figure below.
