ASSIST Asia

ASSIST Asia has implemented over 300+ developmental projects across Asia in partnership with governments, the private sector, and other civil society organizations (CSOs). I am applying for the Elevate Prize because I believe that the good work that our organization has done over the past 18 years duly deserves acknowledgement and cognizance. Our efforts in the development sector are rooted in our principles of integrity, innovation, excellence, and empowerment -- all of which reflect the core values of MIT Solve. Hence, the Elevate Prize is a fitting platform in that regard. 

If awarded, the Prize funding shall be used as an avenue to jumpstart our future activities and scale our existing projects such as the ‘Master of Disaster’ (MOD) -- an inclusive, informative, and fun-filled board game that aims to teach children aged 7 years old and above about how to prepare and actively respond to the most common disasters in the Philippines.  

Moreover, while ASSIST has positively impacted over a million lives at present, there are still untapped populations across Asia that shall greatly benefit from scalable, replicable, and sustainable initiatives. Therefore, the funding shall be used for the benefit of those populations, especially the oppressed and the marginalized. 

I am Sreeni Narayanan, the Founder and Group Managing Director of Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), an innovative and capacity-building international non-government organization (NGO) that started as a three-person group in the Philippines. 

I am a Chemical Engineer by profession with an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management and certificates from Germany and Japan. For more than 15 years, I have led ASSIST in managing projects in over 20 countries across Asia and maintaining offices in five countries – the Philippines, its headquarters; India; Vietnam; Cambodia; and Kenya. 

Alongside these development partnerships, I have led the organization’s Social Actions projects, which are all internally conceptualized and independently managed by ASSIST with the aim of challenging conventional thinking, sparking positive change, and building enduring cooperation for progress in areas such as Skills and Jobs, Entrepreneurship, Youth Empowerment, Disaster Resilience, etc. All of these share the universal mission of building the resilience and uplifting the lives of many people across the region.

Through ASSIST, our team of over 60 full-time colleagues, and our roster of partners, I aim to continuously empower our target groups and make them resilient to social, economic, and environmental challenges.

ASSIST was established in 2003 with the aim of addressing sustainability challenges in the Philippines. Since then, we have evolved into a self-sustaining Pan-Asian, non-profit organization driven by passion for purpose and progress in the region. With values of professional outlook, social responsibility, and through adopting a process-oriented approach to capacity building, we have implemented projects over various thematic areas including COVID-19 Response, Food Security and Agriculture, Community Development, Health and Sanitation, Environmental Stewardship, Tech for Good, and Education and Skills Development among others. We prioritize those at the base of the pyramid and leverage multi-stakeholder partnerships in delivering innovative solutions to social problems and issues. 

Currently, we are directing our efforts toward COVID-19 response projects. In partnership with Project HOPE, we presently are working with over 20 Medical Societies and Local Governments on rolling out COVID-19 related training to over 10,000 Filipino Health Care Workers (HCWs). The main goal of our endeavor is to provide training on Infection Prevention Control Standards for COVID-19 as well as training on Dealing with Mental Health Challenges faced by the HCWs. As an added focus, we have partnered with large Medical/Nursing Training colleges and universities to expand the benefit to thousands more. 

Apart from generating innovative and sustainable solutions, ASSIST emphasizes providing accessibility to these solutions. We acknowledge that while there are many brilliant ideas out there, these ideas often do not reach populations that will greatly benefit from such. Hence, we are determined to bridge this gap and uplift those in the margins by leveraging technology for good. 

A pertinent project in this regard is our DigiBayanihan – an innovative digital empowerment movement supported by Google.org that aims to provide digital literacy, digitally enabled literacy, and digital citizenship to all Filipinos. By taking advantage of the declining costs of digital technology, DigiBayanihan aims to close the digital divide between those with and without access to technology so that more Filipinos have the life skills they need to succeed. Thereby, transforming ordinary citizens into digital heroes, confident with using available digital platforms to support their communities and the country.

Moreover, ASSIST's efforts are unique in the sense that we do not necessarily focus on just one advocacy area. Rather, we acknowledge the intersectionality of societal issues and build our solutions around it to address multiple needs as much as possible. 

For more information on DigiBayanihan, please click this link. 

ASSIST was formed through the collective inner drive of three individuals for transformation in society, especially in the Philippines. Inspired by the growth since, we are still driven by the same passion and purpose for progress and prosperity in Asia. In our 18 years of existence as a non-profit working across Asia, we believe that true impact can only be sustained beyond immediate solutions to problems with effort from its beneficiaries. Our principle of Partnering for Progress has led to projects that raise awareness and equip people with the necessary skills to create progress for themselves. We strive for every engagement to be the start of a self-propagating community movement driven by cooperation and the desire for betterment. Hence, our projects always emphasize the importance of individual and community empowerment as an essential part of sustainable and scalable progress. 

Furthermore, we position ourselves as an active member of the development sector by consciously incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) laid out by the United Nations in our projects and initiatives. We are firm in our belief that everyone has a responsibility in the development agenda. This is why we are heavily focused on awareness-raising and capacity building.