The story of Smokey Tours and JoHo Smokey Projects

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2015

• In 2015 we started with Smokey Tours in Manila. The project that empowered, trained and gave livelihood to people from impoverished areas to run safe and eye-opening tours for our guests in Manila. Our freelance tour leaders were an example in their communities; they learn, learn to take the lead and help others. It has been a journey to teach our tour leaders work ethics and to coach them finding a future job somewhere else. Smokey Tours wants to be a stepping stone for our tour leaders, after 2 years they made place for new tour leaders. We aimed to raise awareness about social issues and to bridge the gap between people from different backgrounds. Our Slum Tour in particular gave our guests a chance to experience something unique. We planted a seed in their conscience so that they think about the world and about helping out. 

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2016

• From 2016 we initiated and facilitated the Smokey Art Center: the Boxless Society. The Boxless Society will help the community in Baseco with art workshops, with the goal to discover Talents of the residents. In a society that is increasingly becoming insensitive to the plight of people with mental illness, we have taken the cudgels to promote the advocacy of eliminating all shame and stigma and creating a support group for artists with mental illness and their caregivers. We believe that mental illness is nothing more than an illness, nothing more, nothing less. That it is not a mental disability if the person affected can function in society provided the illness, like all other illnesses, is properly managed. 

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2017

• In 2017 we opened a Health Center - for the people of - Aplaya in the barangay Baseco, Manila. Aplaya is the part of Baseco that hardly receives any help from NGO’s because of its remote and isolated location. The Health Center has been a place where individuals and/or families can go to check on their physical and mental well-being, for medical consultation and treatment and/or to obtain medicines - if necessary. The goal is to improve the conditions of the people of Baseco by treating diseases or illnesses and providing them with clean water, so they will be able to avoid water-borne diseases. The local Health Workers are visiting the community to check and help the weak and sick people. 

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2018

• In 2018 we continued our efforts in the Community in Health Projects, we support a group of 45 pregnant ladies. With folic acid and with skills training regarding healthy food, living and breastfeeding. 

Smokey tours and Smokey slum projects in 2019

• In 2019 with donations we have funded our Baseco Recycle Worker Project, where we have trained 6 Baseco Recycle workers and their communities. After 6 months, they were able to function by themselves, with the tools needed, saved and partly funded, like a Tribike or a cart to pick up Garbage.
• We have started after the fire disaster to give loans to community members, with coaching and money, they are able to rebuild their businesses and to provide for themselves. 

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2020-2022

• Business/families in charge of water filter system have been selected in partnership with Project Propel and through ocular assessment with the following criteria: Each resident was hand selected due to their community reach, accessibility, and proximity to water hose/source. 10 Families and their communities can have lifelong clean water, which will decrease diseases and the families can drink cheaply more clean water.
• Another project with Project Propel is the start of the floating gardens in area of mangroves of the PRCMO in Baseco as livelihood of 10 families with the goal of Nutrition.
• Business/families in charge of water filter system have been selected in partnership with Project Propel and through ocular assessment with the following criteria: Each resident was hand selected due to their community reach, accessibility, and proximity to water hose/source. 10 families and their communities can have lifelong clean water, which will decrease diseases and the families can drink cheaply more clean water. In Another project with Project Propel is the start of the floating gardens in area of mangroves of the PRCMO in Baseco as livelihood of 10 families with the goal of Nutrition.

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2023

• In 2023 BYSMP Bless the Children takes over the operations of Smokey Tours. All skills and best- and worst practices have been shared. A new facility has opened in Baseco with a small outlet shop to give livelihood to the tour leaders and other people in the community.
  • Smokey Tours works with the pay-it-forward system. A guest does the slum tour, and the guest thereby supports the local tour leader and also for a small part the projects of Bless the Children. Sometimes the slum tour guests donate energy, goods, or money. Among other things, former guests donated shoes. A total of 586 shoes were donated. Many families do not have the budget to purchase shoes for their school-aged children. The shoes are required to attend school.

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2024

• In 2024 several large boxes of travel materials were shipped to the Philippines. Bless the Children has a souvenir corner in the just-opened office in Baseco, where the slum tour ends, which includes travel supplies. A project of Bless the Children's Philippine Summer was a talent development activity. The "Laro ng Lahi" (literal = games from our ancestry) is an annual event. Being out of the slum environment for three days allowed 1,200 children to recharge, have fun, and gain insight into their own qualities and talents. 
• In 2024 we experienced the concept of Smokey tours. During a Baseco Tour, a guest witnessed a fire in the area where the tour was being conducted. After the tour, the guest kindly donated 60 fire extinguishers to the community where the tour is held. Since then, a number of fires have been prevented and at least seven units have been refilled. Two years later, in the first quarter of 2024, the project was replicated to cover more areas, distribute another 60 units, and train more people in operating extinguishers. The project was followed up yearly by JoHo Smokey Projects to keep up with this necessary work.

Smokey Tours and Smokey slum projects in 2025

• In 2025 a great fire destroyed a part of the Tondo slum area. The fire extinguishers program, was intensified and spread over a larger area.
• In the last months of 2025, eight tour guides (for Tondo) have been trained, and together with the four tour leaders from Baseco (who were trained in August), this is a great new team who will develop their talents. In 2026, several universities in Japan and Hong Kong want to include the Smokey Slum Tours in their educational trips for students. 

Smokey tours and Smokey slum projects in 2026

• Prepared in the Slums: In 2026, first aid training will be provided to all Bless the Children employees and volunteers. In addition, in-depth safety training will be provided to a number of selected employees.
• Safety in the Slums: In response to the need, hundreds of fire extinguishers will be distributed again this year. The fire extinguishers will be serviced annually and training will be provided in prevention of fires and firefighting.
• Healthy in the Slums: An HIV seminar and testing for vulnerable groups in the slums of Baseco and Tondo are also planned.