The allure of cryptocurrency often revolves around the tantalizing prospect of financial gain, swift wealth accumulation, and dreams of prosperity. While many are drawn to this digital frontier with visions of personal enrichment, there exists a heartwarming subset that leverages this financial opportunity to kindle hope and effect meaningful change in their communities. The partnership between the Manny Pacquiao Foundation (MPF) and Shib exemplifies this compassionate side of cryptocurrency, demonstrating that digital currencies can serve as powerful catalysts for positive change.
Manny Pacquiao, the renowned boxing icon, embarked on an extraordinary odyssey from modest beginnings to worldwide acclaim. His story epitomizes perseverance, determination, and tenacity in the face of daunting challenges. Born into abject poverty, Pacquiao confronted myriad hardships during his formative years, even foregoing his education to help support his family.
Notwithstanding his diminutive stature and absence of formal training, Pacquiao’s innate prowess and fervor for boxing were undeniable. At the tender age of 16, he began his boxing career, competing in local bouts, striving to earn a livelihood and support his kin. His breakthrough moment came in 1998 when he clinched his first world title by defeating Chatchai Sasakul, earning the WBC flyweight championship belt. This historic victory not only catapulted Pacquiao into the spotlight but also signaled the start of his meteoric rise to stardom in the boxing arena.
Even before ascending to boxing greatness and etching his name amongst the pantheon of boxing legends, Manny Pacquiao exhibited a compassionate spirit and an innate inclination to effectuate positive change in the lives of others. His early altruistic gestures and acts of benevolence bore testimony to his intrinsic generosity, manifesting a heartfelt concern for the welfare of his fellow beings.
However, the inception of the Manny Pacquiao Foundation (MPF) served as a pivotal turning point, amplifying his philanthropic endeavors and enabling him to impact and enrich even more lives. Established with a noble mission to uplift and empower marginalized communities, the foundation serves as a conduit to perpetuate Pacquiao’s inspirational saga of resilience, grit, and triumph into tangible avenues of support and opportunities for others.
Through the Manny Pacquiao Foundation, Pacquiao has adeptly channeled his passion, resources, and influence to spearhead and bolster a myriad of charitable initiatives encompassing educational outreach, healthcare provisions, disaster relief endeavors, and community enhancement projects. By synergizing his celebrity stature with the expansive reach of his foundation, Pacquiao continues to forge a lasting and transformative impact on the lives of countless individuals and communities, exemplifying the profound and transformative potential of compassion, generosity, and purpose-driven leadership.
In February, Shytoshi Kusama, the pseudonymous lead developer of the Shib project, took deliberate steps to incorporate the Manny Pacquiao Foundation (MPF) into the revenue distribution strategy for the sale of SHEboshis. Kusama’s outlined revenue allocation, upon reaching a sellout or its equivalent, earmarks 10% of the generated proceeds for non-profit organizations. Specifically, the MPF is slated to receive a 3% share from this designated portion, reflecting a commitment to supporting charitable endeavors through cryptocurrency initiatives.
Following months of fostering a collaborative relationship with the Manny Pacquiao Foundation (MPF), The Shib initiated an interview with Jon Sisson, the foundation’s executive director, to delve deeper into this evolving “partnershib” (crypto speak for partnership).
“Shiba Inu has been very supportive and has allowed us to continue to support many young girls who have been victims of sexual abuse and trafficking. These girls need continual help with their education, food, health needs, legal fees, and psychiatric help to recover and be rehabilitated. It is such a long process for them so we truly thank the Shiba Inu community for allowing us to help even more girls,” Sisson said when asked about the impact of Shib’s support on the foundation’s operations.
“Having been a cryptocurrency enthusiast for a while now and having followed the Shiba Inu journey, this is one of our favorite partnerships. The Shiba Inu team members that we have worked with to this point have been incredible. From the beginning, they have been so passionate about helping more people around the world and that really resonates with us. We can’t wait to see how this partnerSHIB grows and continues to help the less fortunate,” the executive director remarked when asked about his opinion about the foundation’s collaboration with the Shib ecosystem.
The contributions from the Shib project have helped the Manny Pacquiao Foundation to undertake and enhance several transformative projects. Sisson detailed the foundation’s diverse initiatives, from housing projects for the Batwa Pygmies in Uganda to medical missions across the Philippines. He enthusiastically shared plans for expanding facilities in Bacolod City, Philippines, aiming to accommodate more abuse victims in need.
“We help support dozens of young abuse victims with their education, food, health needs, legal fees, and psychiatric help as they rehabilitate. Our partner, Cameleon Association, who helps to house these young girls, is always trying to take in more girls, but they have run out of room. We are in the process of building on to one of their current facilities in Bacolod City, Philippines, to house 20 more young girls.
If you saw their living conditions, you wouldn’t believe it, so our goal is to help them house more girls comfortably. Having been there multiple times personally and having three young daughters myself, the stories we have heard are heart-breaking and we want to do everything we can to help them. Our current goal for this project is $50,000 and we hope to have this project finished by the end of summer.”
When asked about the potential of their collaboration with Shib and its future trajectory, Sisson expressed his optimism, stating, “I see so many benefits for non-profits in utilizing cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrency presents an amazing opportunity for non-profit organizations to enhance their fundraising efforts, increase transparency, and broaden their impact on a global scale. It also provides opportunities to reach populations that might not have access to traditional financial services. The opportunities that Shiba Inu specifically provides are endless and we are excited to explore them.”
Reflecting on Manny Pacquiao’s character and the ethos of the Shiba Inu team, Sisson remarked, “If you know Manny, you know that not many people have as big of a heart as he does. The way he treats people from celebrities to some of the poorest people in the world has inspired me and so many others, so when we first started talking to the Shiba Inu team, I could tell right away that these people were different.”
He added, “I’ve been enthusiastic about crypto for several years and so many times in this space, everyone is about Lambo and Wen Moon, and of course, everyone wants to make money, but this group is different. They’re passionate about what they do, but more than that, I could tell they were genuinely passionate about impacting more people around the world for good and that spoke volumes. Someone once told me, ‘Do your best to do well, but in the process, don’t forget to DO GOOD,’ and that’s exactly what this community is all about and we can’t thank you enough for the support.”
