TPSW 2026 — Ten Photos to Shake the World — is back, capturing the spirit of volunteerism and the social impact it creates. We invite amateur and professional photographers alike to capture the raw, unfiltered truth of human dedication.

Across Asia, countless acts of impact unfold every day in complete silence—a newly planted sapling, a quiet moment of mentorship, a town rebuilt from ruin. Yet, the true weight of volunteerism remains largely invisible to the world.

ASSIST is ready to disrupt that silence with the return of Ten Photos to Shake the World (TPSW) 2026. 

Aligned with the UN’s International Volunteer Year 2026, our mission goes beyond mere documentation. While global institutions establish policy, TPSW shifts the lens back to the front lines. We are handing creative control to those on the ground, empowering local communities and storytellers to claim their own narrative.

The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers residing in the five participating countries: the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Whether you use a DSLR or a smartphone, we invite anyone documenting grassroots impact to participate.

What the contest is looking for

We are looking for photos that document the raw reality of grassroots work. This means capturing volunteerism in all its forms—from the active momentum of community projects to quiet moments of mentorship, shared learning, and genuine human connection. Winning entries reflect the true atmosphere on the ground: candid, meaningful interactions and the steady, everyday effort that drives lasting change. 

How it works

• Submission Window: Submissions are open from September 3, 2026 through October 15, 2026. Entries must be submitted online through the official Call for Entries form.
• Two-Stage Judging: All entries undergo an initial internal screening by the ASSIST team, followed by a final evaluation by an external jury of professional photographers and development leaders.
• Awards & Recognition: A tiered award system will honor winners across both categories, including:
  • Top 3 Professional Entries
  • Top 3 Amateur Entries
  • 4 Consolation Prizes
  • Special Awards (to be announced)
• Winner Announcement: Finalists and winners will be announced in November 2026 across ASSIST and TPSW official channels.

For complete eligibility requirements, photo specification guidelines, and evaluation criteria, please review the full details and contest mechanics: https://tinyurl.com/TPSW2026ContestPrimer

We are pleased to announce the release of our 2025 Annual Report, capturing a transformative year of structural growth, strengthened governance, and deeper community connections across South and Southeast Asia.

With the theme Ripples of Impact, the report embodies ASSIST’s core belief in development: when you empower one individual, farmer, or local leader, that single action sends expanding circles of resilience and opportunity outward into the broader community.

This milestone year was deeply shaped by the enduring legacy of Founding Director Sreenivas Narayanan. Sreeni’s vision and lifelong dedication to genuine, generous partnership resonated across every achievement and expanding initiative throughout 2025.

Impact Driven by Communities

The past year demonstrated how grounded, partnership-led initiatives translate directly into meaningful impact across the region. At its core, ASSIST’s work was about people – strengthening families, empowering local workers, and building resilient communities.

Across 61 projects spanning 83 municipalities, ASSIST directly reached 908,892 individuals and engaged a digital community of 29.2 million.

Powered by 530 cross-sector partners and 3,200 volunteers, these collective efforts brought light and safety to disaster-prone communities with reliable solar energy, opened doors to global sustainable markets for over 57,000 farmers and cooperative members, and equipped 74,645 learners with the skills needed to secure meaningful livelihoods.

Reflecting on this progress, Executive Director Karthik Subburaman noted, “Behind every number is a community that is more capable, more resilient, and better connected to opportunity than it was a year ago. – and a team that made it happen quietly, consistently, and well.”

Growth & Governance

Parallel to this field-level reach, 2025 was equally defined by institutional growth and structural refinement across ASSIST. “Organizationally, 2025 was also a year of growth that matched the ambition of our programs,” Subburaman highlighted. 

Key institutional highlights include ASSIST’s attainment of its ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management Systems, the renewal of its Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) accreditation, and multiple regional ESG awards that validated its enterprise-led approach to social development.

The Road to 2028

Looking ahead to the organization’s silver jubilee, Subburaman remains clear about the road to 2028: “As we look toward 2028 and ASSIST’s 25th year, the direction is clear: scale what works, deepen what matters, and grow the partnerships that amplify it all. The foundation has never been stronger.”

The complete interactive ASSIST 2025 Annual Report, featuring thematic impact breakdowns and financial summaries, is now available to view on the official ASSIST website.

👉 View the ASSIST 2025 Annual Report

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — On July 25, 2026, 100 volunteers from IBM Philippines gathered at Million Trees in La Mesa, Quezon City, and successfully planted 1,000 native tree saplings—including Narra, Malabulak, and Bignay. Organized in partnership with ASSIST, this initiative directly aids in protecting the water quality of the La Mesa Dam reservoir, regulating water flow, and reducing local air pollution.

The La Mesa Watershed is more than just a patch of greenery on the map. It is the direct lifeline of clean water for millions of residents across Metro Manila. Over the years, soil erosion and forest denudation have threatened the natural strength of these vital catchment areas.

To combat this, ASSIST collaborated with IBM Philippines under the banner of the IBM Stronger Together: Tree Planting campaign, aligning directly with the Million Trees Foundation, Inc. and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Annual Million Trees Challenge.

The driving philosophy of the project was simple: plant the right tree in the right place. While bamboos (Bambusa vulgaris) fortify nearby riverbanks against rapid erosion, indigenous and fruit-bearing species were selected specifically for inland soil stabilization.

Under the morning sun, 100 IBMers gathered with their trowels and gloves to plant native species chosen purposefully to strengthen and sustain the local ecosystem. With every sapling set into the earth, volunteers were laying down a natural defense system for the La Mesa reservoir. These 1,000 native trees will grow to hold soil in place, filter rain runoff, absorb carbon, and safeguard the water source for generations to come.

Real conservation happens when businesses, NGOs, and communities act together. By engaging employees in hands-on environmental restoration, companies like IBM build more than a responsible brand. They protect clean water supplies, build climate resilience, and establish a blueprint for scalable corporate environmental stewardship.

Discover your next impactful CSR campaign with ASSIST. Partner with us today. https://bit.ly/PartnerForProgress

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Forty-two fifth graders at Springhills Elementary School spent the day putting science and engineering to work, turning simple materials into standing skyscrapers and density experiments.

As the third leg of the STEM LEAP program, the hands-on workshop is part of an ongoing commitment by Texas Instruments and ASSIST to build early curiosity and practical skills in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math for young learners across the Philippines.

STEM LEAP (STEM Learning and Application through Play) introduces primary students to core technical concepts through interactive, play-based challenges. Built on a three-stage pathway—Excite, Explore, Experience—the initiative aims to spark early interest in STEM fields and help children carry those skills forward toward real-world applications.

Two hands-on challenges anchored the day’s activities: the Density Tower and the Spaghetti Skyscraper Challenge.

In the Density Tower exercise, pupils poured liquids of varying weights into clear containers, watching in real time as the fluids settled into distinct layers rather than blending together. Curiosity took over as several students experimented with different pouring techniques, testing whether they could create distinct layers without mixing the liquids.

The Spaghetti Skyscraper Challenge brought a wave of noisy, energetic collaboration to the room. Equipped with limited bundles of raw spaghetti and marshmallows, teams worked against the clock to design freestanding structures. While some towers stood tall, others buckled under their own weight—forcing teams to analyze what went wrong. It was a direct lesson in the scientific method: iteration, trial, and learning to view failure not as a setback, but as valuable data.

Throughout the session, volunteers from Texas Instruments moved between tables, guiding the teams through problems rather than solving them outright. Engr. Mc Zinsser Bagcal, one of the TI mentors, shared his personal journey into the engineering field with the students. Admitting he didn’t have his future mapped out at their age, Bagcal explained that he was simply a curious kid who enjoyed figuring out how things worked—a habit that eventually developed into a fulfilling career. He encouraged the pupils to protect that instinctual curiosity and seize every opportunity to learn.

Science isn’t meant to live on a whiteboard. By letting the Springhills Elementary pupils physically test out complex engineering concepts, the session turned intimidating subjects into accessible, confidence-boosting play.

More than a fun afternoon, the event highlights what effective CSR looks like in practice. The ongoing partnership between ASSIST and Texas Instruments shows the power of aligning corporate capabilities with grass-roots community needs to create lasting social value. By showing up with their time, expertise, and encouragement, private-sector partners do more than write a check. They build institutional capacity, open clear pathways for skills development, and create repeatable frameworks that non-profits can scale across underserved regions.

Elevate your organization’s CSR impact with programs like EXCITE STEAM LEAP. Explore partnerships with ASSIST https://bit.ly/PartnerForProgress