Maria Kharmita Lising graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts major in Management Economics and minor in Financial Management. During college, she was involved in different socially-oriented organizations. She was Vice President for Projects of the Ateneo Special Education Society (SPEED), an organization that caters to children with special needs.
Shortly after graduation, she joined Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP). She served as Youth Education and Enterprise Program Coordinator for the Local Government Unit of Kiamba, Sarangani Province, where she conducted demographics research on Kiamba youth and helped supervise education programs. She also served as home study program teacher and youth organizer in Gawad Kalinga Nuestra Senora dela Soledad, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, where she taught elementary students and facilitated leadership seminars and team-building activities for members of youth organizations.
After her JVP year, Charmie worked as part-time NSTP facilitator for the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) of the Ateneo de Manila University. She then worked as Project Development Specialist for DMCI Homes, a real estate developer. Charmie was also a finalist in the British Council’s ‘I Am A Changemaker’ competition.
Driven by her passion for development work, Charmie left her corporate work and joined SEDPI. As a program officer, she has handles clients’ needs under the Technical and Mentoring Assistance and has also been part