Jasmine Curtis-Smith recently looked back on her most memorable experience on field doing her duties as the celebrity ambassador of World Vision for its Back-to-School campaign.
Actually, she has several memorable moments but one that always sticks with her was when she went to Bulacan for her very first site visit for World Vision. “It brought me to tears. It moved me so much kasi katatapos lang ng habagat nun. Grabe yung effect dun sa community that we visited,” she recalled during the digital media conference for the Back-to-School campaign.
“Habang nag-vi-video coverage kami, naiyak ako kasi may nadaanan kami na bahay na butas na yung bubong from second floor. Sa first floor butas na rin. The family had to stay and live in a jeepney in someone else’s garahe. That just really broke my heart,” shared Jasmine.
From that moment, a lot of things ran through her mind. “I couldn’t bring myself to imagine, ‘Paano kung kami ng mama ko yun?’ How would I feel for my mom? As a daughter, paano ko siya maitataguyod? Paano ko siya ma-make sure na safe siya with all her (medical) conditions? Paano kong nakatira dun sa bahay na nasira ay may pre-existing medical conditions — yung mga matatanda, mga magulang or yung mga bata na nakatira?”
This encounter happened when she was just only 17 but the actress considers it as most memorable because it showed her the “harsh reality that some of the communities here in the Philippines have to face.” It also inspired her to “do something more.”
“I have to be more active when I can. Given the opportunity to speak. Given the platform that I get to work in and the industry that I get to be a part of. There’s so much more that I can do,” said the 27-year-old actress.
She continued, “If it’s just speaking, yung hindi ako makapag-donate ng sarili kong pera then at least ma-offer ko man lang yung laway ko. Yung service of talking to people. And telling people about these having means to help.”
Jasmine encouraged everyone to donate and make time to volunteer in charity works. “Andaming ways around it na pwedeng magkaroon ng drive for it. I even made Jeff (Ortega, her boyfriend) sponsor ilang kids na in the past. Sometimes, he’s human, he forgets to pay the sponsorship but I remind him. Sometimes, I’m human, I get an e-mail from World Vision reminding me (to pay my sponsorship).”
“There’s so many things here that can remind you. You just need to sign up to it so that you get the reminder as well. Because we’re only human but let’s not forget the humanity around us as well,” she added.
The sponsorship for World Vision’s Back-to-School campaign costs P600. By that amount, you can give students in remote areas the materials they need for their education, including school kits, printed modules, and gadgets for learning.
“The pandemic has severely hindered many children’s opportunities to have a good education, but we’re hoping that World Vision’s ‘Back-to-School’ campaign could help them in any way and that everyone can find their reasons to support a child. This is a cause I really believe in, and I stand with World Vision in ensuring that these children reach their full potential through education,” said Jasmine.
Jasmine recently donated to World Vision 1,500 children’s books that aim to educate kids on proper and secure use of the Internet. The donated books will go to at least a thousand children in Malabon.
Although she hasn’t been able to visit communities lately due to pandemic restrictions, her being a tita to her older sister Anne Curtis’ daughter and another niece who has recently given birth has inspired her to push for her advocacy on children’s education. “Ngayon pa lang, I know when they grow up, my niece will have an education that will be secured.”
But then, “when I look around me, I live in the country where I’ve chosen to be a citizen of and I see so many kids on the streets. I see so many families that struggle to make ends meet not just for the education of their kids but for their daily necessities. That in itself makes me think, ‘Thank you, Lord for what I have. But Lord, I’m sure there is something we can do more.”
She wants equal access to education for everyone. “I want the same for all the children I get to encounter in my lifetime. Hopefully, we’re able to raise that same standard for everyone one day. That everyone will have that chance. Or the opportunity that I had. That you guys had, so that walang magsta-struggle or that our country has a fair chance, too, in the future.”
Last year, World Vision’s Back-to-School campaign helped 64,000 children by raising funds to provide school kits and printed modules for students in remote areas.
The campaign was launched to support Filipino children for the opening of the school year 2021 to 2022.
The ongoing pandemic has “disrupted the learning and development of children and makes education inaccessible to millions of students nationwide,” World Vision noted.
Data from the said non-governmental organization showed that since 2019, almost three million students have dropped out of school and that five in 10 families lacked access to basic education. These issues have worsened during the COVID-19 health crisis with the absence of face-to-face learning and while online or remote methods have become the temporary norm. More than 38 percent of children in far-flung areas are unable to take advantage of this medium as they cannot afford the technological materials required, according to World Vision.
“Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, it is inspiring to see a number of most vulnerable children continue to have access to quality education. With your support of World Vision’s Back To School campaign, we can sustain their learning and help them reach their full potential. Together, we can look forward to a bright future,” said Rommel Fuerte, World Vision national director.
(For details on World Vision’s Back-to-School campaign, visit https://www.worldvision.org.ph.)