Secure the future by investing in education

MANILA, Philippines - No doubt about it. A good education is one path to a bright future. Thus, it is not surprising that formal learning tops the priority list of most Filipinos. We invest in education plans, toil ceaselessly to set aside a sizeable portion of our incomes for schooling, and prepare to send our children to the best institutions of learning. For a number of marginalized families, however, education may take a backseat to more pressing concerns. Overwhelmed by a constant need to provide basic day-to-day necessities, families may regard education as a less serious matter. Lack of school materials, no money for transportation and no spending money or baon become the primary reasons for children dropping out of school. Sadly, even the best and brightest students determined to succeed fall victim to the dire financial straits that beset their families.

Fortunately, programs like Food for Hungry Minds give the poorest children the opportunities to reach their highest potentials. Believing that a high-quality education is a means of attacking the roots of modern poverty, Food for Hungry Minds Schools and their community of teachers and volunteers work tirelessly to help underprivileged children succeed.

“We all want to make a difference, and the opportunity is here to make a significant difference in a child’s life,” says Candy de Ausen, principal of the Food for Hungry Minds School. The school was started in Makati in 2004 with 28 students from the depressed urban areas of Pandacan and Manila. Today, it serves about 200 children in two schools in Makati City and Malolos, Bulacan. Two batches of students have graduated, and the majority of them continue to enjoy support in high school.

Apart from free tuition fees, basic medical health care, uniforms, school supplies and transportation, scholars are given two free meals a day. The school’s programs provide intensive education in Grades 4, 5 and 6 and support for graduates in the years that follow. “Research shows that the most effective intervention is during this critical period,” says de Ausen. But more than addressing the problems of ignorance and lack of access to education, the program inculcates the importance of both focus and “being able to see the big picture.”  

“When I studied here, my life changed,” shares Justine, a graduate of the school. “The Food for Hungry Minds School taught me that life is not only about sitting at your study table reading and researching. Life is when you learn one little thing and learn a big lesson from it that could probably make things right.”

Among these vital lessons are diligence and hard work. Training at the school involves rigorous, 10-hour school days and a summer program.

Aside from its results-focused, integrated curriculum with English as a medium of instruction, what makes the program different is its emphasis on family involvement. Although the children are required to pass an entrance examination and interview to ascertain that they can cope with the program, a social worker also conducts a family interview to make sure their families will stay involved. Parents are required to invest time by serving as parent-aides at least once a month, where they help cook the children’s meals, clean and act as bus chaperones. Perhaps this is one effective means of imparting the lesson that parents should actively stay committed to contribute in educating their children despite financial constraints. Unfortunately, says Candy de Ausen, “Some children drop out because parents can’t be involved. There is a dropout rate of one to two students per year.”

The school, which is recognized by the Department of Education, is able to operate through donations from individuals and corporations, while volunteers from schools and the business community tutor the children, take them on field trips and organize sports clinics. Admittedly, this time of economic slowdown is particularly challenging for organizations like Food for Hungry Minds. 

But just think: P50,000 enables one bright child to finish one school year in a Food for Hungry Minds School; P5,000 enables one child to have access to basic health care; P2,500 allows one child to have a complete set of textbooks and P1,500 covers a month of school breakfasts and lunches for one child.

In these tough times, when fail-safe investments are few and far between, it would be good to keep in mind that education is one place where your investment is going to pay off exponential rewards. It makes good business sense to invest in children’s lives.

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For opportunities to help, call the Food for Hungry Minds School at 887-5717 or foodforhungryminds@yahoo.com” e-mail foodforhungryminds@yahoo.com. Donations are tax-deductible.