A glimmer of hope #28StoriesofGiving

MANILA, Philippines - He sits quietly in a small dank space inside a house that has no electricity, but the persistence in his face lights up the entire room. And though the flickering incandescence from the tiny gas lamp makes him squint, he does not stop reading.

It’s plain to see that 10-year-old Justin is an ardent reader. As his mother Rowena gushes about her son’s stellar performance in school, Justin buries himself deeper in his science textbook.

“He’s really like that. Once he starts reading and studying, nothing can make him lose focus,” the proud mom reveals.

Justin is not a rare case. In fact, he’s just one of many promising students at South City Central School (SCCS) in Cagayan de Oro – focused, determined and extremely willing to learn despite their economic difficulties. Bereft of material things that kids from well-to-do backgrounds probably cannot live without, elementary pupils of SCCS are a cut above the rest, reaping awards in both academic and extra-curricular competitions around the province.

But in this day and age of information superhighways and sophisticated technologies, education on a global standard has already advanced to new heights; and a school like South City Central, though replete with gifted young talents, has a lot of catching up to do.

School principal Annie Danuco says that textbook supply is still very limited, and there’s also a significant need for online support in order to cope with the newly implemented K to 12 curriculum.

Additionally, she reveals that the school is aiming for better National Achievement Test results for this academic year.

“We are very proud of our pupils, though most of them are financially challenged, you would really see and feel their resilience and drive to learn. I also feel so blessed to have very industrious staff. The teachers we have are very flexible and tremendously resourceful,” she says.

While optimistic of the school’s chances, Danuco fears that their concerns, if not addressed soon enough, may hamper the ability of the students to attain competencies and competitiveness. Capable students like Justin might not receive the kind of training that could further sharpen their skills and abilities; if resources remain insufficient, they can never be at par with other students their age globally, or even nationally.

Not one to focus solely on the negative, Danuco divulges that Amway Philippines has been helping them address their many issues one by one.

In line with its One by One campaign for children – a philanthropic venture that intends to enrich the Filipino youth by promoting literacy through the love of reading– Amway Philippines renovated South City Central School’s library, complete with a special corner full of new high-quality and up-to-date books, available for every kid to read.

“We saw the need to build this library for them after their old one was damaged by several calamities and no longer conducive for the children,” Amway’s Michelle Punongbayan-Ochoa bares. South City Central School is one of six schools adopted under the Department of Education’s adopt-a-school program.

The need to help the government sustain education for its constituents, she adds, has seen an opening for private partners to help and extend their resources to make sure that the next generation of Filipinos will have access to free education and facilities like libraries.

Amway’s One by One movement, which started in 2005, has already reached more than 7,000 public school students in four provinces across the country.

According to Danuco, Amway Philippines has helped fill a big void. The books and refurbished library have enormously contributed to the holistic growth of the kids since 2007.

Bigger problems lurk in the hallways of SCCS, however, like a pressing need for more sufficient e-learning classrooms and adequate online tools for research and development.

Imagine how bright the future would be for little wonders like Justin. They could be the “next big thing” in any field of interest; they could be the hope that this country has been praying for. But if scarcity of resources continues to be a threat, their future will be like Justin’s tiny gas lamp – flickering, uncertain, and could lose its glimmer with one blow.                 – With Gerry Lee Gorit

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Editor’s Note: The Philippine STAR’s #28StoriesOfGiving is a campaign that turns the spotlight on 28 inspiring stories of people and organizations who devote their lives to helping themselves or others. Everyone is encouraged to post or tweet a message of support with the hashtag, #28StoriesOfGiving. For every post, P5 will be added to The STAR’s existing “give back” anniversary fund. For comments and suggestions to #28storiesofgiving, email [email protected], follow @philippinestar on Twitter or visit The Philippine STAR’s page on Facebook.