Nine-year-old Shane wakes up every day at 4:00 a.m. so she can prepare and take the hour-long hike just to be in school. Unfazed by the daily dusty and daunting trail, she is determined to learn and be closer to her dream.
“I love going to school because I get to learn and be with my friends. I want to become a teacher someday so I can earn and buy a house for my family,” she shared.
Shane is just one of the thousands of children supported by World Vision through its Back to School campaign which intends to provide school kits to at least 34,000 school-aged Filipino children this year.
“Last year, I was happy to receive a bag and several school supplies,” related Shane. She said, receiving a school kit inspired her to give her best in her studies.
World Vision recently held their Learner’s Kit Distribution to several schools in the Philippines including Malabon and Baseco in Manila.
Among the World Vision celebrity ambassadors and influencers who participated included Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Marc Nelson, Jinno Rufino, and child ambassador JJ Dolor, the star of “The Lion King” musical.
“I’ve seen how the provision of school supplies has helped motivate the children in their studies and how this has helped encourage parents to send their children to school,” shared Gina, a community leader who volunteered in the school kit distribution facilitated by World Vision in her barangay.
A recent survey (Flemms, 2013) among school-aged children found that two of the things that hinder them to attend school were lack of interest and the limited means of parents to support their kid’s schooling.
In a separate survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2017, almost 3 million school-aged children in the Philippines are out of school.
World Vision, as a child-focused organization, is committed to promote education for all, especially the children. Through its Back to School campaign, and with the help of generous individuals and groups, more children will be provided with school kits and be given a chance to experience the joy of learning in school.
For a donation of P500, one child receives a school bag and school supplies from World Vision. Go to campaigns.worldvision.org.ph/back-to-school to donate.