Pens of Hope in Davao: December 2011

The kits

brightened up

the kids.

The Beneficiary

San Isidro Labrador Learning Center

San Isidro Labrador Learning Center is located a few meters away from the parish of Lumondao, Marilog District. It has about 45 Kinder 1 and 2 students sharing a ceiling-less bamboo matted classroom. Their teacher, Virginia Dompor, said that most of her students' parents merely get a living from farming. Each family stretches their Php 2,000 - 3,000 monthly income to cater their basic needs.

Scenic view from the school

From Davao City's downtown area, the school can be reached through a jeepney bound for Marahan or a passenger bus bound for Bukidnon or Cagayan de Oro in two hours. Along the way, you can peek at the reinvigorating mountain view of the city. Both the church and the center aren't in the town proper, you still have to go up the hill to get there. The road is accessible by four-wheeled vehicles, though.

The Kits

What's in the kit

For this distribution, POHD received cash donations from generous souls. Hence, kids didn't only get writing materials but a plastic envelope of school supplies. Each kit contains a coloring story book, a booklet of preschool worksheets, a notebook, a sharpener, an eraser, a ruler, sheets of art paper, a box of crayons and seven pencils.

The Distribution

On December 11, 2011, nine volunteers headed off to Lumondao Parish Hall for a two-hour party with the children. They arrived at the place with everything ready: the kids were already on their little chairs and their parents or guardians were sitting at the sides.

Singing and Playing

After the opening prayer led by Rose, Kikit taught the kids the song, "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes". It reviewed the kids with the English terms of the different parts of the body. The children then had fun playing the games Liyah facilitated.

Passing the balloon made them attentive to the music being played.

In another game, they ran to Liyah to bring the item she wanted.

They alertly grouped themselves during The-Boat-is-Sinking game.

Storytelling and Coloring

After the games, the children were divided into five groups for storytelling. It aimed to awaken the kids' reading interest, improve their listening skills, tap their imagination and convey simple life lessons. It's first time for the volunteers to conduct this kind of activity during the distribution and it made the afternoon more meaningful and useful for everyone.

Si Pilandok at ang Manok na Nangingitlog ng Ginto

Ang Langgam at ang Tipaklong

Ang Maingay na Sapatos

Peter Pan

Beauty and the Beast

They then colored a page of their storybook. While they were doing this, the volunteers chose seven kids who seem to have a talent for this. They were acknowledged by giving them a case of 64 crayons as a simple way of encouraging them to enhance what they have. In the past two December distributions, only a few kids were chosen to join the drawing contest but this year, everyone was given a chance to showcase their artistic side.

A boy coloring a page of the storybook

Kids showing their work of art

Rice Giving

Since POHD received more blessings this year, each family was also given a kilo of rice. The parents went home with something in their hands, too.

Shai distributing rice to parents

The community was very glad that POHD had chosen their area as the beneficiary. In the closing speech of Nenita Aringal, one of the parents who witnessed the event, she expressed her gratefulness because for the first time, an organization reached out to them. Fr. Jun Gimeno, the parish priest, also stayed at the venue for a while to acknowledge the kindness of the group.

The Volunteers and Donors

We would like to thank the following volunteers who made the event possible: