Jasmine Curtis Smith, Marc Nelson lead back-to-school outreach
NINE-year old Shane wakes up every day at 4 a.m. so she can prepare herself and take the hourlong hike just to be in school. Unfazed by the daily, dusty and daunting trail, Shane 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 aims to provide school kits to at least 34,000 schoolaged Filipino children this year.
“Last year, I was happy to receive a bag and several school supplies,” Shane added. Receiving a school kit inspired Shane to thrive and give her best in her studies.
This school year, World Vision hopes more children like Shane are given the opportunity to be back in school, so they can learn their way to a brighter future.
The organization held the Learner’s Kit Distribution at several schools around the Philippines including Malabon and Baseco in Manila to extend support to children needing help with their supplies.
Among the World Vision Celebrity Ambassadors and Inf luencers who participated in the distribution were celebrities Jasmine Curtis- Smith, Marc Nelson, Jinno Rufino, and latest 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.
In a recent survey (FLEMMS 2013) among school-aged children ages 6 to 24, 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 (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. Learning is an important phase in children’s lives. It is where they discover and develop their God-given potentials that will one day be the keys to better opportunities.
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 P 500, one child school supplies from World Vision. To donate, log on to https://campaigns.worldvision.org.ph/back-to-school/.