Combating Child Poverty - Part 1 - Pre-School Children
It is not often in life you meet someone who’s act of Selflessness blows your socks off. I have a friend here in DAVAO who
refuses to allow me to give his identification, mainly as his work is more important than to have his name on a blog.
He has a registered charity called Combating Child Poverty, this title does not do justice to what his European man has done.
Here in Davao at Agado in a slum area he himself has built a school, he has decorated it, he pays for all the bills including electric, water. He employs and pays the staff, he pays for the children of the slums to have uniforms, he supplies food and buys and photocopies books. NO hes NOT a rich man, he is a regular Joe who is funding this at an amazing rate, his life seems dedicated to helping children here in the Philippines.
Although he has a charity because of the red tape he actually has NO funds coming in at all, he pays it all from a small business in Europe,and I mean a small business.
He is giving children a chance to be in a school environment for two years, to teach them basic education to try to help them raise from where life has put them. When you see these beaming faces and realise just how they live a few yards away it
makes your heart melt. These children are so happy to be given the chnace,no bad behaviour, no boredom, just a spirit for education that is not available in most of mainland Europe.
These children about thirty in number are on a road to A CHANCE, AND THE PARENTS REALISE THIS. the only problem is that as soon as education is underway the parents are hoping to pull them out quick to get them to earn money, and we are talking preschool here.
I felt my heart strings being pulled and offered to be a volunteer worker to help him out, he replied “no thanks”, as his experience is that the children demand a commitment from teachers and most volunteers disappear after a while, leaving the children low. He has two teachers, they do not work there its not a job, its a devotion to help these children to move forward.
Why am I telling you all this? He is not a man to go sell what he does, and even more impressive he with another friend has opened another school for teenagers who have been in prison or drugs or need help, yes he funds that too. I want this man to take some of the financial pressure of himself, as I honestly think he will not stop even when he last peso has gone. This is a registered charity here in Philippines and fully registered with SEC, and after the next story later this week I will be giving details on how to send money to the charity, as he will never ask.
If you like to see these smiling faces click the video link. PART TWO LATER THIS WEEK.
Hi John
Good Blog and your friend certainly does sound like an amazing chapI I should point out though that the first line of what you wrote made me think I was gonna read about a nasty character as you wrote “Selfishness” instead of “Selflessness”!
Best regards
Malcolm
malcom
Thanks for the correction, I read t through so many times too and spell checked, I will buy new glasses:lol:
Hello John,
Hello John,
Your article brings backs a memory when you mention about the main problem is that as soon as education is underway the parents are hoping to pull them out quick to get them to earn money. The situation like this often happen a lot and very frustrating. Some parents would pull out student for a week or so sometimes would let their kid miss an important test to help in the farm or harvesting. Some parents would make their kid stop school, make them work and collect their kids salary. My siblings, who are all public school teacher except our youngest, does not like this practices of parents. Teachers are always approach by parents to employ their kid and parents usually collect the salary of their kid leaving nothing for the kid. My siblings make it a rule and make sure that parents understand that it should be split between parents and the kid who works so hard. My sibling usually sent the kids to finish high school as working student (like my siblings and I used to be). A small single step to change this kind of non likable mentality (making kids drop school in exchange to work and collecting their salary) will make a difference.
Thank you for this article, John. I welcome anything that will shine a light on selfless acts in my country. People like your friend need to commended and supported. I hope his school gets the support it deserves.
I grew up not far from Agdao and fortunate enough to have lived in a comfortable setting. But I used to drive by the shanties and I am glad there are kindhearted people like your friend who are helping the children of Agdao.
Agdao, was once known as “Nicaragdao” because of the violence and turmoil within the villages. It was for a time NPA territory and then vigilante territory soon after.
It would be greet to hear more about highly recommended charities in the Philippines. Sometimes, you cannot be sure if your money is being put to good use and it is good to have a trused voice vouche for that certain charity program.
I have a friend myself who could have lived a more comfortable life but decided to help children and seniors in need. Maybe sometime I can share his program to you.
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