School Supplies for 200 Needy Children

Sometimes just a few good deeds can trigger a chain reaction of generosity that far exceeds our original intention. Sulu Province in the Philippines is considered by the United Nations to be one of the most impoverished communities in the world. Malnutrition affects more than 65 percent of all children. The threat of communal violence and terror is a daily fact of life. Many children cannot attend school because their parents cannot afford basic school supplies.

Our goal at Asia America Initiative, through a Global Giving micro-project was to raise $2,000 so that 200 children could receive the basic supplies necessary to attend school. Although we raised a mere $335, our effort inspired generous donors in the United States to provide more than $6,000 worth of new school supplies, books, and toys that have assisted close to 1,000 children in ten elementary schools. One of the recipients is first grade student Meldelina who attends Sahaya Elementary. In her handwritten note of gratitude written with a purple crayon she stated:

 "My name is Meldelina. I am six years old. We are six in my family -- Two boys and two girls and my Dad is a carpenter and my Mom a housewife. My favorite color is yellow. I love to draw dolls and different toys. I don't have toys. Because my parents cannot afford to buy for me." She did not believe that hugging a stuffed animal would ever be part of her life experience. However, Meldelina and her classmates received crayons, pencils, and paper, and their school library received fun story books and text books. These gifts allow teachers to provide supplemental reading, writing, and arithmetic classes to the children who are eager to learn.

Hope is inspired by the kindness of strangers from across the vast ocean, providing children with new-found confidence that their community is not isolated and that they are not alone in the world. The program's goal is to keep friendship alive and peaceful cooperation among peoples of diverse faiths and cultures. Helping to fulfill the dreams of children like Meldelina, with no strings attached by donors has been a powerful means to heal the wounds of poverty, and overcome extremism by those who would exploit children to commit inter-communal violence. In her classroom at Sahaya Elementary, Meldelina has tears in her eyes, while holding tight to her new teddy bear. She holds a crayon-colored sign that thanks her new friends across the ocean. "I want to learn because the teachers care for the pupils," she says.  "My dreams are in my future, I want to become a doctor."     

We have closed out this micro-project thanks to the resounding success, showing that out of just a small amount of seed-funding, there can grow a magnificent garden of Hope.

Links:

• Asia America Initiative web site