Send 200 Filipino kids to better daycare centers

In the past four months since our last report, the Daycare Improvement Project that you continue to support has gained so much in terms of the number of children and daycare centers that it aims to reach and help. For this latest report, we take a look back at the key highlights and updates of our education improvement project from April 2023 to August 2023:

Boosting More Children: School Supplies for 312 Indigent Learners from Metro Manila, Philippines

Through your continued support, the Daycare Improvement Project's student support program has expanded its reach to include not only daycare students but also other poor students in need. Last July, 312 students mostly from the urban slum communities of Smokey Mountain in the capital city of Manila, Adelfa in Navotas City, and Holy Spirit in Quezon City were provided with school supplies in preparation for the opening of the new school year on the last week of August 2023.

The marginalized students who received new notebooks, new pens, pencils, and pad papers are children belonging to the poorest of the poor families. Their parents or guardians are usually making a living doing odd jobs (laborers, urban fishermen, and fishport workers) and earning an average daily income of no greater than US$7. Because of their limited income, educational supplies are way below the families' spending priorities - leaving the children ill-equipped come school classes.

For majority of these children, the school supplies they received from your GlobalGiving donation is what separates them from attending school next year or dropping out entirely. Thanks to you, 312 students will come to school in the first day of a new academic year armed with what they need to succeed in their continuing education.

Continuing What We Started: Support for the Target Daycare Centers

Through your continued support, the Daycare Improvement Project would be continuing to provide material and infrastructure improvements to the far-flung La Union daycare centers of the Santol Municipality. Currently, HBI is identifying the needs of the daycare centers and the students through its coordination with the Municipal and Social Welfare and Development office of the Santol Local Government. This is timely as the La Union Province is currently reeling from the effects of Super Typhoon Doksuri which drenched the province in torrential rain that caused flooding in farm lands and fish pens. 

Expanding Daycare Support: New Daycare Centers and New Daycare Students

In addition to the rural La Union daycare centers, within this year, the Daycare Improvement Project is going to include indigent public daycare centers from the urban fishing city of Navotas. HBI is currently working the various area leaders, community local officials, and local daycare teachers to idenfity new daycare centers that would stand to benefit from the program. HBI has targeted to reach 500 new daycare children this year, on top of the 312 students who have already been supported last July. We are very excited to share this with you in our upcoming reports!

Riot Games Grant

Your continued support to the Daycare Improvement Project has paved the way for our organization to receive a grant from Riot Games, the developer of popular games like League of Legends and Valorant. The grant, facilitated by the wonderful GlobalGiving Team, enables HBI to expand the reach of the Daycare Improvement Project not only by including new daycare centers and daycare students, but also by expanding programs to include capacity-building seminars on health, sanitation, and children's rights. We cannot wait to share in the future what this grant has done for the children and how it can affect their lives for the better.

Our Unending Thanks to You

Your continuous, unsolicited, and generous support for the Daycare Improvement Project has been truly invaluable. Thanks to your contributions, poor students are given the materials they need to continue pushing towards a bright future through education. Thanks to your contributions, early childhood education even in the farthest or poorest areas will have a fighting chance to instigate a love for learning that would transform the lives of underprivileged Filipino children. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty through education. And we at HBI cannot help but feel that together, we are making a real difference.

See you in our next report and take care! 

In our previous report, we have mentioned that the support you have given to our simple project has helped provide the educational needs not only of the target daycare center learners, but also of 366 indigent Filipino students who were slated to return to face-to-face or physical school classes. For this report, we want to share with you the experiences of the children you have helped now that they're back in actual classroom learning as well as the educational challenges they are facing after more than two years of making do with virtual learning. We also want to share the other children's activities that your support has enabled HBI to resume now that children are literally back in school.

Putting provided classroom educational materials to good use

With students now back in their classrooms, learning materials made possible by your support are now being put to good use by the teachers to keep students engaged and to variate their daily learning activities. Provided educational toys are being used as learning aids, especially in activities where children are asked to practice their handwriting or solve basic arithmetic problems. The educational toys are also something that children enjoy during school recess or lulls in daily classes. Parents and teachers note that these classroom toys are important to keep children excited to go to school and not miss classes.

Based on the HBI partner-teachers' assessments conducted shortly after the children have returned to classroom learning, it's revealed that many students encounter problems in reading  simple paragraphs be it in English or in the local language (Filipino). The challenges go beyond simple reading mistakes as learning gaps in reading comprehension and writing have been exhibited. With this said, the big story books, reference materials, and activity books made possible by your support have proved to be really vital in helping teachers implement reading classes for children. Apart from implementing reading hours for all learners during classes, teachers are able to tailor-fit a reading program for students because of the presence of a variety of books and reference materials. They are able to come up with an assigned reading list while lending the actual books that children would use.

Resuming auxiliary seminars and activities for indigent Filipino kids

With the resumption of in-school learning, HBI through your support was also able to resume additional support programs for the children. In partnership with volunteers who came to know of HBI through online inquiries, face-to-face children's seminars focused on using art as a way of expressing their COVID-19 lockdown experiences and seminars on proper social media use and online etiquette were implemented for 60 children from various Metro Manila areas. Provided first aid kits and hygiene kits also enable teachers to integrate children's health seminars in classroom learning.

As with before, the strengthening of children's health through Vitamin A supplementation and deworming is continuing through the support of Vitamin Angels Philippines who came to know of HBI through their presence in the GlobalGiving platform. In total, over 2,000 children between the ages of 0 to 5 years old have benefitted from this health program.

What's next and things to expect

The project believes that students who have access to quality resources and teachers are more likely to engage in their learning and feel more motivated to attend school regularly. With teachers continuing to identify learning challenges encountered by the students, the plan is to provide additional learning resources in the form of books and audio-video materials and equipment to daycare centers and public elementary schools' kindergarten classroooms. In this way, the project hopes to support enrichment and tutorial classes sorely needed for students to be able to catch up and for teachers to make in-classroom learning fun and engaging. 

Thank you very much as always

We cannot thank you enough for the continued and unsolicited support you have generously given to this simple daycare improvement project. Please know that your donation has helped improve classrooms and learning facilities that teachers use to instigate a love for learning among young children. We believe that education as a ticket out of poverty starts with children actually enjoying going to school knowing that there are learning materials and toys that they can use any time they wish. With that said, we want to thank you for continuing to believe in the power of early childhood education as an agent of change in a poor Filipino child's life.

See you in our next report and a blessed Easter to those who are celebrating it! 

We previously reported that the Daycare Improvement Program is going beyond helping daycare centers and daycare students by also supporting marginalized elementary to high school students in Metro Manila. The HBI Team feels that there is a need to make room for supporting poor public school students with their school needs now that all schools in the Philippines have re-opened their doors for in-classroom learning after more than two years of making do with distance learning methods.

Your Support Helped 366 Students Continue their Education 

With these said, we are glad to report that during September 2022 and October 2022, your support provided 366 students in Metro Manila and nearby provinces with school supplies they sorely needed to participate in face-to-face school classes. Through your support, every child received notebooks, pad papers, pens, and pencils. Younger schooling children also received crayons needed for their in-classroom art classes.

The distribution of supplies was conducted in three major Metro Manila cities: Quezon City, Navotas City (an urban fishing city), and Manila (specifically in the Smokey Mountain Community). Helping HBI in the distribution of supplies are the organized and trained HBI Area Leaders - ordinary parents and community members who volunteer their time to help in the smooth distribution of supplies. 

The children and their parents were very thankful and happy to receive these forms of support. With most of the children belonging to families that earn less than US$ 5 a day, their parents do not have much income to ensure that they get their school needs. Having said these, the school supplies made possible by your donation has helped these children to continue going to school despite their families' economic standing.

Your Support Continue to Help Daycare Centers and Daycare Students

Apart from COVID-19, micronutrient and vitamin deficiency are persistent health issues faced by daycare students in the far-flung La Union Province areas and mountain municipalities. With the in-kind donation of Vitamin A supplements and Deworming Tablets for children made possible by Vitamin Angels Philippines, HBI through your support has mobilized and train health workers and mothers to have a more active role in ensuring that daycare students in the supported La Union Daycare Centers are healthier. This is done through the conduct of parents' health seminars focused on proper Vitamin A intake and the proper recording of deworming and Vitamin A distribution to children. 

With all previously provided books, toys, and audio-video equipment continuously used and maintained by the Daycare Centers, HBI is currently coordinating with the daycare teachers and parents as to what possible support can be provided for the children's daily daycare learning. These identified needs would be provided by the first quarter of 2023.

We Cannot Thank You Enough

Times are unbelievably tough these days, and while there are many reasons to put up our hands and surrender, we carry on for the sake of the Filipino children thanks to your continued support. With this said, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all previous and current supporters and donors of this project who have donated consistently and wholeheartedly be it anonymously or not. While we cannot say your names,  please know that more than 500 indigent Filipino children are continuing their education because of your support.

We hope to see you in the next report!

After more than two years of distance learning, schools and daycare centers in the Philippines are finally going to re-open its doors to welcome students back in the classrooms. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time that Philippine schools had actual students learning inside its halls was way back in March 2020. With COVID-19 cases becoming more manageable and with pediatric vaccinations becoming more available to students between the ages of 5 to 17 years old, the Philippine government has decided that face-to-face or in-classroom learning would be implemented when the new school year opens this 22 August 2022. 

While this is regarded as a positive development for teachers and parents who firmly believe that in-classroom learning trumps distance learning, there are many challenges along the way. Parents and students are concerned that the current economic climate would hinder them from securing needed school supplies. Teachers are concerned that they do not have enough classroom materials for returning students.

With these challenges at hand, the Daycare Improvement Project that you helped support is staying true to its goal of going beyond helping daycare students and improving daycare centers. Through your support, the following programs are to be implemented in time for the opening of the new school year:

Continued Support for the Daycare Centers in La Union

Through your donation, the Daycare Improvement Project will continue to coordinate with the La Union Daycare Centers to identify immediate needs that the project can provide that would improve daycare learning for enrolled students. Based on the most recent feedback and reports from the La Union Daycare Center teachers HBI works with, all of the previously provided materials, educational equipment, toys, and books are well-accounted and are ready for use once the school year starts on 22 August 2022. All infrastructure improvements made possible by the project have remained sustainable and daycare centers are now gearing up for the re-opening of face-to-face daycare learning.  

School Supplies for 366 indigent students in Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces

With the daycare centers and students already equipped with their school needs through previously reported activities, your support has enabled the Daycare Improvement Project to provide basic school supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils, and pad papers to 366 indigent students in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Rizal and Bulacan. These students are all enrolled in public schools and are part of households that only earn an average of US$ 3 to 5 daily - an amount too difficult to stretch in terms of providing all the needs of the family members. These activities are going to be implemented from August 22, 2022 to the first week of September 2022.    

Continuing of Health Support for Community Health Centers in La Union and Metro Manila

In-kind donations from Vitamin Angels Philippines has enabled the Daycare Improvement Project to provide 17 community health centers in La Union Province, Pampanga Province, and Metro Manila with supplies of Vitamin A supplements for children under 5 years old, deworming tablets for children, and multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for pregnant women. Over 3,000 children and pregnant women are benefitting from this health support initiative. Private donors who came across the GlobalGiving page but chose to willingly donate in-kind also enabled the project to provide over 100 children with their own complete sets of hygiene kits. Through your support, the project will continue to try to provide these health needs to underequipped community health centers.

Other Important Updates: The July 28, 2022 Earthquake

On July 28, 2022, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Northern Philippines where the La Union Province is located. The epicenter of the earthquake is a town in the Abra Province - approximately two to three hours away from the La Union Province - which bore the brunt of the earthquake's effects. Based on immediate reports from community groups, parents, and daycare teachers in La Union, while they felt the shaking caused by the earthquake, there were no major damages or casualties in La Union. The daycare centers also did not report any structural or material damages. 

Our Most Heartfelt Thanks

It is heartwarming for a small organization like HBI to receive generous and unsolicited support from donors all over the world for the benefit of the Filipino daycare children and indigent students. In behalf of these children who firmly believe that education is their ticket out of poverty, HBI would like to fervently thank all previous and current supporters and donors of this simple project - most notably Karina Estrada, Stainless Flat Pack Pty Ltd, FCIC Diocese of Los Angeles, Vitamin Angels Philippines, Roland Jay Dingal, Rio Siochi, Elyas Kashfi, Andrew Fader, Lucille Kelly, Alessandro Ciccolo, Malambing Serafin, Derek Housman, Michelle Stefin, Gomez, and all the other donors who chose to give anonymously. Your support, willingly given and received with utmost gratitude, inspires HBI to continue doing their very best work for this project to reach more children in need.     

Until our next report!

The past four months have shown that the Daycare Improvement Project has evolved and made room to not only cater to daycare centers in impoverished and far-flung communities in La Union, but to also support other public institutions that cater to poor children. For this period, there are three notable activities as follows:

School Support Program through the Airbnb Community Fund
Amid the initial COVID-19 surge last March 2020, the Philippines stopped in-person classes for all public education students. When schooling finally resumed in October 2020, the Philippine education department’s solution was a blend of remote-learning options: online platforms, educational TV and radio, and printed modules. With Bangladesh re-opening their schools in September 2021, the Philippines remains the only country in the world as of April 2022 to not yet fully resume in-person classroom learning for its public education sector.

In rural and remote areas like La Union, public schools cannot implement online learning methods due to inaccessible and unreliable internet connections. As such, schools have been pushing through via printed student modules. The modules have to be prepared by the teachers for every enrolled student which means that rural public schools with no means to buy their own printers are left behind. Ultimately, it is the students who suffer.

Thus, apart from the implementation of the Community Health and Hygiene Pantry that supported 400 families with complete hygiene kits, medicines, vitamins, and other disinfecting materials, HBI through the support of the Airbnb Community Fund also provided eight (8) public elementary schools in the the municipalities of Bangar, Sudipen, and Luna all in the La Union Province with heavy-duty printers and related consumables (printer ink supplies, bond papers, and other instruction materials) as a way to support students and teachers in their distance modular learning classes. These eight schools are the Sinapangan Elementary School, Luzong Sur Elementary School, Maria Cristina Elementary School, General Prim Elementary School, Tallaoen Elementary School, Ayaoan Elementary School, Suyo Elementary School, and Seng-ngat Elementary School. The combined student population of these schools is approximately 1,200 students who would now benefit from more printed modules that are complete with lesson details and exercises.

It is expected that Philippine schools would begin its gradual re-opening for in-classroom learning by mid-May 2022. Partner teachers in HBI Project Areas mentioned that the face-to-face learning in the time of COVID-19 would be a hybrid learning environment that combines shortened class hours with modular or online distance learning. With that said, even if schools re-open, the provided printers and materials by the Airbnb Community Fund would still be very beneficial to students and teachers.

Community Health Center Support
Through the in-kind donation of Vitamin Angels Philippines (who came to know of HBI through their GlobalGiving Project Page), over 15 community health centers in Metro Manila, Pampanga, and La Union have received supplies of Vitamin A supplementation and dewoming for children ages 0-5 years old. Over 1,500 children are estimated to benefit from this intervention and support. Apart from children's Vitamin A supplements and deworming tablets, the support from Vitamin Angels also enabled HBI to deliver needed Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) tablets to these health centers for dispensing to approximately 1,000 pregnant women. MMS for pregnant women has long been a request by HBI partner community health centers who have been dealing with an increase in tending to pregnant community members.

Continuing Daycare Improvements
The Daycare Improvement Program is staying true to its original aims of improving public daycare centers. For this reporting period, the daycare centers were provided with additional toys, big books, story books, and other educational classroom materials in preparation for the gradual re-opening of public daycare facilities in the Philippines.

Our Heartfelt Thanks
We always save the best - the portion where we thank our donors and advocates - for last. In behalf of all the children, schools, teachers, and parents you have helped through your unsolicited donations, HBI wants to thank you from the bottom of their eternally grateful hearts. These activities would not have been possible without your support. We promise to continue doing our very best work as we move forward to living in the New Normal.

Until our next report!