Send 200 Filipino kids to better daycare centers

Through the generous support of GlobalGiving donors like you, Haligi ng Bata, Inc. (HBI) has made significant strides in enhancing the welfare of young learners in Navotas City, Metro Manila. From March 2024 to July 2024, our Daycare Improvement Project has focused on bolstering the health and nutrition of 250 children across three public daycare centers: Dampalit Primary School, Tanza 1 Public Daycare Center, and Tanza 2 Public Daycare Center. This initiative is particularly crucial as these centers grapple with the soaring costs of basic commodities, impacting the quality and quantity of food provided in their supplemental feeding programs.

For this period, your support enabled HBI to implement the following key initiatives:

Educational and Developmental Monitoring

On top of direct health and nutritional support, the project you support places a strong emphasis on monitoring the educational performance and participation of the daycare students. Recognizing the challenges posed by low reading comprehension rates—a problem exacerbated by school closures and the shift to distance learning during the pandemic—each daycare center involved in the project has implemented dedicated reading hours. These sessions are designed to better prepare students for formal education by actively enhancing their literacy skills in a supportive environment.

Nutritional Enhancement 

Recognizing the need to support the physical growth and wellbeing of the children, HBI distributed comprehensive nutrition kits to each child. These kits included milk drinks and three kilos of rice, directly augmenting the existing in-school feeding programs that were struggling due to budget constraints exacerbated by inflation. Additionally, through your support and the technical support and collaboration with the Tanza Public Community Health Center, we provided additional essential multivitamins and medicines to address common ailments such as coughs, colds, and fevers, ensuring that the children remain healthy and active.

Hygiene Kits Distribution 

In response to the critical need for proper hygiene practices, especially in a densely populated urban setting like Navotas, HBI supplied additional hygiene kits to the daycare learners. Each kit contained soap, hand sanitizer, towels, and toothbrush sets with toothpaste. This effort not only promotes personal cleanliness among the children but also instills lifelong hygiene habits that can prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Educational Seminars 

To reinforce the importance of the health supplies provided, daycare teachers conducted seminars on good grooming and proper hygiene. These sessions were designed to educate the children about the practical steps they can take daily to maintain cleanliness, which is particularly crucial in preventing illnesses in a community setting.

Impact and Observations

The immediate impact of these interventions has been visibly positive. Teachers and parents have reported improvements in children's general health and a reduction in common illnesses, which can often keep them from attending daycare regularly. Furthermore, the enhanced nutritional support has enabled the daycare centers to serve adequate and healthy meals to the children, crucial for their concentration and learning throughout the day.

With the unwavering support of GlobalGiving donors like you, HBI has been able to implement these vital health and nutrition interventions, ensuring that the young learners of Navotas not only continue their education unhindered but do so in a manner that promotes their overall development. We are committed to continuing our efforts to provide these essential services and to expand our impact further with ongoing support.

Future Plans

Looking ahead, HBI plans to sustain and expand the scope of this project to include the provision of learning kits in both La Union Daycare Centers in Santol, La Union, and the Navotas areas. These kits will further enhance the educational resources available to children, ensuring a more comprehensive and effective early learning experience. Other support to improve classroom ventilation would also be provided before the start of the new school year this July 31, 2024.

Again, we extend our deepest gratitude to the GlobalGiving community for their continued partnership and support. Your contributions are directly shaping the futures of these young learners by providing them with the foundations for a healthy start in life. Together, we can continue to make a significant difference in the lives of these children and their communities.