CNN Heroes: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact

Watch Yohannes Gebregeorgis, an Ehtiopian political refugee, came to the US as a librarian. He found there were no children's books in Ethiopia's main language. After writing one himself, he set up the nonprofit Ethiopia Reads and moved home to set up libraries and reading centers.



Or check out the CNN link, HERE, and the for the video, click here.

Or read the article here CNN's 2008 Heroes Coverage.

October Box

A box with about 257 books and some supplies like crayons and pencils has been shipped out to Synergeia last October 25. I am so excited about this box, not only because it contains quite a selection of nice picture and story books, but also because it was sponsored by Kids Helping Kids, a local non-profit, committed to helping children.






Wonderful blessings, indeed!

What I learned from this experience is important. If you want something done, don't stop hoping and praying. Somehow, I was led to generous donors who support sending books to kids in remote provinces. I am hoping to write books for them one day--stories about them, in their dialect. . .Optimism is the key.

Shown here with Laura Page, CEO of Kids Helping Kids and

their whole Board, with their children, who help out, too!

I am filling up a box up now with supplies and books for shipping out on January 2009. Would you be kind enough to save your kids' used story and picture books for then?

2008 Book Drive

During Candlelight Books' inception last year, we were able to send 5 boxes of books (about 200 books each) through our Manila partner foundation, Synergeia.

This year, I am calling out to everyone who may want to donate their children's used books
(elementary level) to Philippine schools in remote provinces.

Before this first delivery, the children only have mimeographed papers and textbooks to read. The few colored storybooks are put away somewhere for protection from rodents and theft.



The children squealed with delight when they saw the books from the States! They even had to wash their hands before handling them.

It is the vision of Candlelight Books to establish reading corners, filled with colored storybooks, with vivid pictures on white paper--in every elementary school we can reach.

Please help us by getting a book drive together. Email me at mrcuenca@yahoo.com for more details.

Many thanks!

Minotte

Kidz Blessings

A new blessing has come our way in the form of KIDZ Helping Kids.Org--a non-profit group founded by Tyler Page, 10, from Brentwood, CA. His simple idea and big heart to raise $240 in order to keep one Ghanaian child out of trafficking into a fundraising and leadership movement for global transformation, turned into a realized goal of raising $50,000.

They have now set their goals higher as Laura Page, Tyler's mom, shares that nothing is impossible.

KIDZ Helping Kids.Org has committed to sponsoring the next box of Candlelight Books to be sent out at the end of October.

What a big blessing in these times of crisis. I have been quite worried about not having funds to send this box that has been overdue. Cooperation is truly the virtue of the millenium.

What a big treat the Filipino kids will have as this box has treats like lollipops in them, aside from books.

Thank you to Laura Page and KIDZ Helping Kids.Org. I will attend their fundraiser next week and let you know!

Meanwhile, check out their website and find out how you can help out in small ways--but with big impact.

Amazon's Bargain Books

I just stumbled upon the bargain bookstore at
Bargain Books Section where there are premium books for as low as $1.55.

Of course, nothing beats the free book donations from many generous neighbors but browsing the bargain section is truly fun!

I just filled out a box of books and just awaiting funds to send it out.

Should you need bargain priced books or have extra storybooks, kindly keep some for us. Or else, please indicate so I may pick up in the East Bay.

Raising Funds

Raising a box-full of books costs about $55/box. Though most of the books come from generous donors, the shipping costs always stump me as I have to get it from my own pocket. My pocket is not exactly deep and so I have to keep finding ways to eek out $55 here and there.

Help me raise funds by checking out my Toot Sweets at Etsy.Com.

See you there!

Candlelight Books, New Jersey Chapter

I am writing to let you know that we received a box of Candlelight books from the New Jersey Chapter through Ms. Elizabeth Velez. Thank you ever so much! It is deeply appreciated.

We donated the books to one of our Pangasinan sites - Sta. Barbara through its project management team (PMT) last August 6. They will take care of dividing the books for the two districts comprising the municipality of Sta. Barbara.

I have written a letter to Ms. Velez and had it mailed yesterday. I thanked her and the New Jersey Chapter for sending the books. These will go a long way especially for the primary school students. I requested Ms. Velez to provide me her e-mail so I can share with her some pictures.

The pictures I am sending you are with the PMT members of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan. I will also send you a picture of one of the public elementary schools located in another Pangasinan municipality called Natividad. Dr. Guevara and I were supposed to send you pictures of Sta. Barbara Central Elementary School but it was raining so hard that afternoon and the flood was rising. Sta. Barbara usually experiences this during the rainy and typhoon season. The children did not go to class for one week last month because of the continuous downpour.

Anyway, the facade of the school in Natividad is very similar to the one of Sta. Barbara Central.

I do hope to hear from you soon.

Yours truly,
Nicole


Ma. Rita Theresa Nicole L. PaternoAssistant Development OfficerSynergeia FoundationRm. 203 Ateneo Professional SchoolsRockwell Center, MakatiTel. Nos. 898-2617, 898-3221, 898-2913

Walking 3 hours to School Daily

I was saddened with the state of the Philippine schools, especially the one featured in this Sine Totoo episode. With tattered blackboards, no electricity, school buildings that are about to collapse (if there is a school building to speak of), a lack of desks and chairs, books, and supplies for an average of 120 students in a classroom, the Philippines ranks 41 out of 45 in Asian countries in Math and Science.

Check out the video HERE.
Wouldn't it be great to raise funds and build a small classroom per village?

Walking for textbooks

In an effort to get textbooks into the far-flung Philippine classrooms in time for school, volunteers from the communities offered to help by distributing textbooks to their local schools. Instead of waiting for the bureaucratic red tape to clear, parents, teachers, and students walk from their Dep Ed office to deliver the textbooks to their proper destinations.

DepEd is adopting “Textbook Walk" this schoolyear to help ensure that more schools get their textbooks on time. It is designing the scheme after “Brigada Eskwela" wherein communities help refurbish and get schools ready for the school opening by contributing cash, kind or labor. Last year, 26,000 schools signed up for Brigada Eskwela and received P2 billion worth of materials and man-hours.

The deliveries culminate into a celebration or fiesta. And there is reason to celebrate.

Redempto Parafina of the Ateneo School of Government said Textbook Walk hopes to reduce delays in the delivery of textbooks to elementary schools, especially those in the remote areas.

He said the project also focuses on the importance of community participation in the distribution of textbooks.

“By organizing a festive event that facilitates the delivery of textbooks from the districts to elementary schools, the citizens’ demand for good governance is dramatized," said Parafina.

DepEd suppliers deliver textbooks directly to the country’s 6,439 public high schools.

Read the whole article HERE.

2008 Book Drive

During Candlelight Books' inception last year, we were able to send 5 boxes of books (about 200 books each) through our Manila partner foundation, Synergeia.

This year, I am calling out to everyone who may want to donate their children's used books
(elementary level) to Philippine schools in remote provinces.

Before this first delivery, the children only have mimeographed papers and textbooks to read. The few colored storybooks are put away somewhere for protection from rodents and theft.



The children squealed with delight when they saw the books from the States! They even had to wash their hands before handling them.

It is the vision of Candlelight Books to establish reading corners, filled with colored storybooks, with vivid pictures on white paper--in every elementary school we can reach.

Please help us by getting a book drive together. Email me at mrcuenca@yahoo.com for more details.

Many thanks!

Minotte