The State of Siasi, Sulu Classrooms

This photo has saddened but inspired me to keep the Filipino children in Sulu in my heart. Their classrooms (if any) are in a war-torn, decrepit state; they probably enjoy the outdoor sessions, under the shady trees better. And yet, the kids are smiling, they seem excited and eager--making most of what they
have. . .

Because of them, I tell myself and my kids never to take what we have for granted. And during the hard times, I draw strength from these pictures and remind myself that so many have it harder, and yet they carry on like it wasn't. I miss this Filipino resiliency of spirit--enduring hardships so cheerfully. In a first-world country like the US, people are harder to please, many things are taken for granted, and reverence for our blessings is not a strong suit--it is easy to forget. . .

The Books Have Arrived!

Many thanks to all who gave away their books. Rest assured, they traveled a long way to the Philippines--and then a treacherous way by air, by sea, and by bus to very remote ARMM region in Mindanao.

The following post is a letter from Synergeia's Trissa Manalastas, relaying the good news of their safe and welcome arrival to the schools.

Here is our biggest reward: the biggest smiles of the kids, browsing our books--for class, for story-telling sessions, for recreational reading.


Indanan School, Sulu


Story-reading at Indanan





Siasi, Sulu


Siasi Reading Corner (needs more books!)


Siasi classroom Story-reading



Wonderful! Wonderful!

I plan to put a book box together by June. Let me know if I can pick-up any more children's books from your generous families.

God Bless your generous hearts always!

From Synergeia

Dear Ms. Minotte,

Your email just arrived in time. I just got back from a 12-day trip to
Cotabato City. We are currently conducting our teacher trainings in
April since elections will be held this May. I apologize for the late reply.

Anyway, I put together some pictures of our distribution in Indanan and
Siasi, Sulu. I included pictures of the schools as well so you can see
how our children are doing in the Sulu areas. As you can see, the
classrooms are in need of repairs as well.




We distributed the books to schools which has requested for more books as well (we were only able to give for two
schools).





An added information - if you've heard of the recent hostage taking in
Sulu by the Abu Sayaff, the hostages were taken in the area of our
elementary school in Indanan (see page 2 of the attached pictures). Better
education will really play a big role in promoting development and consequently,
peace in the Muslim Mindanao area. The hostage-taking incident happened a
month after we visited the area and distributed the books you sent us. We
prioritized these schools for book distribution also because they are
most in need of materials. I hope you will be pleased to know that your
donations have (literally) gone a long way (from Manila to the southernmost tip
of the Philippines) and will help children that need them most.

Please do continue sending materials. We will bring them with us when
we go on-site for our trainings. We truly appreciate all the support you are
extending from there and for our children in Mindanao.

If you like, I can send the pictures individually as well (in jpeg
format),just let me know.

Anyway, hope you are doing well. Thank you so much again for your
continued support.

Best regards,
Trissa

Adult Books

Adult books still pour in. Ooh, that didn't sound right--how about books for adults?

And because I couldn't refuse them, (some of them are true classics) lest the books are thrown away, I found a contact to donate them to Philippine prisons and correctionals.

"UHF provides literacy & art classes every 2nd & 4th Monday of the month at the Mandaluyong City Jail where we have former UHF youth and/or fathers of UHF kids. The jails have only Bibles to read, not that it's a bad thing. If you want, you can also send books to them through UHF," my friend, treasurer of Unang Hakbang Foundation (UHF) for street children in Mandaluyong told me.

Here is a slew of books for adults from my badminton friends, Joji and Ana K. She sent me great magazines, too! Many thanks to all of you. I will update you with pictures when the books get to Manila.





For my friends in the Philippines, please advise me if you know of an organization or prison/correctional, and elementary school that is in need of books. And for my friends and relatives in the States, please continue to put away your used children's books. I am gathering books for a shipment in May.

God bless your generous hearts always!

John Woods' Room to Read

In 1999, John Wood, then 35 and Microsoft's No. 2 in China, journeyed to Nepal with some 3,000 books in tow—not to read on vacation but to give to a school that could not afford any. The project was a joint venture between Wood and Dinesh Prasad Shrestha, a rural-aid worker in Kathmandu whom the IT executive had met earlier. It planted an idea. "We should get serious about this," Shrestha told Wood. "We should be more organized and do this properly."

Read more in Time Asia's article Asian Heroes.

John Woods: my hero

More Books

I love being a channel for books! People know me as a conduit for books for the Philippine elementary schools in remote provinces. Teaming up with Synergeia has facilitated delivery of the books even in the ARMM region and beyond. I am so excited for the pictures they will send us.

Books continue to pour in, magazines, too. I have tried to decline novels or history books but then it seemed such a waste. So now, I am exploring sending adult books to prison libraries here in the U.S or in the Philippines. Any suggestions?

In the meantime, blessings keep coming. My cousin, Franco, a professional graphic artist, sent me a logo he says I could use. Here it is, a candle under a rainbow. The rainbow feels like hope amidst diversity and distance.

I am making new friends in Craigslist, scouring the freebies some like to giveaway. I realize there are so many sources, I may never have to buy discount books again for this project.

I will post the Synergeia pics soon as they have advised me that the books have arrived already (after 1 month). Meanwhile, you might want to check out Asian HeroJohn Wood, once Microsoft China's number 2 man. He gave up his corporate career to bring 30,000 books to far flung provinces in China, consequently founding his Room to Read, providing children access to education, one child at a time, one school at a time, and one village at a time. Through partnerships with local communities they work to create educational opportunities and establish educational infrastructure. Their efforts are currently focused in Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and South Africa - all countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. In addition to these countries, they continue to take on new countries and new projects each year.

Wow, what an isnpiration!

Beginnings

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

Looking back from last year, I know we would not have survived as new immigants without the Grace of God. People sent us clothes for the winter, toys for Christmas. I asked for a coat, I got so many resources to retire my 10-year-old coat with shoulder pads. I found a work-from-home job, just as I asked for. Two jobs, in fact! How's that for a bonus?

I sent out a plea for Bears for Bicol, expecting a trickle from the few Fil-Ams I knew--just to piggy-back on my friend's cause. That plea snowballed into bears that filled our living room. And they were all in good condition--clean and cuddly. We would come home from mass and find bears and books at our front door. I would get calls from people to pick up bears here and there. I was delighted to deal with a deluge of bears that will be sent out to Bicol. Our box was sent out last January 15 and will in Manila in time for the February Bearhugs for Bicol distribution.



Realizing all these resources and potential,I have been wanting to send the books to Philippine elementary schools in remote provinces where access is not easy. Inspired by Books for the Barrios, I knew that these books would need a guardian angel to be forwarded to Philippines, taken by boat, then by banca, then by truck or bus to a school that is only accessed by foot.



Praying for a connection, I chanced a show on ANC and found Synregeia.org--a group that laid down the foundation for encouraging Philippine local government units
to take responsibility,along with the community, in upgrading the basic education standards of their provice. In the show, Synergeia program coordinator Trissa Manalastas talked of teacher and parent training programs and how (because of synergy and cooperation with the LGU and DepEd) (PHP)P550 a YEAR can sponsor a child in remote Tawi-tawi, torn and displaced by war, to learn better reading and math skills.

I called Trissa and asked if she could bring books that I will send them to the schools. How wonderful that they had the access to move the books from Manila to the farthest province you can imagine, by air, by boat, by banca, and by truck, and then carried by 3 people up to the hilltops. The first batch of our books will go to 8 schools in the ARMM region: 2 in Tawi-tawi and 4 in Maguindanao.

I borrowed this picture from them to essay the condition of the schools in the most remote provinces in the Philippines, war-torn and neglected:



These conditions have moved me deeply because, by the way, that whole room is actually the whole elementary school--1st to 6th grades.

I am packing the books today. Books from friends, books I got in thrift stores or by standing outside of the county library when they do a clean-out. I realized the quality of these books when I know that many kids in the barrios have scarce reading materials--mostly on newsprint paper, mimeographed badly. These books I am packing are hard-bound, on white paper, with vivid colors, with dust covers. I am excited as I can actually feel the joy of the kids who will read these. I have come to meet with the UFAA (United Filipino Americans in Antioch) donated story books, chapter books, picture books.

When it is a win-win sitution, there is hardly any effort at all: connections are just made like miracles, the books will save landfill (and closet) space, and most of all, the books will be used by Filipino kids that badly need them. I can imagine the child examining the book cover, caressing the white pages, reading about other places, looking at big and colored pictures. . .

I am led to call my project: Candlelight Books, simply because there was a close-out sale on address labels with a candle design, that I can attach to all the books. Plus, the idea of the kids reading by candlelight, signifying how remote they are, is endearing to me. It remind me of hope and finding a way when we thought there was none.

You know it is God's gift when the timing is perfect, the people are generous and are so willing to cooperate, the end goal is simple but truthful and useful.

Candlelight Books is surely a gift from Him.

How can we change the world today?