Opened only on Saturdays, the children's community library in Baranggay Paltok has been a highlight of the children in the area.
The kids are most eager, lining up early, for the story-telling sessions, and of course, to browse the many colored picture books:
I will try to find out how we can send them more books for their library.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Synergeia Receives Books
Thank you, Candlelight Books!
It was a sunny day on July 18 when members of the South Upi Project Management Team (PMT) went to Cotabato City to receive a back-to-school present from Candlelight Books, USA. The drive from South Upi to Cotabato took 4 hours of travel on rough terrain but the trip was well worth it for 250 colorful and nearly-brand-new storybooks were waiting for new homes in the municipality’s elementary schools. The books were a gift from Candlelight Books, an initiative run by Ms. Minotte Cuenca from California, USA, to bring storybooks and learning materials to needy communities in the Philippines.
Colored story and picture books from Antioch, California donors and neighbors.
The members of the PMT were very pleased when the big balikabayan box revealed an assortment of books, pictures and even toys for storytelling. They were very excited especially since the need for such materials was raised to Synergeia during the teachers’ training held in April. Synergeia informed the group that unlike the first shipment of books, all Candlelight Books donations were sent to one municipality for this batch - to achieve scale and wider impact.
Children reading their local mimeographed textbooks.
The PMT held a meeting to discuss the mechanics of the storybook distribution. They decided to prioritize schools that already have existing mini-libraries to ensure that the books will be utilized and be maintained properly. Timaan Central School received 114 books while Pandan Elementary School received 130 books.
Students were very happy when the books were brought to class for reading sessions. Their eyes were bright with wonder upon seeing brightly colored pictures and reading about stories from other lands. Teachers expressed their deepest thanks to Candlelight Books and Synergeia, for providing them with these materials.
The PMT looks forward to helping the rest of the 31 elementary schools in South Upi to put up their own reading corners and libraries, with the support of partners.
Existing library at South Upi School in Mindanao--mimeographed, old and uninteresting reading material
South Upi, a fourth class municipality in the province of Maguindanao, is one of the newly opened programs of Synergeia in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). There are 1,312 grade one pupils in the municipality participating in a Synergeia reading program, which is supported by Telengtan Foundation. Half of the town is located along the coastal areas while the other half are locate in upland communities. Because of this topography, children have to travel several kilometers everyday to go to school. 90% of classes are multi-grade, meaning students from grades 1 to 3 are grouped in one class, as with grades 4 to 6. In an assessment examination, 9 out of 10 pupils can only read 3 out of 10 words correctly.
*Alvin Palao, Site Coordinator, South Upi, Maguindanao
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Leaving with Books
My husband, Ricky, leaves for Manila today. He brings with him hope, optimism for a good project in the Philippines, and some books for Synergeia--to be brought to the elementary school provinces in the Philippines.
Many thanks to all our donors, this time to Ruby and Ed. They sent a lot of young boys' books: Goosebumps, Pokemon, science books, classics. It has become quite obvious that Ed's boys are very well read. Congratulations and more power!
Ricky will take the books in personally. It is my dream to one day bring the books to the children myself. Meantime, I am excited to receive pictures soon. . .
Also, don't forget, there will be an Antioch Library Book Sale this Friday from noon til 6 p.m.See you there!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Books delivered to our porch
I would like to acknowledge our donors, Devin, Logan, and Mikayla, and mom Christina, for their usual kindness and generosity.
Congratulations for having these beautiful books once.
Many thanks! Rest assured, these precious books will reach the children in the Philippines, who have no access to colored picture books like these.
Look what they brought in:
Congratulations for having these beautiful books once.Many thanks! Rest assured, these precious books will reach the children in the Philippines, who have no access to colored picture books like these.
Kids on my Mind
I am excited to ship out a new box by end of September. I can imagine the faces of the many children who will get a new book to read. . .
It's not too late! Just keep sending me your used children's story books. I will send another box out in January, too!
Monday, September 3, 2007
What Are Books Without the Light?
Rolex Laureate 2002 award-winning electrical engineer Dave Irvine-Halliday is a man with a mission: bringing light to homes, schools, and temples throughout the developing world.
In 1997, at a colleague’s invitation, electrical engineer Dave Irvine-Halliday spent his sabbatical leave from Canada’s University of Calgary in Nepal, helping the University of Tribhuvan in Kathmandu launch its electrical engineering degree.
(David Irvine-Halliday)
While there, he took a side trip into the heart of the Himalayas, on a trek along the Annapurna Circuit. Along the way, he visited a small village where he noticed that children were forced to study in the dark—or more likely, were not able to study at all—after the sun went down because there was no electricity.
Irvine-Halliday saw the light in his mission. If you were his wife, would you allow him to pour your family’s entire life savings, and the maximum limit on three credit cards into an organization that would Light Up the World?
Yes! Apparently, you would!
Working from his lab at the University of Calgary, he devised a plan for bringing low-cost lighting to villages without any reliable power supply: He would create energy with a pedal-powered generator, a hydro generator, or solar panels, then run lines into homes and connect them to low-energy (LED)lamps. In 1999, Irvine-Halliday went back to Nepal with his wife and one of his two grown sons to try out his idea. It worked.
By the end of 2001, Irvine-Halliday’s rechargeable, battery-powered, white LED cluster lamps were illuminating more than 700 homes, schools and other community buildings in remote villages in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
Today’s high-brilliance, white LED lamps can light a Nepalese village of 60 households consuming the same amount of energy as a single 100-watt light bulb in a Canadian home.
Light Up The World is not only donating light to the very poorest, but is also promoting job creation and assuring long-term viability for the project.Irvine-Halliday founded, financed, and turned-over Pico Power Nepal, a LED manufacturing firm, to Nepalese locals to ensure its sustainability and to generate employment and income in the area.
The average "one-time" cost of equipping a home with lighting is set to fall below $40. Not to mention the environmental benefits the system has versus the 300 million batteries discarded in Nepal each year, makes for truly a brighter alternative.
Light from kerosene lamps is poor, inefficient and unsafe. Toxic fumes inhaled because of close proximity to the lamp cause respiratory illness. Kerosene lamps also cause many fire catastrophes, burning both homes and bodies.
]
Check out the countries Light Up the World Foundation has impacted here.
Irvine-Halliday defines his success in his interview:
How can we change the world today?
In 1997, at a colleague’s invitation, electrical engineer Dave Irvine-Halliday spent his sabbatical leave from Canada’s University of Calgary in Nepal, helping the University of Tribhuvan in Kathmandu launch its electrical engineering degree.
(David Irvine-Halliday)While there, he took a side trip into the heart of the Himalayas, on a trek along the Annapurna Circuit. Along the way, he visited a small village where he noticed that children were forced to study in the dark—or more likely, were not able to study at all—after the sun went down because there was no electricity.
Irvine-Halliday saw the light in his mission. If you were his wife, would you allow him to pour your family’s entire life savings, and the maximum limit on three credit cards into an organization that would Light Up the World?
Yes! Apparently, you would!
Working from his lab at the University of Calgary, he devised a plan for bringing low-cost lighting to villages without any reliable power supply: He would create energy with a pedal-powered generator, a hydro generator, or solar panels, then run lines into homes and connect them to low-energy (LED)lamps. In 1999, Irvine-Halliday went back to Nepal with his wife and one of his two grown sons to try out his idea. It worked.
By the end of 2001, Irvine-Halliday’s rechargeable, battery-powered, white LED cluster lamps were illuminating more than 700 homes, schools and other community buildings in remote villages in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
Today’s high-brilliance, white LED lamps can light a Nepalese village of 60 households consuming the same amount of energy as a single 100-watt light bulb in a Canadian home.
Light Up The World is not only donating light to the very poorest, but is also promoting job creation and assuring long-term viability for the project.Irvine-Halliday founded, financed, and turned-over Pico Power Nepal, a LED manufacturing firm, to Nepalese locals to ensure its sustainability and to generate employment and income in the area.
The average "one-time" cost of equipping a home with lighting is set to fall below $40. Not to mention the environmental benefits the system has versus the 300 million batteries discarded in Nepal each year, makes for truly a brighter alternative.
Light from kerosene lamps is poor, inefficient and unsafe. Toxic fumes inhaled because of close proximity to the lamp cause respiratory illness. Kerosene lamps also cause many fire catastrophes, burning both homes and bodies.
]
Check out the countries Light Up the World Foundation has impacted here.
Irvine-Halliday defines his success in his interview:
"I suppose success is when the 2 billion people in the world presently without any electricity of any sort actually have some form of safe, healthy, and affordable lighting. . .Light the Wolrd has refocused my life. I am turning 60 and this, without a doubt, is the next chapter in my life."
How can we change the world today?
Thursday, August 30, 2007
First Book.Com
I came across an interesting site: First Books--giving children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. They are also coordinated with many publishing companies like
Random House, who has donated $1 Million Dollars to First Books.
"As publishing professionals who spend our days surrounded by and immersed in books, it is difficult to imagine a world without them," Random House chairman Peter Olson said in a statement.
How wonderful to know that books will always be shared and that publishing giants such as Random House care for those who have no access to books.
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