Scholars Replicate TPEF’s Development Work

Transforming the dilapidated day care center in Barangay Mayabay in Daram town took several days of volunteer work by eight Samar-based scholars and seven other individuals.

From December 21 to 24 and 26, the scholars’ group, composed of Jeric Barredo, Novalyn Abasula, Carmelito Danday Jr., Angelica Dacallos, Joe Neil Gamba, Gladys Lozano, Wynell Salentes and Jaykee Tiquillo and local volunteers cleaned the learning center and painted the classroom’s desks, walls, and rooftops. With the help of some carpenters in the community, they also installed a new door and repaired windows, which prior to the outreach, only had bamboo strips that were permanently fixed.

Before and after the improvement of the day care center

They also provided the day care center with badly needed school items and learning materials like pencils, colored pencils, bond papers, colored papers, toys, charts, alphabet stickers, educational puzzles, and chalkboard. During the renovation, they noted that several children watched them work. They decided to organize educational games for the children, done by the assigned scholars. They also provided some snacks to 45 children, ages ranging from three to seven years old, and prizes for the games’ participants.

Samar-based scholars and volunteers repaint Brgy. Mayabay Day Care Center in Daram Island, Samar

Volunteers organize educational games to children

The Community Outreach Project (COP) is a collective effort by TPEF scholars every year starting 2013. They decided to hold it in 2016 in Samar, and elected scholars to spearhead the said project. Aside from their personal donations, they solicited support from other individuals and friends. The Samar-based scholars also organized a carolling within the community to generate additional funds to buy construction materials for the day care center improvement.

Scholar-cadet gives back

Ernie John Ibo, (seated, 7th from left) with the schoolchildren and his family during the outreach

On December 26, 2016, Ernie John Ibo, a scholar from the rural area and currently a deck cadet at Torm shipping vessel did something very memorable in his life. Together with his family, they sponsored a gift-giving activity to 40 indigent children in Barangay Calabawan, Ginatilan, Cebu. Around 15 girls and 25 boys, ranging from five to 12 years old, received foods, goods, and school items.

With the growing population and poverty Ernie John witnessed in his community, he knew and felt what it was like to have nothing especially during Christmas season. He was just like those kids before. Such feeling, upon arriving home from working as cadet, pushed him to pursue such project. His aunts’ advises to do something charitable further reinforced his out-reach plan. From his saved allowance on board, and contributions of his siblings, parents, relatives and students of his aunt teacher, the outreach was made possible and had been successful. As he shared, “it was a nice feeling to give something to those in need.”