“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” ~ Forest E. Witcraft
This quote will forever resonate with me. Our volunteers in the Philippines received over a hundred letters this past week from children dreaming to get an education, each one of them promising to study hard and get good grades. It makes me sad because I know the place of desperation they’re coming from – I’ve been there. I know the feeling of not knowing if I will be able attend the upcoming school year or not. I remember walking for miles, rain or shine, to attend school, many times hungry. As a child I often wondered if there is any good in this world, will God save me from poverty and why a simple goal of getting an education seems so unattainable. All I wanted to do as a child is go to school and to finish college. I wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, but my parents could not afford to send me to school. As a child I cleaned people’s houses, I washed dishes, I sold figurines to people, I sold food on the street, babysat, and washed people’s laundry so I have money to buy supplies for school. Most of my childhood memories are infused with a sense of constant desperation – “we have no money to buy food”. In spite of the difficulties, obstacles, and discouragement somehow I made it!
Sadly, thousands of Filipino children are not as lucky. So many of them are not going to attend school this year because their family’s total earnings are barely enough to buy food, so there is no money left for things like clothes and shoes, a toothbrush, pens or pencils, and other small items we use daily, often without realizing their true value. According to UNICEF one billion children are deprived of one or more services essential to survival and development and two million Filipino children are currently not in school. In response to this need Children’s Hope Fund is launching a Back 2 School Backpack Drive. School year in the Philippines begins the second week of June; we are collecting school supplies, gently used children’s storybooks, picture books, backpacks, gently used clothes and toys for preschool to 6th grade level. Our goal is to help over 300 in-need children be ready and able to attend school. Please support our Back 2 School Backpack Drive. For as little as $20.00 you can give a child a head start toward a better future by helping them get an education. Please show your support for these children and join us in reaching out to underprivileged kids in the Philippines.
