Building Children’s Dreams One Classroom at a Time

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AES student Classes at the stage
Picture 1: Mary Grace Arabis, Grade 4 student in Algeciras Elementary School Picture 2: CLASSES AT THE SCHOOL STAGE

 

Gusto kong maging isang guro paglaki ko. Tuturan kong magsulat at magbasa yung mahihirap na batang katulad ko. (When I grow up, I want to be a teacher. I’ll teach poor kids to read and write.)”, says Mary Grace Arabis, a 10 year-old Grade 4 student in Algeciras Elementary School.

Mary Grace is the eldest of five in her family living in Cabaon Island in Barangay Algeciras (Agutaya, Palawan) which is a 30-minute boat ride away from her school. “Kapag walang pasok, tumutulong ako sa tatay ko sa paghahanda ng semilya ng seaweeds bago itanim sa dagat.(During weekends, I usually help my father in preparing seaweed seedlings for planting.)”, she narrates. Seaweed planting is the main source of income in the islands within Quiniluban.

Last 2013, when Typhoon Yolanda hit the country, classrooms were damaged and until now they are yet to recover. “Kapag umuulan uusog lang kami sa bandang gitna ng stage para ‘di mabasa pero kung malakas talaga, pinapauwi na lang kami. (When it’s raining, we’ll have to move to the middle of the stageor worse,classes will be suspended).”, Mary Grace recounts.

AES Grade 4 students Classroom
Picture 3: High-spirited Grade 4 students in Algeciras Elementary School Picture 4: One-Classroom Building constructed in partnership with ICTSI Foundation

August 2015 – One of two Grade 4 sections are now holding classes in the newly constructed one-classroom building in Algeciras Elementary School. “Lahat kami napakasaya na may bago na kaming classroom. Palagi nga namin itong sinisilip kahit noong hindi pa gawa. (We are all glad that we have a new classroom. In fact, even when it’s not yet complete we would usually take a peek to see the progress.)”, she said.

Construction of an adjoining classroom is currently on-going for the other Grade 4 class. With the increase in number of students enrolling each year, Barangay Algeciras is most thankful to ASF and ICTSI Foundation for donating more classrooms to accommodate more students.