It is common in America to get new school supplies at the start of the new year. New books and new bags, new pencils and pens. There’s even a list that goes out to the students on what new things to buy for their teachers. Each and every student is expected to have all the supplies ready for them to learn from the first day of class in the fall. And each and every year, the pattern repeats itself until the students go to college and spend a lot more money on things that, arguably, most of them do not need.
The story is a little different for students in the Philippines. Because of the state that many children grow up in, many of them never touch new bags, new shoes, even new pencils. The idea of a new set of “school supplies” every year is strange to most of them. And so, when a child in the Philippines is given a new bag, new folder, new pencil, it’s a really big deal.
One of our founders, Rodeo Hernandez, who grew up as a student in the Philippines, would remark that, in order to fit in with the school dress code, he would “color his pink shoes black with a marker, and pray that it doesn’t rain that day”. It’s a funny but also sad story of the reality of students in 3rd world countries.
So with this in mind and the new school year approaching, we set out to provide 500+ primary school students with school bags and essential supplies, and hope to give them new optimism for their future.
Each bag contained notebooks, pencils, erasers, crayons, and other school supplies.
Aspire to Dream partnered with volunteers locally in 5 different locations with the supervision of our Mission coordinator Aileen Velasco. We distributed the new school supplies and bags to those selected students both elementary and high school depending on their school needs. We focus on areas that needed most namely, University village Lucena, Ilaya dalahican,Dulong Buhangin, Palitid Candelaria and Pahinga Candelaria.
We were determined to give away all 500 bags, and it seemed like a daunting task at first. But by the end of the journey, we wish that we had 10,000 more to give.
We all know that education is very important, but a broken down spirit can trample anyone. More than the physical tools to succeed, we hoped to give these students a newfound sense of support, belonging and belief in themselves, in their community, in their future, in God, and people around the world who love them - hundreds of mountains and rivers away.