All My Bags Are Packed!

After riding a tricycle, then transferring to a jeepney, walking to the LRT station, and squeezing myself into the very full first car of the train, and alighting at Abad Santos station, I found myself in very very unfamiliar territory, I was scared!

Muscling my way through a crowd of rowdy tricycle drivers jockeying for passengers in the same way plastic bag vendors at the main entrance of Gaisano Main do in Bacolod, I bravely crossed the street and waited for my contact, Ate Joji.

She arrived after 5 minutes, bearing a huge sando bag. And inside that sando bag are treasures! First up, backpacks for our second-graders: 

Sports bags for our fourth-graders:

Tote bags for our fifth and sixth graders:

And together with the first batch of action heroes and cartoon character backpacks:

they're all packed and ready to go to Bacolod - all 10 kilos of them, my entire free baggage allocation! lol.

It's not gonna be long now...

Kids Data

Finally, after a long wait, accurate and updated data about the kids are on hand. I first requested for this data on the same day the project was conceptualized, but I only got it yesterday, courtesy of the social worker assigned to the home. 

Gender, Age and Grade Level Distribution are below: 

Armed with this data, I should now be able to accurately prepare the care packages for the kids!

Progress Report

I know, I know... I could have done this in Excel in just a few clicks but there's nothing like an old-fashioned hand written chart to show you where we are on our project.

 

I'll be happy when this chart is filled with check marks; that means supplies are complete and care packages are ready for distribution.  Can't wait!

Partial Supplies Now On Hand

Everybody seems to think that Baclaran is one of the best places to go for the most affordable stuff. Funny, it did not seem that way yesterday! 

From the moment I stepped off that pedestrian bridge off Taft Avenue, my eyes were on the lookout for stalls with school supplies and took note of their prices. Mind you, my first priority yesterday was the schoolbags, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to know the current prevailing prices of the other supplies I needed for our care packages.

I went to 3 different buildings along Taft Avenue, checking and comparing prices. Even on the streets, I was doing the same. One thing puzzled me: all the stalls I checked were selling school supplies at prices higher than that of SM and National Bookstore. 

Case in point: a box of Mongol #2 was selling for about php66 at NBS and around a few pesos difference at SM, but at Baclaran, it was selling for php70, with the lady telling me it's Original! duh! I found an online wholesaler who sells it for about php55 only! 

As mentioned before, I have made some online research and comparison as to current prices, so at least I had some inkling as to how much the items I needed cost. My best option at this point was to go with the online seller who can also deliver the items to my house, at no extra cost - which eliminates the hassle of me lugging the supplies around, and taking a cab from the market place to the house. 

With that, I had no intentions of buying the supplies in Baclaran at this time and so headed home after I got the schoolbags. After grabbing lunch and watching Star Trek Into Darkness at SM Bicutan, the heat was still oppressive and so I decided to kill time at National Bookstore. 

Surprise surprise, I found items that were most affordable there compared to other places. I got the following from NBS: pencil cases, sharpeners, erasers, plastic rulers, art paper sets, plastic envelopes and writing pads for Grades 3 and 4 and a couple of writing notebooks for our Grade 3 student (not worth buying in bulk as we only have 1 to 2 kids at this level). 

 

 The scissors I got from Office Warehouse seeing they were within my budget range and the ones at NBS were not. Below is a snapshot of what I have procured so far... 

All in all, I would say yesterday was a productive day. I am now checking prices from the online wholesaler and will be ordering the rest of the supplies from her, if prices are good.

Bags Bags and Bags

Yesterday was a tiring, yet very exciting day!

Having received funds for about 2/3 of the pledges, I went to Baclaran to look for school bags for the littlest kids. Days before, I have been browsing the web for designs and prices, so I already had an idea of what I wanted and how much I was willing to spend for it. I had the number of kids I needed to buy bags for, but I didn't know how many were girls and how many were boys. Days before also, I sent a text message to the social worker assigned to the home to ask for that particular info, but by the time I was at Baclaran, I have not yet received a reply. 

So at Baclaran, having found a vendor with the bags I wanted, I settled down to choose the designs, and had initially thought of getting 6 for girls and 6 for the boys. But I was still uneasy because what if there were more boys than girls, or vice versa? I wouldn't want a boy to use a pink Dora bag! 

To ease my mind, I decided to call up the social worker then and there. Alas, no answer! So I chatted with the saleslady while she was unearthing other designs she hoped I might like. After about 15 minutes, I dialed again, and luckily this time, the social worker answered. 

There was a slight change in the numbers and out of the 15 kids from Nursery, Kinder, Prep and Grade 1, only 2 were girls and all the rest were boys. Armed with that number, I went back to Ate Saleslady, more confident this time.

I would like to think I had divine help that day. 

Initially, the saleslady quoted php220 for the bags, to which I said I couldn't afford them. I told her I couldn't spend more than php150 for the bags, so she showed me the littlest versions. She quoted php180 for them, and after haggling, agreed to drop them to php140. Over small talk, I mentioned the bags were for the kids of the home, and without prodding from me, she again dropped the price to php120, AND upgraded them to the next larger size! How cool is that? 

 

My loot from Baclaran:

3 Thomas and Friends

3 Ben 10

3 Cars

4 Spiderman

1 Hello Kitty

1 Dora The Explorer

*in different colors and these bags are Made in Bulacan, a better version than the ones made in China, according to Ate Saleslady

Too bad I was not able to get a picture of Ate Saleslady. Nevertheless, a big thank you to Ate for her generosity. Her stall location is etched into my mind already - right near the church, in one of the eskinitas to the right, facing Roxas Boulevard. When we need more bags for future projects, I assured her I will go back to her store.

Target Reached!

Thanks to very generous sponsors who also wish to remain anonymous, we have now reached our target of 30!

Once again, thank you very very much to our Angels who have not hesitated in supporting this project. I am very excited and for sure, the kids are, too!

I had initially planned to give out the care packages on June 15, but with the rate we're going, it looks like we may be able to give them out before the end of the month, just in time for when school starts on June 3.

I will be sure to post updates as they happen, and will also post pictures of the care packages, the home and the kids, and of course, our gift-giving activity.

I am so excited I just can't hide it, lol.

Grade Level Distribution of the Kids

Below is the data to show how many schoolchildren are at which grade level in school: 

 

This will help us prepare the exact materials they need, as each level may be slightly different from the next. I hope to receive gender distribution next, and if possible, the names as well; this will help us personalize the care packages.

I have just received donations for 11 care packages, from donors who wish to remain anonymous. Thank you very much for your support.

For those who have pledged their support, please send in your donations now, or as soon as you can, so we can start preparing the care packages. 

For those who have not pledged yet, please do so now. We still need sponsors for 7 kids. 

23 Down, 7 More To Go!

I am very happy to report that as of today, I have received 23 pledges to support this project. This means that we only need 7 more pledges to reach our target of 30 Education Care Packages for the schoolchildren of the Senor Sto. Nino Home in Taculing, Bacolod City! 

I had initially planned to distribute the care package on June 15, 2013, but I just learned that classes will start on June 3 instead. If donations are sent early and we're able to complete all 30 packages early, we should be able to distribute them immediately. No sense in waiting for June 15 when everything is ready already; this way, the kids will have their things when school starts.

Only 7 more to go!

Each care package costs php500 only, and will contain school supplies for elementary schoolchildren: 

I am calling those who want to and are willing to help. Please help to reach our target of 30 by pledging your support now. After all, we only need 7 more!

What are you waiting for? Contact me to learn more how to contribute to this project!

30 Schoolchildren in Residence

Earlier this evening I spoke to Amie, the social worker-relative who helped to introduce (virtual introduction since technically, I have not met any of the kids yet) me to the kids of the Senor Sto. Nino Home, and kick start this project. I have given her a list of questions to better understand the needs of the kids, and she has very kindly contacted the directress of the home to get the answers: 

1. What are the age brackets of the kids in residence? 
Officially, the home is only supposed to take care of kids aged below 1 year old up to 5 years old. The kids are open to adoption wherever possible, but due to challenges in placement, the home is still "home" to kids older than 5 years old. 
 
2. How many schoolchildren are currently in residence? 
At this time, about 30 of all the kids in residence are going to school.

3. What are the age and gender distribution, and grade level of the kids? 
Info to follow. The elderly directress was not familiar with the exact data and we will need to coordinate with another social worker assigned to the home to get the details. 

4. Which school do these kids go to? 
Info to follow.

5.Which congregation runs and manages the home? 
The home is managed by the sisters from BVMC or Blessed Virgin Missionaries of Carmel.

I am targeting a minimum of 30 care packages for this project. In the event that we are able to produce more than that, the sisters are also supporting schoolchildren from impoverished families in a squatter area at Airport Subdivision. We can share any extra care packages with those schoolchildren then. 

I have also requested for photos of the home, and of the children, if possible - though we may have to blur the faces  of the kids. Hopefully Amie can get the pictures for us soon. Amie is assigned to another facility and she is doing all these for us, on top of her current responsibilities - thank you Amie! Hopefully, Amie can contact the social worker actually assigned to the home, so I can deal with her directly, and not bother Amie about all these questions anymore; she has enough on her plate already. 

Labels and Tags

All the books that will be given to the kids will be tagged with sticker labels exactly like the one below. Note that the labels will be placed on the inside front cover of the books, as shown below: 

Meanwhile, a note exactly like the one below will be included in all care packages: 

The note will serve dual purposes:
1. Identify for which grade level the care package is for. 
2. Identify the donor. Note that only first names will be indicated, as well as the general area where the donor is based from.

In some outreach programs I have seen and read about, the donor normally receives a small item as a token of appreciation. Please understand however, that as much as possible, I want all donations to go to the kids, less whatever incidental or logistical expenses incurred, if any at all. 

I have been thinking however, that since all care packages will be tagged with donor names, we can take pictures of the kids when they receive their packages - either individually or as a group - and send that over to the donors via electronic mail. I was also informed that normally, the nuns encourage the kids to write thank you notes. Maybe we can go that route instead. Please feel free to suggest other ideas as well.
 

Grade 1 Care Package

It's actually very very different to visualize something and actually have that something on hand. In a previous post, I have posted a picture of how I visualized the care package. Remember this? 

 

I had about 30 minutes before the movie Iron Man 3 was scheduled to start, and since I wasn't worried about getting a good seat having heard from the cinema attendants that there were not that many people watching anymore because 1, the movie is on its second week now, and 2, because it was a Tuesday, I went to National Bookstore to browse around and get a feel of the current prices of school supplies for elementary kids. 

Initially, I just wanted to look at the prices, but after a few minutes of going around the store, I kept forgetting the prices. I did not want to list down the prices without buying anything, as most stores frown upon that kind of behavior. Finally I decided to pick up the items that were on my preliminary list, and ended with these: 

 After dropping by Booksale for the children's books, and SM Department Store for a toy, I arranged everything and ended up with this:

The care package includes all items on the list below. I have also indicated the prices of all items in the package to give you an idea of how much it cost. Do note however, that all items were bought from National Bookstore, Booksale and SM Department Store's Toy Kingdom. If these were bought from wholesale places like Divisoria or Baclaran, we can easily expect the prices to go down by as much as 20-30%.

So please make your pledge now, and send in your donations. Vendors and stores tend to jack up their prices the closer we are to the start of the school year, so the earlier we are able purchase the supplies, the less expensive they are - the better for the kids!

First Batch of Children's Books

Booksale is like a second home to me. No visit to the mall is complete without me dropping by to browse their stocks, and it's very very rare for me to leave the store without buying anything. 

So after watching Iron Man 3 this afternoon, I dropped by Booksale at SM Bicutan. I saw a sign that said children's books were on sale, from php35 up. I tried looking for books that cost just php35 but all I saw were books priced from php60 up. So I asked the sales lady and she helped me look for them. Turned out, there were A LOT of children's books priced below php35. I was excited, woot woot! 

 While the saleslady was digging around for more books, I sat down on the floor... yes on the floor (lol) to do my own digging. Between the two of us, we must have unearthed about 50 books. Since I was running low on cash then, I focused on whatever I could get with whatever cash I had with me that time. I ended up with 22 books, 12 of them hardbound. 

Can you guess how much all these 22 books cost? You'd be surprised at the amount, lol. All of these books are in English, and deal with a variety of topics. Most of them are illustrated story books, while some are educational - dealing with the alphabet, pronunciation, history, rock collecting and many more. I am sure the kids will love these books, all the more because they're getting them for free!

Once I start receiving contributions, I will scour all the other Booksale stores in my immediate area. If my luck continues, we should be able to include more than 1 book in each care package.

So what are you waiting for? Pledge to sponsor a care package now, and send in your donations!

How / Where To Send Your Pledges In

Pending further understanding (and demand, if any) of the PayPal option, please see below for ways to send in your pledges and contributions: 

1. Bank Deposit: BPI has no inter-branch deposit fee within the Philippines, while Chinabank charges php50 as deposit fee (the Chinabank account is based in Makati, at the main office); no charges if deposit is made within Metro Manila.

 

2. Money Transfer: Please visit each company's web site to learn more about their money transfer service. 

Western Union: http://www.westernunion.ph/info/faqMTLocation.asp
LBC: http://www.lbcexpress.com/ph/Services

Remember, you can sponsor as many "care packages" as you want. You are only limited by your generosity; after all, this is for a good cause: bringing smiles to the children of the City of Smile! 

Please send in your contributions preferably before the end of the month, so we will have enough time to prepare the care packages. 

Thank you in advance for all your help! 

Initial Feedback and Reactions

First off, thank you to those who have responded positively to this initiative. Your support and contributions are very much appreciated. 

When I first started sending out the "solicitation" letters, a friend suggested adding PayPal* as an option to encourage donations from friends based abroad. We discussed the nitty gritty of using PayPal -- the monthly charge and processing fee, the charge for transferring funds into a bank account before it can be withdrawn, etc. Taking all those charges into consideration, a php500 donation means that the project will only receive php465! A donor will have to send in about php520 for the project to receive php500.  

I was also worried that documentation and registration from the SEC will be required, but seeing that this is a personal endeavor (albeit with the support of friends and relatives) and that we are not (yet) approaching corporate sponsors, I think we do not need to involve SEC at this time yet. I will need to research this further to make sure we are not ignoring and violating any laws.

As mentioned previously, this is the first project of its kind I am coordinating and taking personal responsibility for. I have a lot of ideas for succeeding projects in the future, but until Project: Education Care Package is done and is deemed a success, they will remain ideas. I do not want to bite off more than I can chew at this time.

*Thank you to Jinoe for enlightening me about PayPal.

The Education Care Package, Visualized!

I have been trying to visualize how the care package will look like, so I just took pictures of items that I want to place in the package, and this is what I got: 

I know, I know... it's a very rough picture, but I hope it will give you an idea of what the kids will be receiving. I am trying to concentrate on the most basic items they will need! If you think there are other items that should be included, please let me know.

Initially, to keep costs down, I thought of putting everything in a sturdy plastic envelope, which can serve two purposes: storage, as well as pseudo-school bag. But I have also been browsing some online shops to check if there affordable but durable school bags available. I've come across some school bags that can be had for less than one hundred pesos, but quality is dubious. So for now, it will have to be the plastic envelope. 

I am waiting to hear back about the actual demographics - age group and grade level at school -  of the current residents at the home.  We don't wanna be giving a 3rd Grader writing pads for Grade 1, do we now? lol. I hope to have that information available next week. 

I've also been checking out sources for the books that I want to include. Booksale has some nice pre-owned and unused children's books for 35 pesos and up. National Bookstore also has it's own series of illustrated Tagalog books in the same price range, but I might find more affordable ones in Divisoria. Too bad the Tutuban Mall burned down months ago; it could have been an alternate source of affordable supplies. 

I've been having second thoughts about including a toy in the care package, as it might bring the cost up, plus we have to be careful about the kind, type and make of the toy we're giving out, lest they become a health-hazard -- which we do not want at all cost! We want to help, not harm! I guess it will depend on the demographics of the current residents - if there are more school children there, then we focus on the school supplies. If not, we might just have enough budget to include a toy in the package. I will surely keep you posted and will share more information as soon as they are received.        

Project: Education Care Package - A Call for Help

Hello my friend,

Hope this letter finds you well. 

Dr. Jose Rizal once said, "The youth is the hope of our fatherland." But if our youth is not educated, what then will become of our hope? 

I can never forget my mother saying this to us over and over again: "Study hard and finish school. Your father and I have no riches to pass on to you, except your education. Properties can be sold, but your education is something that will never be stolen from you." With that said, education is, and will forever be, my main advocacy in life. 

The Senor Sto. Nino Home in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City aims to provide safe shelter to the city's abandoned, orphaned and neglected kids, ranging in age from less than a year old to about 10 years old. At any given time, there are about 30-50 kids in residence. As an NGO, the home is run by nuns and is always in need of support from kind-hearted citizens. The focus will always be basic necessities, that additional help to provide the kids with basic school supplies is always welcome.

I, therefore, am calling on your generosity to support Project: Education Care Package, and humbly asking for your help in sponsoring an Education Care Package that will provide one child the school supplies he will need at the start of the year, plus a book and a toy - all for the small amount of php500 per care package. You may sponsor as many as you want, as we aim to provide 30-50 care packages by June 15, 2013. 

Please feel free to visit my blog I Care For Bacolod (http://icareforbacolod.blogspot.com), to learn more about how this initiative came to be. If and when you decide to support this initiative, please let me know so I can provide you further details as to how you can send your contributions in. 

They say charity begins at home. Let's start by supporting our own, and hope that somehow, our little contribution can start them on the path to gaining an education, and help them build better lives for themselves in the future.

Sincerely Yours, 
Rhea
Proud Bacolodnon

Project: Education Care Package - The Rough Plan

Taking inspiration from the Project Shoe Box of the Philippine Army, and the care packages sent to the US troops on  active duty, I decided to call this initiative: Project: Education Care Package. 

The goal is to:

Prepare, deliver and distribute 30-50 Education Care Packages for the kids at the Senor Sto. Nino Home in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City by June 15, 2013, at the latest. 

What will be included in the "care packages"?
The care packages will include basic school supplies for kids in Kinder, Prep and Elementary: notebooks, writing pads, pencils, erasers and pencil case, crayons, long and short bond papers, colored papers, long and short brown envelopes, long and short file folders, scissors, glue, ruler, a small book and a toy for the littlest ones. 

Amie has promised to help link me up with the folks over at Senor Sto. Nino Home once the care packages are ready. I also plan to involve the Indians - nephews and nieces, with the parents' permission of course - by asking them to help in preparing the packages, and joining the actual gift-giving, so that they can be exposed to charity at an early stage, learn to appreciate what they have, and to never take things for granted. 

I was also told that while the kids will be happy to receive any and all gifts and donations, they would be happier still if a small party can also be arranged even if we only serve dirty ice cream from the Mamang Sorbetero.

So what's the plan?
1. Ask and solicit donations from friends and relatives here and abroad.
2. Prepare the care packages. 
3. Gather the Indians and distribute the care packages. 
4. Have fun.  


I have made initial inquiries online as to how much the school supplies will cost, and have deduced that php500 should be enough for the school supplies, book and toy. Divisoria remains to be the best place where we can get these supplies at rock bottom prices. Any extra funds remanining after completing the care packages, can be used to prepare a small party for the kids. 


What's the timetable? 
As much as possible, I want to distribute the packages in early June 2013, in time for the opening of classes.

How can you help?
Your contribution of php500 can provide a child with the basic school supplies he will need to start the school year off and start him on his way to getting an education. You can sponsor as many care packages as you want.

Who?

At this point, the "WHO" question remains unanswered. 

Fast forward to May 1, 2013, over lunch at Choice Buffet, an eat-all-you-can style restaurant along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City, specializing in authentic Korean and Japanese cuisine.

I learned that Amie, Ming - Ming's wife, who used to work for the Capuchin Sisters in Cabug, now works for the Department of Social Services and Development in Bacolod City. She is a licensed Social Worker currently in-charge of the city's youth endorsed to government organizations for additional support  - assessing and evaluating them and even visiting them in their far-flung barangays to check on them and report on their progress. 

All throughout that 2-hour lunch, while grilling our food at the table, we talked about her cases, about the current situation of the facilities in charge of taking care of our dear city's abandoned, orphaned and neglected kids and teens.

Amie mentioned that several houses / facilities have been set up all over the city to take care of these children, yet the budget provided by the city is not enough to provide for even just the basic needs of these children and teenagers. At the home for adolescents and teenagers for instance, basic hygiene practices are not strictly observed due to the lack of soap and shampoo, toothpaste, laundry soap and sanitary pads. At the homes for toddlers and young children, basic school supplies are sorely needed, to enable the youngsters to attend school and gain basic education. 

Between the home for the teenagers and the toddlers and young kids, the toddlers won because of the emphasis for education. As my parents always said during the years when we were in school: "Your education is the only legacy we can leave you; it is something that nobody will be able to steal from you. It will not matter even if we have to go into debt to pay your tuition; the important thing is for you to  graduate from college."

With that reminder still ringing in my ears as if it was spoken only yesterday, I decided to work on collecting "Education Care Packages" and delivering them to the children of the Senor Sto. Nino Home in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City.

Project Shoe Box

Soon after watching the Report Card docu, I started thinking of ways to help. 

I thought about sending those children using leaves and charcoal, real pens and papers, but soon realized that a lot of people have the same idea, especially after seeing the documentary. I also thought about sending a cash donation over to the Kapuso Foundation - which I quickly scrapped as being too generic. 

One idea that I really really liked was the Project Shoe Box supported by our soldiers, of all people.  The initial plan was to collect 1000 shoe boxes and fill these with school supplies for children in some of the poorest parts of Southern Luzon. In the end, they collected enough supplies for 15 thousand elementary students, thanks to individual and corporate donations. 

And so the idea was born: fill a box with school supplies!

The next question was: who should benefit? 

I thought about those schools already mentioned in the documentaries I've seen - but quickly realized that other people who have seen them may have also contributed already. I want it to be somewhere not too far, that I will be able to join and witness first hand the gift-giving activity. But I didn't have any contacts who can help me get in touch with the right people.

Report Card

Months ago I came across a documentary from GMA-7 titled: Report Card | Ang Antas ng Edukasyon sa Pilipinas, hosted by Dingdong Dantes and Mike Enriquez - originally shown on July 31, 2011. 

Over time, I have also seen other documentaries that focus on education here in the Philippines, and below are just some of the stories that captured my heart: 

: a teenage girl working as a fish hauler in the fish ports of Manila in the early hours of the morning, then goes to regular high school during the day

: a teenage boy in the province braving the raging currents of the river and crossing it using the inner tube of an old tire, just so he can attend school at the other side of the river

: children cutting and dividing pencils so that each kid will have his own

: children and teachers alike, walking for miles each day, rain or shine, just to reach the only school in the area

: children and teachers setting up a classroom under a tree, because the plywood that used to cover their classroom was used to create a coffin for a villager who died recently

: children and teachers alike, crossing a precarious rope bridge strung across a river, just to reach the school at the other side

But the story that struck me the most was about those students gathering banana and other large leaves to be used as paper, with charcoal as their pens. 

Here I was collecting metallic and other specialty pens - 

I never leave home without a Pilot G-Tec pen which costs php75 a piece - and yet there are children who had to scrounge around their stoves for leftover charcoal that they can use as pens.

Aside from collecting pens, I am also fond of collecting notebooks, especially journal types and those made with high-grade paper. Whenever I am stressed, I would go to National Bookstore or Uncle Bill or SM Office Supplies Section and just browse around and look at the pens, paper, pins, notebooks and office supplies, and my stress level would automatically go down. My office supply stash at home resembled that of a large office -- supplies that I have since shared with friends and relatives. 

Watching the Report Card documentary brought tears to my eyes and made me feel guilty for over/indulging my wants, but at the same time, made me want to take action to help out those kids who still strive to continue their education despite all the challenges surrounding them. 

But how?