scholarships

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who contributed to the Library! I was so proud to take the books that you sent. Great job on picking them out! The kids were excited. It was so fun to open an enormous suitcase full of books. Hands reached out to inspect them, and Jamailah started reading on the spot!

Now the students in the village have Webster’s English Dictionaries (a specific request) and a high quality Children’s Encyclopedia with a very impressive collection of sea creatures! These will definitely help kids with schoolwork. English is very important. Thanks to you, they also have picture books for the toddlers, every kind of children’s book you can imagine, and several classics. So tell your children thank you for parting with their books!

It was fun to take Mom to the village! In typical GK fashion, we were welcomed as family. They called us Momma Shannon and Momma Niki all day. Daddy Lucas (written on a sign for us) couldn’t make it. Jellyfish hives, we think. The kids were very disappointed. I got to meet the family who lives in a house that we helped paint. The mom fed me delicious fried bananas. Then we danced. That’s right. The kids sang the Gawad Kalinga song and did a routine to Nobody that would make the Wonder Girls proud. Next the ladies of the village pulled us (ok, mom jumped) onto the dance floor - the street between the homes.

I ate my first Star Apple while we got an update. Things are going well. The government has donated land for 200 homes. The mayor is very supportive of GK. Presently, there are around 40 houses built. Homes are awarded based on need to people who are homeless or landless. Beneficiaries have to help build the homes. There are around 3000 families in the area that qualify and are waiting for a home.

There are around 50 children in the village now, and all but a few are in school. My mom is working to find sponsors for 8 kids who want to go to high school but can’t afford it. Three young adults, Danilo, Melvin,and Jeramie, hope to start college in June. We started sponsoring Benjie and Delia last year, and they are doing very well. So Lucas and I have just created a scholarship program to get kids in college and help them succeed. If you want to sponsor a student with us, I'll tell you how it works. It's easy.

The village also needs a couple of laptops to share if you have one to donate. Education and computer skills will substantially help children in this village rise out of poverty. The college students will soon be able to support themselves and help their families if we can get them through school. I was given several scholarships and now I get to give a few. I'd love to do this with you. :)