In everyone’s life, some moments change it forever.
Sometimes it happens in ways and with people that one does not expect.
For me, it was on November 5, 2022, when I became a volunteer tutor for Project ALIBATA (Academic Literacy Integration through Basic Approach of Teaching of Self Awareness). A project organized by my local Rotaract Club—The Rotaract Club of Carmen Valley, in partnership with the University of Science and Technology in Southern Philippines- Technology Communications Management (USTP-TCM), to enhance the reading skills of the students from the Badjao community of St. John Elementary School in Puntod, Cagayan de Oro
I met Pol John – a grade 4 student at St. John Elementary School. I was assigned to be his tutor.
Compared to his peers, Pol Jon could only read at a slower pace, and he has difficulties understanding the texts. Despite these challenges, I have seen his sheer determination to learn and improve his reading skills.
Curious about what motivates him to go to school every day, I asked him what he wants to be when he becomes an adult. Enthusiastically, he responded to me and said that it’s because he wanted to become a police officer someday and to be able to help his community, especially his fellow Badjaos here in Cagayan de Oro. Taken aback by his response, I have realized that children like Pol John don’t just dream of something for themselves; they dream about becoming ones who can positively impact their friends, loved ones, and communities.
On November 26, 2022, Pol John was among our children-beneficiaries who have completed all four (4) sessions of Project ALIBATA this year. Although much is still needed to work on for him to be a proficient reader, the outcome of our tutorial sessions has been significant; he has become more aware of the proper pronunciation and correct meaning of words/texts. Not to mention the new words added to his vocabulary.
I may have taught Pol John a lesson or two to improve the pace of his reading and his reading comprehension, but, I think, Pol John was the one who taught and shown me what the word ‘Dedication’ is about — Doing our best to achieve something that is beyond ourselves despite the challenges that may come along our way.
Pol John’s dedication to learning made me think that doing well in school and life depends on much more than our ability to learn quickly and easily; it takes grit.
Just as how gritty Pol John is, we at the Rotaract Club must also be gritty about actively involving, collaborating, and cooperating in actions that will improve the quality of education of our young. Especially since we are still grappling with learning poverty that has been exacerbated by the closure of our schools in the last two (2) years due to COVID-19 Pandemic lockdowns.
According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank’s Joint Report entitled, “Where are We on Education Recovery?”, there are Seventeen (17) out of twenty (20) children in the Philippines who are having difficulties reading simple texts in large part due to the longest schools’ closure of more than 70 weeks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indeed, it is our moral duty to reach out and help them keep up with the basic yet essential skills they need in life.
After all, it takes a community to educate a child. Our role at the Rotaract Club in helping the “Pol Johns” in our respective communities have been pivotal, now more than ever.
We owe it to them that they get the quality education they deserve; we owe it to them that their dedication would not be put in vain; and we owe it to them that we support them with their dreams.
