REACHING OUT

I once wondered why this student often goes in and out of my class until one day he told me the reason: he had to drink water to fight against his hunger.

He has been skipping lunch for two weeks and to him drinking some water reduces the hunger pangs. Hearing his story, I realized just how cruel poverty is that it has indiscriminately devoured even the weakest among us.

One time I ran into another student curled up in the corner of the comfort room on the second floor. He was suffering from ulcers and could barely stand up. His classmate told me that he had always stayed there during lunch breaks. The next year, he quit school. Reality bites. While some of us were feasting on our food, wasting them away when we lost our appetite, some of our students were enduring the pain brought by an empty stomach.

As we sit comfortably in our cars, how many of our students have to bear walking a kilometer or two to reach the school or suspend themselves in a jeepney because their money is not enough for the fare? When “An Hour a Month Charity Fund Drive” or AHMCFD was introduced in October 2006, I just knew that it would go a long way. A simple e-mail plea from our Scholarships Officer for an hour of our monthly take-home pay to support these needy students prompted 21 staff members to respond. Whether they pledged P50 or P500 a month, it made a difference. It was overwhelming. The program encouraged the staff and even some students to take part in its cause to reach out to those who have less. The beneficiaries were assisted through meal or transportation allowance given on a daily basis. Prior to grant, the committee interviews the students and parents to check for veracity of the assistance needed. The program has helped seven students already since it started.

Said one: “I am far from my family and there are times that my allowance is delayed. I am thankful to God that there are generous persons who heartily share their grace to us.” The program however discourages the probability of dependency. But for now, it may be necessary to hand the fish over, just to save a student who may be the only hope to his family. In that way, he will have all the time to fill his mind with knowledge rather than fill it with worries on what to eat for lunch. Log on to http://www.cite.edu.ph/ for more of these stories