News from the Philippines

Sunmmer break is over for the children in the Philippines. From the month of june the schools are full of kids in different kinds of uniforms and we can see them walking along the streets with their schoolbags on their shoulders. It is actually quite a dangerous thing to be a student in the megacity of Manila. With all the traffic and very little sidewalks the children are exposed to accidents along he way.

When they arrive in the classroom it is overloaded with up to 70 pupils with only one teacher. Because of the great lack of school buildings,the children go in shifts, the first group sometimes starting as early as 6 in the morning when it is still dark and the last group finishing at 7 pm

But many children do not have the chance to attend school at all, most often because of lack of money. There is no tuition fee in public schools, but you have to pay for the uniform, the books, pencils and crayons etc?Which can amount to a big sum for the very poor.

With the help and support of the ABC in Iceland 550 children of different ages can avail of free education. This is a great help for all the families involved.

There is a popular saying which goes:

?Give a man a fish and you have filled his stomach for a day. Give him a fishing rod and you have fed him a lifetime?

To help a child to education is to give that child a fishing rod.

Thank you for all the fishing rods you are giving to Filipino children.