Garcia Elementary School students in Tapaz, Capiz
Balay ni Charie Foundation is a grassroots organization I created in 2006 that provides school supplies to children in Capiz, Philippines. On its first year, 20 children from Conrado Barrios Elementary School in Roxas City received school supplies. With the support of family, friends, and another charitable group, Balay ni Charie now distributes school provisions to several hundred grade school children in various towns in Capiz.
Students at San Antonio Elementary School in Cuartero, Capiz
This year, we visited the schools of Garcia Elementary in Tapaz, Capiz where 146 children received notebooks, pens and pencils. We also gave school supplies to 220 students at San Antonio Elementary School in Cuartero, Capiz.
The road to San Antonio Elementary School
It is not easy to get to some of these schools. We needed a 4 x 4 to take us to the hinterlands of Cuartero because the roads were deeply potholed and impassable from recent rains. Two years ago, we had to wait several days before we could distribute at a school in Dao because the roads were flooded. These are some of the conditions we face when going to these schools but the big smile on a child’s face when he or she receives the school supplies is the most satisfying reward.
Thank you Esther and Bing Arceño for lending me your car and Bing for driving me to these schools so I can reach out to the children in Capiz. And many thanks to Fr. Boy Distura for rescuing us from the rut and mud and for feeding us. In Tapaz, I wish to thank Kitty Gadian who arranged our visit to Garcia Elementary and to Jacque Conlu who made me aware of the great need for school materials at Garcia.
Balay ni Charie is planning more school supply distributions in 2013.
* * *
Images by Charie
