Life goes on for Camp Abubacar grade-schoolers
Just recently, MEDCo together with NEDA and representatives from the Growth with Equity in Mindanao Phase 3 project (GEM-3) visited Abubacar Siddique Elementary School in Shariff Kabunsuan, Maguindanao. The place which is popularly known as Camp Abubacar, is the battle ground of the all-out war against the MILF in 2000. Aside from the hundreds of lives claimed by the war and the trauma it brought to the residents here during that time, the only elementary school in the area was also forced to close. Not until six years when they resumed classes.
MEDCo Executive Director Janet Lopoz (far right) meets with Salamona Hakim, Abubcar Siddique Elementary School Prinicipal, during the MEDCo-NEDA project monitoring and visit on June 23-24.
In 2007, Abubacar Siddique Elementary School was fortunate to be one of the recipients of PETRON Schools, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of the PETRON Foundation where they give classrooms nationwide. The school building donated here costs about Php 2.5 million and now houses more than 400 students.
The Php 2.5 million classroom donated by Petron foundation to Abubacar Siddique Elementary School.
The school was a also a recipient of the Computer Literacy and Internet Connection (CLIC) program of the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID) through the GEM. Two computers equipped with Internet capabilities (through a satellite system) were given to the school.
MEDCo Executive Director Janet Lopoz checks her e-mail with the CLIC program donated computer.
On the other hand, the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) project of the Australian Agency for International Aid (AusAID) and the Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills 2 (EQuALLS) of USAID provided capacity building activities to the school’s volunteer teachers. The school have seven volunteer teachers and are regularly sent to Manila or in Cebu for various workshops. BEAM provided these teachers with the Learning Guides to help them in their daily lessons.
Linang Pacamaman, 23 years old, has been a volunteer teacher for three years now. She holds a learning guide provided by the BEAM project to the school.
The war in 2000 may have contributed significant losses to the lives of the people in this part of country, but to these school children, life goes on. AND wouldn’t it be nice if you would be part in rebuilding their community?
These children used to occupy a makeshift bamboo classroom with a tent made of synthetic fabric canvas called trapal.
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Comments
Я извиняюсь, но, по-моему, Вы ошибаетесь. Предлагаю это обсудить. Пишите мне в PM….
Менеджер по коммерческой недвижимости The place which is popularly known as Camp Abubacar, is the battle ground of the all-out war against the MILF in 2000…
Я извиняюсь, но, по-моему, Вы ошибаетесь. Могу отстоять свою позицию. Пишите мне в PM….
кладовщик The place which is popularly known as Camp Abubacar, is the battle ground of the all-out war against the MILF in 2000. Aside from the […….
It is a shame that tragedies like these happen to innocent children and insurmountable problems are yet to be addressed to prevent them from happening to others
But I think we can do something to help rebuild their lives. And we don’t need to wait for foreign donors to take notice. Mindanaoans need to be aware themselves of what is happening and understand that affirmative action do contribute to alleviating the peace and order problem as well as help in rebuilding their lives. Because honestly, there is no reason why we continually delay access to a good education to these Camp Abubacar children and others like them when we know for a fact that their welfare also affects our own.