Providing basic School Supplies to students of village elementary schools

by Nannette Morata
VFV Local Director

The Adopt–a–School Program is one of VFV's projects where sponsors donate US$50 – $75 to buy the basic school supplies for students in village primary schools. Two schools already benefited from this project through the sponsorship of Ms. Lenny Bugayong. Ms. Lenny is a Filipina who is studying and living in Switzerland.

Lapay Primary School.

The two schools are Tugop Primary School and Lapay Primary School, both located in the far–flung rural village of Tanauan, Leyte. These schools only offer education for the 1st and 2nd grade elementary levels. The students here all come from indigent families who do not own the lands they are farming. Their income ranges from 50 – 100 pesos a day, sometimes none. Most families make a living by making local coconut wine or making copra (dried coconut meat manufactured for cooking oil).

Tugop Primary School.

Because it is hard for families to earn more than for food for everybody, the kids would usually go to school without a pencil and paper and would just wait for the teacher to provide these needed materials for them. Providing the students with the basic school supplies was already seen as a big help in solving their daily problem that would sometimes hinder them from going to school. VFV provided them with boxes of pencils, pens, papers, chalk, books and art materials.

Kids at Lapa Elementary school.

In return, the students made thank you cards for Ms. Lenny and even hoped to see her so they can thank her personally.