A fresh start for destroyed school

Teacher Cherry Garcia with her students

The children of San Roque Elementary School celebrated the completion of a new classroom last month thanks to VFV ‘s Build-A-School project.

The new classroom — funded by multiple members of the VFV community — provides grades three and four students with a cool, clean and distraction-free space to learn.

“We are grateful and relieved to have this classroom for the children — it is much more conducive to learning,” said teacher Cherry Garcia.

“It is much better for the children; the temporary classrooms have been very difficult for them.”

San Roque Elementary School was selected as the recipient of VFV’s Build-A-School project after it was totally destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda.

A splash of VFV colour for the new classroom

“There was nothing left of this school, it was completely washed out,” said VFV’s Assistant Community Coordinator Princess Marie Almanza.

“The children, squashed into hot, wet and congested UNICEF tents, have been irritable in the heat and unable to focus.”

VFV volunteers helped erect the building — which serves as a classroom to 50 children in this devastated community.

Volunteers also hand built and painted new desks and chairs for the students.

The project burrowed its way into the hearts of all those working on it.

A better space for learning

“Two UK volunteers started the project and then extended their stay to finish it — they were very keen to see the result.”

You can lend some muscle to the life-changing work of VFV too! Click here now to learn more about volunteering with us!

*Written by volunteer Emma Bailie, journalist from Australia

1 Comments

  1. Walter Oshiro

    Everyone involved did a great job. It’s a handsome, well-constructed building, with a comfortable interior conducive to learning. Lucky students – love the class photo though I was surprised to see just one boy in the group. And, Emma writes well. Her earlier Sweet Dreams for Street Boys was an especially poignant article – well-crafted journalism.

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