Wazzup Pilipinas!
How much are
you willing to sacrifice to go to school? What would be you be willing to go
through?
If you are an
elementary student of the B’laan tribe in Saranggani in Mindanao, there ain’t
no mountain high enough nor river wide enough to get you to Niyas M. Mental IP
School in C’Magguing Daan Suyam, Malapatan.
To go to
school daily, these children must traverse muddy trails and slopes and cross
several rivers and streams on foot, rain or shine. On a good day, a few of them
are able to borrow a horse from the neighborhood and have a comfortable ride.
When they do
reach school, they must share a one-classroom hut with schoolmates of all
levels and ages. The earth serves as the school floor. In the absence of
electricity, natural light streams through slats of bamboo.
Despite the
challenges of getting to and staying in school, these children persevere.
Their ally
In this
journey, the children, the school, and Department of Education now has a
staunch supporter in bringing hope to school children in far-flung areas.
With the help
of volunteers, Smart has found a way to bring education and technology not just
to Niyas M. Mental IP School but to other secluded areas as well. The team of
volunteers cross the same streams and rivers and walk the same muddy trails to
bring School-in-a-Bag, a package that contains gadgets loaded with educational
content, to remote schools. To allow access to the Internet, the package
includes a pocket wi-fi and solar-powered set to provide the electricity.
The content
includes material that enables children to read and write the alphabet, watch
videos of children’s stories, sing nursery rhymes and songs, and learn to pray.
With
School-in-a-Bag, the school children have more ways to learn and more ways to
experience the world. More than just information and education, School-in-a-Bag
brings empowers children in this distant and secluded to hope and work for a
better life.
“Thank you
for giving us tablets, a TV and a laptop. Because of these, we can now learn to
read, recite the alphabet, watch stories, sing and pray,” they gratefully said.
With your or
your organization’s help, children in remote, underserved communities can learn
#LikeNeverBefore. Want to learn how you can be a School-in-a-Bag sponsor? Email
technocart@smart.com.ph today.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
