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Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Sacmi’s other educational focuses
BBC. The Balay Bata Center (BBC) is a mobile school program for pre-schoolers.
It has centers in Alasaka, Mambaling; Kasatres, Labagon; Sambag 1 and Pahiha Central; and every child enroled is free of tuition, and other needs.
A van, donated by a prominent family, was converted into a mobile classroom that has a library and many toys. It caters to 30 children in Mambaling.
The BBC has “fixed” centers in Alaska and Labangon too.
The one-room building in Labangon can embrace 40 children. Atty. Nina said that they used to hold classes under the trees until Barangay Captain Felix Abella volunteered to build the classroom.
Paglaum. Paglaum is a class reaching out to young offenders (between 10 and 17 years old) in jail. Sacmi holds basic literacy and skills training, and Boy Scouting training and value formation to ease them back to formal education.
The class is held at the Operation Second Chance Center in Kalunasan, which has about 100 minors in detention. On Oct. 27, 2002, they held a Boy Scouts Investiture ceremony.
Ten to 15 Sacmi high school and college level boys do volunteer work weekly. Guadalupe Baring, a retired teacher, holds reading, writing and Arithmetic classes.
The program has had an effect. A rugby boy, we will call Arnel, landed in jail. He and his best friend, whom we will call Lenar, were caught sniffing the stuff last year.
They joined the Sacmi program. Near June when Sacmi asked if anyone wanted to go to school, Arnel enlisted. After a month, he was set free. He is now in third year high school. Lenar is in Grade 5.
Arnel swears, “Dili na gyod ko mobalik sa prisohan.”
(January 21, 2003 issue)
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