BOOK donors responded to the call of World Vision Foundation to give child laborers a second chance at education.
World Vision and ABK2 Initiative initiated a book campaign last July 17 at the Robinsons Place Iloilo to enable the marginalized children, especially those considered as child laborers in the city and province of Iloilo, to attend school and study.
According to World Vision, children laborers are mostly prevalent in the sugarcane plantations in the towns of Dueñas, Passi, and Badiangan.
The book drive dubbed "Libro Mo, Buas Damlag Ko" will accept book donations until October 30, 2010.
Project director Daphne Culanag of ABK2 Initiative said the catch-up program, which covers reading remediation and storytelling sessions with partner schools and communities, is one of the many strategic interventions implemented by World Vision.
This initiative aims to develop positive attitude for reading and establish a community-based support system for identified struggling learners to prevent them from dropping out of schools.
Gina Agnes Espinosa, president of the Iloilo Cultural Research Foundation, led the ceremonial turn-over of books together with University of the Philippines Visayas Chancellor Minda Formacion.
The 2nd Gawad Anti-Child Labor Awards for Teachers (ACLAT), which seeks to give special recognition to teachers, adult para-teachers, and little teachers, who have made remarkable contributions in preventing and eliminating child labor practices through education, also launched its search for outstanding teachers.
ABK2 have so far trained 73 teachers, 20 para-teachers, and 116 little teachers in Iloilo. (Lydia C. Pendon)