ZONTIANS exhibited their leadership mettle once more during the Cebu City 78th Charter Anniversary Dinner and Awards Night held at the Grand Ballroom of Marco Polo Plaza.
The much-anticipated event gathered a ballroom full of government officials, public servants, and awardees for Outstanding Individuals, Outstanding Institutions and the prestigious Mayor’s awards.
Among the Outstanding Individuals, we have singled out disability specialist Adela Avila-Kono, for promoting a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities (PWDs). In the fields of arts and culture, we listed Alvan Claude Evangelio and Luz Mancao-Sandiego.
Let’s not forget Dr. Suga Sotto-Yuvienco, for her advocacy on public health, and Hernando Streegan for his passion for scouting.
And now come the Zonta Clubs of Cebu 1 and 2, an all-women’s club whose campaign against Violence toward Women and Children has not escaped the attention of the city government. For this and other related advocacies, these two clubs richly deserved one of the Outstanding Institutions awards.
Congrats to all whom we cannot completely name on this space!
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A case in point is this project of the Zonta Club of Cebu 2 titled “Alimbukad Basa Familya.” This was introduced to sharpen the reading skills of public school children between the ages of four to six.
Mostly barangay-based, mothers undergo training on how to read books (English) to their kids at home. Book bags are lent to them from school, and are returned the next week, for another set.
At the end of a certain period, the children and mothers are presented completion certificates. We were witness to one such “graduation” at the Guadalupe Elementary School (Cebu) where 75 mothers and kids proudly marched to claim their “diploma.”
Zonta project chairperson Wi Suan Tiu was proudest of all to watch how her wards had progressed so amazingly, confidence-level as well. It is in advocacies like these where Zonta excels so well.
As they say, “Give a young child a book, and observe how a nation can move forward dramatically at the literacy level!”