This month, 140 student beneficiaries of Rise Above’s Educational Sponsorship Program began their modular and online classes in their homes and at the Rise Above Centers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school set-up in the Philippines has shifted from face-to-face to distance learning.
In the first few weeks of October 2020, the Rise Above team visited the sponsored kids from Inayawan, Sambag, and Guadalupe, Cebu City, and different areas of Mandaue City, to distribute food budgets, KN95 masks, and school supplies needed for this school year. Around 30 reams of bond papers were also donated to local public schools as the modular learning set-up requires weekly printing of learning materials for each subject and grade level, which students must study and answer in their homes. Some of the senior high school and college student beneficiaries were also provided with smartphones, laptops, and/or internet connection to use for their online classes.
At the Rise Above Community Center and Family Care Center, daily lunch and snacks are prepared for the children, which are either served in between study time, or picked-up from the center by their parents, as school-aged children are still not allowed to leave their homes due to the ongoing lockdown. During school days, Rise Above staff and older students in the center take turns helping the younger ones understand concepts and lessons, as their schoolteachers are not around due to the distance learning set-up. Challenging as it is, we all hope to keep them motivated enough and help as much as we can in their studies. The children look forward to going back to their actual schools when the global situation is better.
Together, we can make a difference.
The students and the Rise Above team would like to extend a big THANK YOU to you, the children’s sponsors, for the never-ending support in their education, especially in this difficult time of adjustment to a new normal. Despite the pandemic, they still have the opportunity to pursue their studies and their dreams because of people like you.
To know more about the Educational Sponsorship Program, you can check this link and share this with families and friends who would also like to make a difference in the lives of more children whose families have little or no means of sending them to school.
You can also read more about other projects of the foundation by visiting our website.