Bukas Palad Learning Center is online!
In Bukas Palad, the most characteristic sound when entering the gate is the nursery children’s joyful voices, their songs, and their smiles, but since the pandemic started, classes have been canceled. For the school year 2020-2021, we were uncertain about how to proceed. Parents had to face big problems, like how to feed the family, and on top of that, they had to follow up the homeschooling of their grade school children, as all schools were closed. And the younger ones? Would they lose a whole year without the opportunity to learn and develop their skills? It seemed unfair. For many months they could not even go outside to play with their friends. We wanted them to feel a certain “normality”, as their older brothers and sisters too had to study from home. So for our nursery classes, we developed a mixed curriculum, online and at home.
Bukas Palad teachers had training with an expert in online teaching. It takes a lot of creativity to make online lessons interactive and engaging, and it takes time to prepare the materials for each session, as well as the modules to take home. In partnership with RAFI – DACF Dolores Aboitiz Children Fund we were able to provide smartphones to all the families enrolled for SY 2020-2021, to be able to participate in online lessons. As a result, 45 children are attending with much enthusiasm!!! Lessons are held in small groups of a maximum of ten to thirteen students. They can’t wait to have their lesson online, to see the teacher and their classmates. They have a great desire to learn,
they are diligent and creative. Now that lockdown and quarantine restrictions have been partially removed, some of them come to Bukas Palad with their mothers to get their monthly materials, and they are so surprised to see their real-life teacher off-screen! They would like to come to Bukas Palad Learning Center every day already, but it is still not possible. Classes are expected to continue online for the next school year as well. While all public nursery schools are still closed, we are happy to provide at least for some children an innovative learning experience, which will prepare them to face schooling better equipped.
Support at a Distance (SAAD) Program: Initiative “Ate and Kuya: no one left behind”
Bukas Palad currently helps 200 children from less privileged families to access education and complete their studies. Their age ranges from elementary to College. The prolonged period of home study and the lack of adequate and sufficient support from school has increased the already existing difference between the most capable students and those less talented for study. In general, all have registered a drop in grades average, and for some this has caused a decrease in self-esteem, a sense of inability, discouragement, and a desire to quit. So we launched the initiative “Ate and Kuya: no one is left behind”, inviting high school and college students with good grades to take care of other students in difficulty. This “peer tutoring” is considered community service. 40 students agreed with the proposal and were appointed
as tutors for students of the lower years, paired according to geographical proximity. They took up the challenge. Here’s my experience of Abigail:
They asked me to tutor Mishael, another SAAD high school student. It wasn’t easy for me at the start. First, because we are from different fields of study (I in humanities track and he in scientific track), and some subjects do not coincide, and second because I had already forgotten things I have studied in recent years. This is why I doubted I was up to the task, and I wondered if he was learning something from me. But when I asked him if he understood my explanation, he always said yes !!! This word was enough to give me courage and trust in my ability to teach something to others. We studied science and statistics together, and it’s going well so far. He listens carefully, understands things quickly, and behaves well. I can say it’s nice to be able to do something for others who need our help!
Bukas Palad College graduates 2020-2021
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the financial situation of families worsened, and this has also put the academic success of college students at risk. Some of them in fact were pushed by their families to leave their studies and look for jobs, in order to provide for the daily needs of the whole family. 
When primary needs like daily food are not met, education, unfortunately, becomes a secondary priority. With the Project staff, we intensified the rapport with each family and each student, calling them regularly on the phone and visiting them whenever possible, in order to help them cope with the difficult situation without losing the motivation for studying. With the challenges of Covid added to the already many difficulties of poor families, the joy is doubled when college graduation is achieved by some of our students. They made it despite everything! Their success is also ours and your dear sponsors.
