Three days ago, I had the chance to experience how most children in a remote village go to school. I’ve seen how they love school despite spending an hour of tough walk over the mountains just to be in school.
Imagine the ordinary days of these children. Every day, they wake up early in the morning, around 6 a.m., to prepare for school and walk over six mountains and cross a river. I'll elaborate it, through photos, later for you to have an exciting read...hehe.
The children we visited are those who live and go to school in a far-flung village. (I am not exaggerating when I say FAR-FLUNG). It takes passion and ministry for you to visit them. You will know why later.
Our trip to the school was intentionally for children to experience Christmas and to deliver their early Christmas gifts from generous donor. Thanks to Heartstrings for giving bags for these children. (Heartstrings is a trendy brand of bag made in the Philippines)
But for me, I have two reasons in going to the school. First was to capture the story which was requested from me. And second, was to find out for myself how it is to be like them.
Whoops, I talk so much.. I am already spoiling your exciting read .hehe..
So here it goes..
Travel with me and I will take you to the place where I met these children. They never get tired of doing of it. They love school. Their only desire is to be in school. They desire to learn.
Travel with me and I will take you to the place where I met these children. They never get tired of doing of it. They love school. Their only desire is to be in school. They desire to learn.
Our day started so early, around 4 a.m. I traveled to Catmon, one of the municipalities of Cebu. It is more than an hour bus ride from Cebu City but the trip didn't end with the bus ride.
I was with my workmates, Ate Jo (in orange shirt), Ate Ann (in stripes jacket), and Ate Chris (in red t-shirt). We just met at our office,in Catmon.
The team took a bumpy-roller-coaster ride to reach the school. It was really a long and winding road. It was so slippery that our habal-habal drivers would even request us to walk, at times. Good thing my companions are use to this kind of ride.
After an hour of habal-habal ride, at last, the team safely arrived at the barangay (village). But whoops, the trip didn't end with the habal-habal ride.
The team walked six mountains just to reach our destination. (See the photo below with that green colored rectangle shape, the one that we are pointing at). IMAGINE walking that far.
I know from the start that it will be a very long walk especially that the sun is already up. But I was trying not to mind and just think of the adventure in going there and of course do and can proudly say ‘mission accomplished’ after.
We walked with the children. They were our adventurous, cute and fun tour guides. While we were on our way to the school we had fun talking with these children and learn their fun moments and difficulties to reach the school.
Children shared that the most challenging time for them to be in school is during rainy seasons. When heavy rains pour, children usually get stranded in this river. "The river often gets flooded. When the heavy rains pour, we will just wait for it to subside before we can cross it," says Jennifer, a grade six child (a child wearing the red sleeveless).
When these children get tired, they usually sit here (photo below). It is a place where they get water to drink and where they take a bath. "We go to school early morning and bring our clothes to have our shower here," says Jennifer.
Children like Jennifer hang their used clothes just around the area for it to be dried and get it when they are going back home from school. They even eat their breakfast here.
Children like Jennifer hang their used clothes just around the area for it to be dried and get it when they are going back home from school. They even eat their breakfast here.
The trek in going to school is quite enjoyable for children but challenging and risky for them. These children are uncertain on what they meet along the way. Like the snake that we saw while walking. Children said that it is already normal to see snakes on their way to school. IMAGINE that!!
Aside from it, grasses and rocks around make it more challenging . Their slippers usually don’t last because of the rocks that greet them along the way.
The grasses and rocks even cause a lot of wounds to children. As I observe most of the children who walked with us have a lot of wounds on their legs and feet. I am not a medical expert but I believe that this is because of the grasses and rocks they encounter every day.
After an hour of walking, we safely arrived at their school. I was deeply overwhelmed to see children's warm smiles while hearing them greeting us, "Good morning, visitors" and their, "Salamats (Thank you)". It was truly rewarding and priceless moment after experiencing an hour of bus ride, an hour of slippery and roller coaster habal-habal ride and more than an hour of walking to reach this school located at top of the mountain.
Indeed, It was one of the tiresome and farthest school/place I ever gone to but one of the most memorable and priceless fieldwork ever experienced.
I know experiencing those is just so ordinary for these children. It is their way of life but I think we can do something for them to be protected and experience what ‘fullness of life’ is.
Anyway, to sum it up, it was worth the walk! Mission accomplished!!!
Three days had past but I can still vividly describe children's warm smiles and hopeful aura. The children I met remind me to feel blessed, be contented (sometimes), to be warm and hopeful with our lives. I hope you too feels the same.
Note: I’ll be posting another story related to this soon. A story of how tough education is for these children and how they felt after receiving their early Christmas gifts from ‘Santa Claus’.
