A Closer Look at Helping Underprivileged Children

Seeing Things from a Dream Implementer’s Perspective

A community thrives when its members help one another. This is why organizations that champion causes to help the less fortunate are so important for nation-building. For My Dream in a Shoebox (MDIAS), helping different communities means empowering underprivileged children to fight education poverty, especially in the Philippines. MDIAS is an annual education outreach program in the Philippines that provides less fortunate children with school supplies and financial assistance, helping them reach a brighter future.

To support the MDIAS team with distributing the shoeboxes filled with school supplies, and to make sure that the scholars have the proper guidance, different community implementers are assigned to each community that MDIAS helps. These implementers get to see firsthand how the shoeboxes and scholarships make a positive impact on the children’s lives.

Lending a Helping Hand

For Ruel Manlunas, a Dream Implementer in Santa Maria, Romblon, his main role is to monitor the MDIAS scholars and help them stay active in school. Being a full-time teacher at the Concepcion Sur Elementary School, he spends a lot of time with the My Dream scholars. Ruel makes it a point to coach the children in class and bond with them after class, too.

“Every quarter, tinitignan ko kung nag-iimprove yung performance ng mga bata in terms of attendance and academic performance. Everyday ko nakikita yung mga bata, and ‘pag may chance na bisitahin sila, dumadaan ako para mas madali rin i-monitor yung progress nila,” Ruel said. “After class, may time ang mga bata maglaro, so ‘yun din yung time namin for bonding.”

(Every quarter, I check on each kid’s attendance and academic performance. I see the kids every day, but I visit them every time I have the chance to. This makes it easier for me to monitor their progress as well. After class, the kids have time to play, so that’s the time I get to bond with them, too.)

On the other hand, Dream Implementer Ace Pierra’s main role is to handle the logistics of the shoebox donations between NCR and Cebu. He travels to the different MDIAS partner communities in Cebu, even the far-flung areas like Lapu-Lapu and Bantayan Island. During the weekends, he and his family bond by going to gift-giving activities for the beneficiaries. Ace oversees a lot of Dreamers, covering 29 communities all over Cebu.

“My boat rides to the communities can take around three to six hours, depending on what part of Cebu they’re in. I also enjoy spending lunch or dinner with them, grilling fish, and hearing about the different stories about the community,” Ace said.

The Power of Education

When it comes to what prompted them to join MDIAS, Ruel shared that he was inspired by the organization itself and Yellow Boat of Hope to do his part in helping the less fortunate. Ace was a scholar himself and saw how caring about someone’s education could potentially change their life. Both of them recognize the importance of education, especially for a child.

“Ang laki ng impact ng school supplies sa mga bata. Yung iba sa kanila walang experience in having their own crayons or colored pencils, but because of MDIAS, nagkaroon sila. Yung allowance din na galing sa MDIAS ay napapambili nila ng uniform, sapatos, at iba pang school supplies na hindi normally nakukuha ng mga bata,” said Ruel.

(The school supplies have such a big impact on the kids. Some of them never had their own crayons or colored pencils, but because of MDIAS, now they do. The allowance that MDIAS gives also goes to the kids’ uniform, school shoes, or other school supplies that they normally won’t have.)

Ace also shared how the school supplies spark joy in the children and teaches them the value of what they’re receiving. “When we go to the different communities, the children are very happy. They really try to make their shoeboxes last. This shows that the children really value each item they receive.”

Road to Bigger Dreams

The work that Ruel and Ace do as community implementers for My Dream in a Shoebox stems from their desire to create positive change in children’s lives.

“I love seeing the smiles of the students as they say thank you. Seeing them happy, and knowing that I was able to help them with their education makes all the work I do worth it,” shared Ruel.

“What I love about my work in MDIAS is that it inspires, especially the ones who want to study to help their families. Once you inspire someone, you never know how far it can take them,” said Ace.

“One time, pumunta ako sa isang community sa Bantayan Island na pinuntahan ko dati, and I saw a graduation. Nakita ko yung mga bata nakatoga tapos nakasakay sila sa boat. Na-realize ko sa moment na ‘yun na lahat ng pagod ko ay worth it and that I should never stop what I’m doing kasi grabe yung nagagawa for the students.”

(One time, I went to a community on Bantayan Island that I visited before, and I saw a graduation. I saw the kids wearing togas while they were on a boat. I realized at that moment that all my efforts were worth it and that I should never stop what I’m doing because it does so much for the students.)

This is the impact that a simple shoebox or donation can make, and this is the reason that Ruel, Ace, and My Dream in a Shoebox’s outreach program for underprivileged children in the Philippines continues to do their share in helping children fight poverty through education.