Giving Poor Children Opportunities to Succeed

For poor children lacking resources and opportunities, academic accomplishments often do not come as easily as they do to other kids. At Tiwala, we seek to equip poor kids with tools for success and provide them with opportunities for maximum learning. Here are several ways we are empowering children to succeed:

Project Digi-Eskwela
Ibalon Central School eagerly opened its school doors to Tiwala and became the newest Tiwala school partner in the implementation of Digi-Eskwela, a tablet-based learning program for poor children in Legazpi. The school principal expressed gratitude to Tiwala for choosing them as a beneficiary. Parents, children, and teachers all joined together on July 4 for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The Patatas staff, who offered the tablets for this endeavor, also came all the way from Singapore for the occasion.

Life Science STEP Classes
Tiwala’s Student Enrichment Program (STEP) classes in six poor communities in Albay resumed in August. These classes were designed to ignite children’s curiosity in science while at the same time develop their inquiry skills, which are important in nurturing critical thinking among students. This quarter’s theme was Life Science, and gave Tiwala kids a chance to explore different habitats, learn about life cycles using educational tablets, and examine plant and human cells under Tiwala’s new microscopes. The kids had a blast!

Tiwala Scholarship Grants
Miriam comes from a poor family of nine living in a tiny house in one of the slums in Legazpi City. Although public education is free, like so many underprivileged kids in Legazpi, her family couldn’t afford the accompanying expenses such as uniforms, school supplies, books, projects, transport and food. Tiwala awarded Miriam a scholarship grant (which includes all above-mentioned costs) three years ago to help with these expenses. This year she reached her sophomore year in high school and continues to perform well in school. She has exhibited excellence and a positive attitude towards her studies. Miriam is also growing in her personal relationship with God and serves as the youth leader of Tiwala’s new Youth Program.