This month marks the season of gift giving. A season where we give fancy gifts to our family members, friends or to our God-Children. Am sure you have bought and wrap all your gifts already. I myself had wrapped and some of it has been delivered already to its recipient.
However, I appeal to your heart to give out your old books for a school in Benguet. I am organizing an adopt a school library program. I am thankful to all the people who had helped me in one way or the other. I am most thankful to those who are still helping me collect books or cash.
Colalo Elementary School is located at the Municipality of Mankayan. Barangay Colalo where the school stands is located at the tip of Mankayan and near Cervantes Ilocos Sur. Gardening is the major means of livelihood of the said community.
The school used to have a mini-school library when it was established. However, the school sank last July 2009 and so are the books in the library. My mother was then teaching in that school when this tragedy happened. The teachers have to unearth some of the books in order for them to have something to use. Luckily they were able to save a total of 209 books and after so many years after the tragedy with their new school these books are now being used by the new generation of students.
Today, my brother Jan Irvin Kis-ing is teaching there. I rarely see my siblings since I am miles away from them. I went home when he and his wife got married. When everyone is celebrating he asked me if I could donate a book because he is planning to have the school library grow and to have a new sets of books. Of course I agreed. In my mind, my brother is really a teacher, he still thinks about his students even though it is his big day.
I suddenly remembered a quote by Louis L'Amour: “For one who reads, there is no limit to the number of lives that may be lived, for fiction, biography, and history offer an inexhaustible number of lives in many parts of the world, in all periods of time.” I totally agree.
You might be donating an old fiction, biography, history or encyclopedia but the information within these old books could be used by these kids to learn new things and to explore the wonders of their imaginations. Remember knowledge is power, lets give these kids the power the books can create.
Together, we can help build a library. A room where the minds of these little kids be sharpened, a place for these kids to gain knowledge, and a place where our could jump start their quest of knowledge their weapon to face their future.
"Ako po ay namamasko sa inyong lahat para sa mga mag-aaral ng Colalo Elementary School!" Panoorin po natin ang aking ihinandang video.
To help please email me at wsa.charlton@gmail.com. We are accepting any form of donations.
