Unlocking the Future Through Literacy: Maricel’s Story
Every day, over 796 million people across the world go without this vital resource.
Without it, they lose their best chance to earn an adequate, stable income. They’re more likely to suffer from poor health. They may even be unable to participate in their country’s democratic processes, like voting in an election.
The resource in question? Literacy. Being unable to read or write can make it difficult, even impossible, for an individual to break free from the cycle of poverty and hunger. Your support of our international programs, including this one in Panaytayon in the Philippines, is helping unlock a new future for children like Maricel!
Every morning, nine-year-old Maricel wakes up early to help her older sisters clean the family home, before getting herself and her younger brother ready for school. The siblings walk to their classes while their mother Mayet heads to her job as a laundress. Their father deserted the family when Maricel was small, leaving Mayet the sole provider.
How much Mayet is able to earn fluctuates dramatically based on the need for her services. Affording the necessary school supplies was difficult, but in the classroom, Maricel was facing even greater challenges.
While her peers seemed to be surging ahead, by second grade Maricel was falling behind. Her inability to learn as easily as those around her was frustrating, to no one more so than Maricel herself. Her self-confidence and cheerful nature took a hit, especially as her classmates noticed her struggle and instead of supporting her, targeted her with bullying.
Watching Maricel grow more discouraged by the day filled mom Mayet with a sense of guilt. She herself had only been able to attend school through fifth grade and felt ill-equipped to help her daughter. But her own experience had shown her that there was only so far someone could get without a higher level of education, and she desperately wanted all her children to have access to the opportunities she had missed.
Luckily, Maricel had a resource available to her that Mayet had not: the Supplemental Education Support for Non-Readers program initiated by Feed the Children.
The program began in a single rural Bohol school, where it quickly gained recognition from youth mentors and local government institutions. With support for the program mounting, the Supplemental Education program quickly spread to three other nearby schools.
The program assists children in low-income and rural areas where extra support is needed but access is otherwise limited. It then assesses children to determine who will benefit most from the program, works with teachers and administrators to create a space for remedial lessons, and helps train volunteer para-teachers to mentor. Feed the Children also provides school supplies and snacks for the children to make it easier for them to learn.
Today, over 600 children have participated in the program, which boasts a 98% success rate in improving literacy – with Maricel included in that number!
“Feed the Children has helped me a lot through their tutorials,” she says happily. “I can now read, and I’ve been getting high scores on my exams. They even provide snacks during the sessions, which makes it even more enjoyable!”
As her literacy skills continued to improve, Maricel’s cheerful personality began to shine through again. Mayet was thrilled to see the change in her youngest daughter.
“We are deeply grateful to Feed the Children for helping our family so much,” Mayet says. “I am so proud of Maricel. She achieved high scores on her exams, and her teacher is also very pleased with her progress and achievements.“
The reading program is still only the first step of Maricel’s journey in education. She’ll need to continue to work hard and push herself academically. But thanks to your support, Maricel is equipped to face those challenges. The life her mother dreamed of for her, one filled with opportunities and potential, is no longer out of reach.
