Delivering the Joy of Reading to the Vulnerable

My name is Sr. Eloisa. I live in the Philippines where I am the Executive Director of the Salvatorian Pastoral Care for Children.  Our goal is to ensure that all children live safe and healthy lives, free from neglect, abuse, exploitation and discrimination. With the help of Sisters Rising Worldwide, we are empowered to address the root causes of the injustices facing our most vulnerable children.

In our communities, many poor, indigenous, and special needs Filipino children lack access to schooling and services, leaving them open to exploitation and abuse.

So, with an initial grant from Sisters Rising Worldwide, we developed a Mobile Book Reading Program to provide books and reading lessons to our disadvantaged children, as well as to provide food, medical kits and evaluation services to meet their basic needs.

With the success of our initial deployment that reached dozens of children in need, SRW helped us raise money to expand our services, so we could provide books, programming and vital ongoing mental and spiritual health assistance to an additional 1800 underserved children, including the victims of devastating natural disasters, abusive homes, and poverty.

The children arrived for our programs withdrawn, with limited social skills, poor personal hygiene and low self esteem. But after a few sessions where we shared books and encouragement, we noticed a remarkable change. The children became eager to attend our sessions so they could read more. They were less timid, and began socializing with each other. They began wearing shoes and clean clothes, as if they were attending formal schooling, and they showed increased respect for the facilitators and each other.

Over the course of the program, the parents noted an increase in their children's self confidence, and in their eagerness to read books and share what they learned in the program. Thanks to Sisters Rising Worldwide, their children not only received vital mental health support and guidance to recover from trauma, but they also found a new joy in reading and eagerness to pursue the education they need to thrive.