Unless their parents work in the academe, kids are likely away from them when in school. But that doesn’t mean they can’t show love for one another while apart. At Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, Inc., parents are called to be involved in their child’s schooling.
Nena Avelino, a former scavenger on Smokey Mountain, is a mother to five children. One of her two sons, Andoy, was an ERDA scholar. Before his family learned of the non-government organization (NGO), Andoy used to help his mother look for scraps when she would go around the landfill. “Nung nakapasok na siya sa ERDA SaBaNa [Sanayan ng mga Batang Nanambakan, the NGO’s development center in Tondo, Manila], hindi na siya sumasama sa akin [When he got to enter ERDA SaBaNa, he would not go with me anymore],” said Ms. Avelino. She explained that ERDA urges kids to forgo scavenging and instead focus on their studies.
While flashing pictures of Andoy from college graduation and work, she recalled what he was like growing up. “Masipag siya mag-aral… ‘Pag walang pasok, tuwing Sabado nandoon siya sa SaBaNa buong maghapon [He studied hard… When there was no school, on Saturdays he would be at SaBaNa the whole afternoon].” On weekends, ERDA has tutorials, a program called the alternative learning system (ALS), and self-discovery workshops for the kids. There are also livelihood seminars and other events for the parent volunteers, known as parent-leaders.
At present, 34-year-old Andoy already has a wife and kids. Moreover, he now works for an appliance company in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Yet, Ms. Avelino is still an active parent-leader at ERDA, as she also got to enroll one of her grandchildren as a scholar. Besides monthly meetings on how to improve their kids’ days at school, parent-leaders take part in fundraisers, school cleanup drives, and other efforts.
“Yung pinaka-activity ng parent-leaders is pagmomonitor, lalo na sa mga bata na dropout sa school… Tinutulungan namin; kinakausap namin yung mga titser at nanay [The most prominent activity of parent-leaders is monitoring, especially for the kids who are school dropouts… We help them; we talk to their teachers and mothers],” said Gloria Reyta, another parent-leader at SaBaNa. Ms. Reyta has five children, four of whom were ERDA beneficiaries in high school.
“Wala kaming suweldo bilang volunteer, pero masaya kami… At least may bata akong beneficiary… [We don’t have salaries as volunteers, but we are happy… At least I have a student beneficiary],” said Marilen Dolona, a long-time parent-leader for ERDA’s preschool center in Bagong Silang, Caloocan. She has six children, four of whom got to be in school with ERDA’s help. Three are now adults and thus have already graduated. It is just Ms. Dolona’s youngest child, a 7th grader, who remains an ERDA scholar in their family.
“Pero naglingkod na rin naman ako dito na wala akong ERDA na bata. Kahit ganun, masaya ako at hindi ko naman hinahanap yung kapalit.” [But I have served here even when I didn’t have a kid enrolled with ERDA. Even if it’s like that, I’m happy and I don’t look for anything in return.]” Ms. Dolona also said.
Through tie-ups with other groups, ERDA has built preschool centers around Metro Manila, and each one has its own set of parent-leaders. Ms. Dolona shared that aside from checking up on new students and their families, they help the NGO pack and distribute free school supplies for the kids.
For parent-leader Mercy Vega, time with the other parents is not just about mingling but also a way to learn from others. She has four kids, all of whom were somehow part of ERDA. For instance, her eldest Hazel, who started at SaBaNa, will soon graduate from college still backed by the NGO. Her third child now regularly attends ALS sessions. The other two, meanwhile, were ERDA scholars for a transient period.
According to her, she used to be a bit shy when dealing with the other parent-leaders. Now, she feels comfortable with the co-parents and ERDA staff. “Sana yung mga katulad namin dito, sine-share din yung mga natutunan namin sa mga nanay na bago pa lang [I hope my fellow parent-leaders can share what we’ve learned with the new mothers (of new ERDA beneficiaries)].”
Parent-leaders also meet for ways to have additional income. “May pwede ka pang ibang skills na makukuha [You can gain other skills],” said Ms. Vega. “Halibawa, may training ng pananahi, pagmamasahe, haircutting, pagme-makeup, etc. [For example, there’s training for sewing, massage therapy, haircutting, makeup artistry, etc.].”
“Marunong na akong magpinta, kasi minsan tumutulong kami sa pagpaint ng mga t-shirt at bags dito [Now I know how to paint, because sometimes we help paint t-shirts and bags here],” Ms. Reyta added. Such items are sold at SaBaNa or made-to-order, and the revenue from which serves as extra funds for ERDA projects.
Imelda Villaflor, meanwhile, shared that ERDA also has a cooperative for parent-leaders like her. She is a single mom to four children, and Christina, the youngest, was an ERDA scholar from elementary to college. “’Pag ang anak ay nasa ERDA, kailangan pati nanay aktibo rin doon [If a child is in ERDA, the mom should also be active there],” she believes.
Through the cooperative, parent-leaders can borrow money should they wish to put up a business. Also, they try to support one another for medical and burial expenses.
Hence, while parent-leaders are asked to do a lot for the NGO, they get something in return one way or another. At the end of the day, through their work with ERDA they may realize that doing whatever they can as parents can help them raise good children, and in effect, build a better community.
As Ms. Dolona said, “Sinasabi ko sa sarili ko, masarap makatulong sa kapwa [I tell myself it’s nice to help our fellows].
Gianna Villavicencio graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2011. After that, she worked at BusinessWorld Publishing Corp. for about two and a half years. She currently lives in the US.