I have a dream.
I want to build each barangay a day care center where people from that area can bring their children, ages 3 and below, to. There will be an educated and well paid preschool teacher who will conduct activities, initially half-day, to ensure that the children from that area learn something worthwhile.
No more spaghetti dances, no more “pa sexy” dances.
It is a place where children will learn Filipino and English nursery rhymes and songs, listen to Filipino and English stories read by the teacher, and sometimes, perhaps, the Barangay Captain.
Then in the afternoons, there will be seminars for the parents. There will be talks about reproductive health (yes, and contraception), attachment parenting, breastfeeding, elimination communication, complimentary feeding, natural and indigenous food, perhaps gardening/planting own food in their backyards, etc.
I have no idea how this will be funded, nor if it will be sustainable. But this is my dream.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:58 am
It’s a beautiful dream, I hope it will come true some day soon.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:35 am
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January 7th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Oh, this is a great project! I can imagine kids out of the streets, and inside daycare centers where they can learn more and be safe.
Try approaching NGOs, my mom used to be in one, Soroptimist International. http://soroptimistphil.org/ They would love ideas like this. I’ll try emailing my mom’s friend about it.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Go Jen! This is a true advocacy for you! If there are healthcare centers in every barangay and elementary schools, these kinds of preschools would do so much good for the Phils. It’s disheartening to see videos of kids in the Phils dancing the way the Wowowee dancers dance, or if asked what they want to be when they grow up, they’d say they want to be artistas and dancers. I encourage you and admire your idea. Use our UP networks, NGOs etc. Keep us updated on how this idea is progressing. Would love to be part of it too!
March 26th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Hi Jen. This would truly be great, wouldnt it?:) Been helping out Joy Belmonte-Alimurung set up something like this in Quezon City districts. I will make sure to let you know when I hear from her again as she had just given birth:)
July 7th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
jen,
i believe that one day your dream will come true. i would love to be a part of it. let us know if this pushes through. im sure you’ll have many supporters.
God bless.