“Payak ang pamumuhay sa aming barangay (Life is simple in our village),” recalled Biboy Gerobin, 12 years old, a primary school student in Buluang Elementary School, Camarines Sur. Biboy described life in his community as simple. Families get by and are able to eat three times a day. Kids go to school.
Biboy, 12, got emotional during his speech at Project EARLi’s Launching on 26 April 2017 at Libon, Albay as he remembered the effects of super typhoon Nina after it hit Bicol in December 2016.
But when super typhoon Nina (international name: Nock-Ten) hit Bicol, Philippines on Christmas Day 2016, everything changed. “Halos di kumain ang pamilyang tulad namin. Walang maayos na matulugan. Walang masilungan,” Biboy choked back tears when he remembered the hunger, rain, and heat after the storm. (Families like ours could barely eat. There was no proper place to sleep on. No shade.)
Biboy is only one of the more than 600,000 children affected by the super typhoon. On Wednesday, 26 April 2016, he stood in front of community leaders and teachers at Libon’s Macapagal Gymnasium, speaking in behalf of Bicolano children. Project EARLi was launching for him and the children affected by super typhoon Nina. EARLi stands for Education Assistance for Children and Rehabilitation of Livelihood Project. It covers 39 worst-hit barangays in Nabua and Bato in Camarines Sur as well as Libon in Albay.
Project EARLi aims to ensure children’s right to education even after disasters. EARLi will rehabilitate damaged classrooms and establish temporary learning spaces in identified schools. More than 9000 sets of learning and teaching materials will likewise be provided. Alongside this, schools and communities will learn about child-centered disaster risk reduction and management, further ensuring that children are always included in preparedness and rehabilitation efforts.
The Project EARLi Launching Ceremonies were hosted by the Municipality of Libon. It was held on 26 April 2017 and was attended by over 160 teachers, farmers, fisherfolks, community officials, and children.
It will run for nine (9) months starting this April until December 2017. Target beneficiaries include more than 9,000 children, over 550 teachers, 750 families, and up to 500 members of the local government. It is implemented collaboratively by Fundación Educación y Cooperación – EDUCO and ChildFund Korea with support from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
“Sa ngayon, tuloy ang aking pag-buo ng mga pangarap na makamit ko ang simpleng ambisyon na makatapos ng pag-aaral,” said Biboy. (For now, I continue dreaming to one day achieve my ambition to finish my studies.)
