Wednesday, August 31, 2011
TFAP Parents' Seminar
Parents of TFAP Scholars were invited to attend a seminar on health and fiscal management. Dr. Rembert Chavez, a medical specialist, talked about the health of children, and gave practicable and costless health tips to improve the health and well-being of kids. Mr. Tom Faminial of the College of Business Administration of Romblon State University gave entrepreneurial ideas to the parents and encouraged them to practice proper and responsible financial behavior. Overall, it was a successful seminar because the parents were very participative and responsive. It is hoped that the seminar gave them ideas on how to improve their lives and that of their family members.
Helping Students Stay in School
Since 2005, the SKR Transportation and Food Assistance Program (SKR-TFAP) has been providing assistance to indigent high school students in one of the poorest provinces in the country.
Scholars are chosen by school administrators and teachers based on a student’s life situation, family profile, character, and academic performance and potential. The program aims to address barriers to finishing school by assisting the students in meeting their day-to-day needs, particularly transportation and food costs.
_______
Public school in the Philippines is free. However, in rural areas such as Romblon province, many impoverished youth traverse long distances to get to and from school every day (for some, more than 2 hours each way). Other students skip meals because they don’t have the means to buy lunch or snacks, with cases of fainting or chronic hunger. Due to these kinds of day-to-day difficulties, a high number of students opt to drop out of school. While 9 out of 10 children graduate from elementary school, only 7 out of 10 finish secondary school. That means an additional 20 out of 100 children cannot even graduate from high school.
Sulong Kabataang Romblomanon, Inc., or SKR, a non-profit youth organization, wanted to address the main factors contributing to the high drop-out rate of public secondary school students. The organization piloted a Transportation and Food Allowance Program in School Year 2005-2006 at Romblon National High School (RNHS), the largest public secondary school in the province. 50 students from different year levels were selected by teachers and given a weekly allowance. Scholars were met regularly to monitor their academic performance and how they were using their allowance. They also participated in SKR-sponsored activities such as seminars, clean-ups, and tree-planting, which contributed to their personal development and engaged their civic spirit.
The program received positive feedback from the scholars and their parents, teachers, and school administrators. The scholars’ academic performance for that school year was compared with results from previous years; there was improvement, especially among the third and fourth year students. The students seemed more motivated to finish the school year and to do well.
In 2007, the program was expanded to a second high school, the Libertad National High School, the largest high school outside the town proper, bringing the number of scholars to 70. In 2008, the program commenced the inclusion of scholars from RNHS’ newly-established Annex in Mayha that services barangays in the south that are already far from the town, expanding the coverage of the program to 3 high schools.
The students use the stipend primarily on costs related to transportation, food, school supplies, and school projects. Many students have emphasized that without this program, they may not have finished the school year and would have dropped out. 70 SKR-TFAP students have graduated from high school since the program started. They have gone on to obtain college scholarships, opportunities to pursue vocational courses, or jobs that help them support their families.
The stipend is meant to primarily cover transportation and food expenses. It is not meant to cover all of a student’s school-related expenses; rather it should augment a student’s primary financial source.
SKR relies on private sponsorships and donations to sustain the program.
How to be a Sponsor
The cost of sponsoring 1 student for a year is Three Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (Php3,500) or about Eighty US Dollars (US$80). We also welcome partial donations or donations in-kind (e.g. school supplies), as well as contributions for administrative and program expenses. We give the children a monthly allowance of Three Hundred Fifty Pesos (P350).
If you wish to sponsor a student, or if you want more information on the program, you may contact:
Trina Firmalo
SKR Provincial Chairperson
Phone Number: +63-919-9917330
E-mail: trina.firmalo@gmail.com
http://www.skr-romblon.blogspot.com
About the Organization
Sulong Kabataang Romblomanon, Inc. (SKR, or Forward, Youth of Romblon) is a youth organization with chapters in 8 municipalities in the province of Romblon. SKR was founded in 2003 by a group of young people and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2006 as a private, non-stock, non-profit organization.
SKR aims to develop and empower the youth of Romblon so they can have the individual and collective capacities to improve their life situations and their communities. SKR envisions the youth coming together and carrying out activities and projects that are relevant to their needs and interests.
Towards the achievement of this vision, SKR sponsors activities such as seminars, outreaches, sports and musical competitions, and environmental initiatives such as tree-planting and coastal clean-ups. It has also provided educational and livelihood opportunities through partnerships and tie-ups with government agencies and private organizations.
Scholars are chosen by school administrators and teachers based on a student’s life situation, family profile, character, and academic performance and potential. The program aims to address barriers to finishing school by assisting the students in meeting their day-to-day needs, particularly transportation and food costs.
_______
Public school in the Philippines is free. However, in rural areas such as Romblon province, many impoverished youth traverse long distances to get to and from school every day (for some, more than 2 hours each way). Other students skip meals because they don’t have the means to buy lunch or snacks, with cases of fainting or chronic hunger. Due to these kinds of day-to-day difficulties, a high number of students opt to drop out of school. While 9 out of 10 children graduate from elementary school, only 7 out of 10 finish secondary school. That means an additional 20 out of 100 children cannot even graduate from high school.
Sulong Kabataang Romblomanon, Inc., or SKR, a non-profit youth organization, wanted to address the main factors contributing to the high drop-out rate of public secondary school students. The organization piloted a Transportation and Food Allowance Program in School Year 2005-2006 at Romblon National High School (RNHS), the largest public secondary school in the province. 50 students from different year levels were selected by teachers and given a weekly allowance. Scholars were met regularly to monitor their academic performance and how they were using their allowance. They also participated in SKR-sponsored activities such as seminars, clean-ups, and tree-planting, which contributed to their personal development and engaged their civic spirit.
The program received positive feedback from the scholars and their parents, teachers, and school administrators. The scholars’ academic performance for that school year was compared with results from previous years; there was improvement, especially among the third and fourth year students. The students seemed more motivated to finish the school year and to do well.
In 2007, the program was expanded to a second high school, the Libertad National High School, the largest high school outside the town proper, bringing the number of scholars to 70. In 2008, the program commenced the inclusion of scholars from RNHS’ newly-established Annex in Mayha that services barangays in the south that are already far from the town, expanding the coverage of the program to 3 high schools.
The students use the stipend primarily on costs related to transportation, food, school supplies, and school projects. Many students have emphasized that without this program, they may not have finished the school year and would have dropped out. 70 SKR-TFAP students have graduated from high school since the program started. They have gone on to obtain college scholarships, opportunities to pursue vocational courses, or jobs that help them support their families.
The stipend is meant to primarily cover transportation and food expenses. It is not meant to cover all of a student’s school-related expenses; rather it should augment a student’s primary financial source.
SKR relies on private sponsorships and donations to sustain the program.
How to be a Sponsor
The cost of sponsoring 1 student for a year is Three Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (Php3,500) or about Eighty US Dollars (US$80). We also welcome partial donations or donations in-kind (e.g. school supplies), as well as contributions for administrative and program expenses. We give the children a monthly allowance of Three Hundred Fifty Pesos (P350).
If you wish to sponsor a student, or if you want more information on the program, you may contact:
Trina Firmalo
SKR Provincial Chairperson
Phone Number: +63-919-9917330
E-mail: trina.firmalo@gmail.com
http://www.skr-romblon.blogspot.com
About the Organization
Sulong Kabataang Romblomanon, Inc. (SKR, or Forward, Youth of Romblon) is a youth organization with chapters in 8 municipalities in the province of Romblon. SKR was founded in 2003 by a group of young people and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2006 as a private, non-stock, non-profit organization.
SKR aims to develop and empower the youth of Romblon so they can have the individual and collective capacities to improve their life situations and their communities. SKR envisions the youth coming together and carrying out activities and projects that are relevant to their needs and interests.
Towards the achievement of this vision, SKR sponsors activities such as seminars, outreaches, sports and musical competitions, and environmental initiatives such as tree-planting and coastal clean-ups. It has also provided educational and livelihood opportunities through partnerships and tie-ups with government agencies and private organizations.
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