By Noralyn Dudt
When people
actively seek out opportunities to assist others in need, it's called volunteerism.
Volunteers make considerable and continuing commitments to provide
assistance, and sustain these commitments
over extended periods of time, often at
considerable personal cost.
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That's exactly what Alphonsus de Alban and his wife Kimberly did when they founded St. Philomena School Kids' Comfort Zone in 2008. They and their co-founders were driven by a purpose to offer quality educational services to children with disabilities. The school started as a "pro-bono" private Special Education Center and because of the lack of facilities offering special education programs, they then applied for permit to operate as a school. . Today, St. Philomena School is government- recognized, accredited by the Department of Education and is a thriving institution catering to students with diverse needs like autism, ADHD, DS and intellectual disability, as well as those who are considered neurotypical. The Founders of St. Philomena School made it their mission to provide a safe and conducive learning environment to these socially- challenged students so that they grow into self-determined individuals. To reach that goal, the school provides a variety of learning opportunities. Simple tasks such as setting goals, making plans, and guiding them to make the right choices on the goals they set for themselves may not seem scholastically challenging but such tasks are life-savers for these socially-challenged youth. The teachers and mentors lovingly provide a setting where the students are guided but still can develop without too much interference so that they can grow into responsible adults and become assets to their families, their neighborhoods, their communities and beyond.
St. Philomena School has
just celebrated its 14th graduation ceremony, a testament to the
dedication of the teaching staff and the power of teamwork with the school's
Founders. Marilao, a town in Bulacan province
where St. Philomena is located is surely becoming a better place; lives are
being changed, and it's simply because a very godly couple, their families and friends had acted on a vision—a vision that those with learning disabilities can thrive
just as well if the curriculum is structured to their needs. It's their
conviction that these children should be accorded equal opportunities to
empower them to reach their highest
potential, the very beings that surely their Creator would want them to become.
The power of teamwork in
volunteering is also exemplified by a small group of like-minded people who
founded the Reading & Mentoring Center in Claveria, Cagayan in 2019. Ten
civic-minded folks had the vision that a Reading & Mentoring Center could
make a difference in the lives of the youth. The love of reading was to be encouraged as reading would broaden
the horizon of a young mind and enhances
his/her critical thinking skills—skills that are vital to making the right
judgement when faced with choices that could impact one's future. As the
Founders believe that the youth are the future of the community, they
should be guided and nurtured by the
community.
To implement their goals, the founders decided to hire a coordinator,
someone who should be very knowledgeable and who is capable of organizing
activities that would promote the love of reading. As a result the “Reading
EnClave” has been successful in conducting essay writing competitions for high
school students, spelling bees for elementary students and summer reading program for those whose reading skills needed
improvement. Other mentoring activities are in the pipeline. The Reading Center is open five days a week
and it's well-stocked with a variety of books and educational magazines,
puzzles and boardgames for all ages, in
Science, History, Geography, Math, Travel, and Culture.
The cost of daily operations and stipends for the coordinator and
facility manager at the Reading EnClave come from the founders themselves.
However, several benevolent folks have come forward with donations of books,
electric fans, computers, copier machines,
and other materials that the center needs to successfully implement its goals.
The phrase, “it takes a village to raise a child” was popularized
by Hillary Clinton in a book that she authored when she was First Lady of the
United States. It is supposed to have originated from an African proverb that
conveys the message that it takes many people ("the village") to
provide a safe, healthy environment for children where they are provided the
security they need to develop and flourish, and to be able to realize their
hopes and dreams. But then, what happens if the "village" does not
respond in a way that does not nurture the child? What happens then when the parents of the
child do not want the "village" to get involved? What happens then when the
"village" does not have the resources to keep up with the demands of
today's world in raising a child? It is then, I believe, that volunteer groups
like the St. Philomena School in Bulacan, or the Reading & Mentoring
EnClave in Claveria, Cagayan can make a great impact.
We say to the community, "we are all in this together."
The folks at St. Philomena School and at the Reading EnClave are reaching out
to our youth and they hope that benefactors will reach out to them. We are the
community and our youth are our future.
Noralyn Onto Dudt decided to write this article when she learned what St. Philomena School was all about. As one of the Founders of the Claveria Reading & Mentoring Center, she hopes that others will be inspired to share this vision/mission.