Reaching Out to Kids in Pag-asa Island

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Helping others doesn’t have to mean amassing funds that could change their lives. I believe that it could start with a single pad of paper and a single pencil.

Through the help of the Philippine Air Force Airlift Team, my friends and I were able to send help to students of the far-flung Pag-asa Island of the Philippines. The school supplies were donations from people who believe that education doesn’t have to be difficult or boring especially for children who live in a very remote area.

Pag-asa Island is considered the Philippine’s final frontier and is part of the Palawan Group of Islands. Residents who stay there have very limited connection to others. Each teacher is stationed there for 3 months and caters to multi-level students. It means that, in their classes, different grade levels are mixed. Even more challenging is the fact that school supplies could run low and they will need to wait for a few weeks again for military forces to replenish their supplies.

Hearing the story about these children from a soldier friend, I decided to initiate the gift giving. We bought school supplies with the cash gifts. Soon, when my friend informed me of the scheduled mission, I handed the goods over to them.

When he sent me the photos of the kids looking very happy with the small token we gave, I felt very happy. Perhaps we were not able to give a lot but the little that we had, shared with those who need it, can do so much.

PS
To adhere to military protocols, I need to cover the face of my friend. 🙂