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GFF HELPS EDUCATION GROWS ITS WINGS

GFF HELPS PHILIPPINES EDUCATES INCLUSION

GFF HELPS PHILIPPINES CELEBRATES “BUWAN NG WIKA”
(NATIONAL LANGUAGE MONTH)

GFF HELPS PHILIPPINES COLLABORATES WITH NEW SCHOOL

Buwan ng Wika, or National Language Month, is celebrated in the Philippines each August to honor and promote the use of the Filipino language. This celebration is crucial for students as it helps them develop a deeper appreciation for their national language and cultural heritage. For our activities in schools, the team prepared a coloring poster featuring Filipino themes and a list of Filipino words. Younger students enjoyed coloring the posters, while older students practiced spelling Filipino words.

We observed that many students struggled with spelling Filipino words and often wrote English words instead. This difficulty is partly due to the influence of English in their entertainment and daily life. We see Buwan ng Wika as an excellent opportunity to highlight the beauty and importance of the Filipino language, reinforcing its value and encouraging students to embrace and use it more actively.

Grade three students of Sigcay Elementary School are showing their posters for the National Language Month celebration.

Estancia Elementary School, our new partner, has selected 15 students from Grades 1 to 3. During our first meeting, we introduced ourselves and presented our projects. At our second meeting, we provided name-tracing worksheets for Remedial Lessons and introduced Chess and Scrabble for our Sports Project. This marks a successful beginning for our collaboration.

GFF HELPS NEPAL ADDRESSES ENVIRONMENT IN EDUCATION

“WATER CYCLE” PROJECT AT BALKUMARI SCHOOL

August is the last month of the rainy season here in Nepal. During the rainy season, there are floods and landslides in suburban and remote areas along with increment in urban flooding. The Kapan area where Balkumari School and our local partner organization “CDS” are located is also prone to urban flooding. Mostly the children are at risk. So, we planned a session for the students of grade 4 of Balkumari School regarding the water cycle, urban flooding, and safety measures to follow during urban flooding around their areas.

On the day of the event, there were 47 students in total. and we were assisted by Ms. Sushila Shrestha; a science teacher at Balkumari School. We had prepared a 3D water cycle model. The session started with interaction with the children. Then the 3D model was shown and an explanation of the water cycle was given. The session was very interactive because of the curious students.

In the second half, a story related to urban flooding was shared, along with the safety measures that the students can apply in case of emergency. Then an animated video related to the water cycle was shown to the students and the session ended with a distribution of candies to the students.

SPREADING JOY: COLORING BOOKS AT SRIJANSHIL SCHOOL

On 20th September GFF Helps Nepal reps went on a mission of spreading happiness through coloring books to the children at Srijanshil School which is located in Naikap. The school provides educational facilities to the children with special needs. The idea to distribute coloring books came during our previous visit at the school. The teachers at Srijanshil School shared with us that the children enjoy coloring which will also assist in hand mobilization of the children.

So we distributed coloring books, colors and story books at Srijanshil School after getting approval from Mr. Saom Namchu. The students were really happy to see the drawings and being able to color them. The students followed our and their teachers guidelines while coloring. We could see pure joy and laughter in their faces which proved that the initiative of providing them color books was really fruitful for the students. We had wonderful interaction with the students about their favorite vegetables, fruits and favorite colors. At the end of the session candies were provided to the children. We went there to support children’s learning, but we came away with a powerful moral lesson: no matter how tough life gets, we can find joy in the smallest things.

READ, WRITE, RISE: ADULT LITERACY CLASS

Adult Literacy class was initially started for the mothers of “SEEP” which stands for “Self-employment Education Program” initiated by the Child Development Society “CDS”. Later, when GFF Helps partnered with “CDS”, the Adult Literacy Class was handed over to GFF Helps Nepal Representatives; Ms. Aarakshya and Ms. Namrata on September 2023. In this Adult literacy class, the mothers learn the English language and Ms. Pramila and Mrs. Sanam are taking the class.

The popularity of Adult literacy classes is increasing and mothers from the local community are also joining the class. In the August month, five new mothers joined the Adult Literacy class. Currently, the 40th week of Adult Literacy class is running. The timing of the class is as usual from 11 AM to 1 PM every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

In August, the mothers learned about the colors and vegetables in English. They also learned to make sentences using those words. They were given class assignments as well as home assignments. Mothers were also given a turn each to read the learned topics from the board during every class. Mothers also wrote those words on the board all by themselves. Along with that mothers were also provided with colorful worksheets. These worksheets were used for evaluating the understanding of mothers and the mothers were also provided with copy and pencil as a gift appreciating their effort.

Mothers also have a Facebook group where the study materials, videos, and photos of the learned topics are uploaded daily. The concept of making a Facebook group emerged when the mothers expressed that no one assisted them in studying at home after the Adult literacy class since every family member gets busy with their work. The mothers also expressed that even if they wanted to study they would forget how to pronounce the words correctly. After being provided with study materials on the Facebook group, mothers were able to learn whenever they want and they gave positive feedbacks as well.

This September mothers learned about the names of fruits and sentence making using those names. They also learned about WH questions and learned about self introduction. The mothers are provided with worksheets, home assignments and class assignments. The assignments are checked and regular feedbacks are provided. Apart from that mothers are also practicing dialogues with their classmates. They also read out the learned topics aloud in every class. All these activities have boosted the self-confidence among the mothers.

GFF HELPS INDIA PROGRESSES WITH MOBILE LIBRARY

MOBILE LIBRARY IN BONG, CHIBBO, AND PUDUNG

GFF Helps India conducted a successful Mobile Library session at the SOGG Learning & Information Centres located in Bong, Chibbo, and Pudung. This initiative was part of a broader effort to foster a love for reading and enhance literacy skills among children in these communities. A highlight of the session was the “Read-Aloud Challenge,” where children took turns reading passages from their chosen books. This activity not only improved their reading fluency but also built confidence as they spoke in front of their peers. The Mobile Library session has had a significant impact on the children at the SOGG Learning & Information Centers. The fresh set of books and the engaging activities provided a unique opportunity for the children to immerse themselves in reading and storytelling.

Joe FisherGFF HELPS EDUCATION GROWS ITS WINGS