Feed the Hungry, Inc. endeavors to help feed the hunger for knowledge and education among the poor children and youth in the Philippines. In partnership with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), scholarships are given to deserving elementary, high school, and college students, CFO screens scholars and facilitates the grants.

The Books Program continues to welcome partners in our efforts to supplement the Department of Education mandated books to all schools where FTH has built classrooms. As of last count, these schools come to about seventy plus schools. The need is always great, the work tremendous. Feed the Hungry, Inc.’s Books Program has also been supporting the educational needs of various institutions in the Philippines.

Scholarships

Feed the Hungry, Inc. (FTH) recognizes that education plays an important role in escaping generational poverty. Many families experiencing extreme poverty consider education a luxurury and even those who value it can find it difficult to afford. FTH, in partnership with the CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas) and other partners, provides access to education through scholarships to poor but deserving students at the elementary, high school, collegiate and vocational levels. It is the hope of FTH that the scholarship program will assist students in realizing their dreams and reaching their full potentials.

Scholars for the school year 2016 -17:

Lewis College in Sorsogon
1. Baeza, Nikki Joy- BS Information Technology, 1st year
2. Bernal, Armbel – BS Information Technology, 3rd year
3. Desacula, Ailyn- BS Elementary Education, 2nd year
4. Detecio, Kimberly- BS Business Administration,
major in Financial Management, 2nd year
5. Espiner, Jade – BS Information Technology, 1st year
6. Gaspacho, Wilfred Ceasar- BS Information Technology, 3rd year
7. Janer, Reynel – BS Elementary Education, 2nd year
8. Lagutin, Fatima’- BS Elementary Education, 2nd year
9. Polan, Ahmad- BS Informat ion Technology, 2nd year
10. Toea, Joyce Marie- BS Elementary Education, 3rd year

Negros Oriental State University
1. Bayawa, Chelsie Rose- Associate in Medical, Dental, and Nursing Assistant, 2nd year
2. Bulaybulay, Chariz- Associate in Medical, Dental, and Nursing Assistant, 2nd year
3. Lumingkit, Jessa Mae- Associate in Medical, Denta l, and Nursing Assistant, 2nd year

Books

The devastating Typhoon Haiyan of November 2013 left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands without shelter, food, and basic necessities. In January-February 2014, as we visited the devastated areas, we found fear stricken faces of children, tearful teachers and frenzied citizenry trying to put their life back together.

Fifteen months after Haiyan, in February 2015, we went to a school named Tapaz Elementary School in Capiz, a province which had its share of Haiyan devastation. We went to Tapaz to inaugurate a two-classroom building, brought books and school supplies and backpacks to some 900 students, hosted the whole school to a Jollibee lunch, met with the teachers and their able principal to find out what more we can do for them that day. We travelled very far to get to this place called Tapaz, expecting people in a rush to tell us their sad and scary Haiyan experiences. Instead, as we arrived right outside the school gates, we find a sea of children holding up colorful paper banners they made themselves to welcome us, to give us thanks. Who said we were there to give? Wrong. They gave us more with their happy smiling faces, and welcoming hearts and minds.

Books Program Year Five has to be most rewarding one yet. It was rewarding because we saw firsthand what five hundred plus books can do to a school that was left with practically nothing after Haiyan. Haiyan or not, we saw and felt first hand, that books and materials are basic to every child wanting to learn. Their eyes glittered with excitement as they saw the new and colorful books they can hold and read. A couple of young students remarked, “Wow, we can have a real reading class again where we can choose our book and share what we have read to everyone in class!”

In Tapaz, we saw with our own eyes what Haiyan had done to a school library ripped apart by the typhoon and the termites that continue to bring havoc to the remaining walls and water-logged bookshelves. Inwardly and promising nothing aloud, we (the FTH volunteers) told ourselves we shall return and somehow make this Library right again. And we will! We continue to earnestly supply books in English, Math, and Science.

The opening of school year 2016 has brought a major change in the Philippine school system with the K-12 Program. Feed the Hungry, Inc. has adapted to that major change by donating DepEd (Department of Education)-mandated books. All of our donated books are curriculum books with the exception of reference books given to teachers.

With our other program, Infrastructure, where we build classrooms and libraries, the books program comes handing hand – together, we try to complete the help we are able to extend.

Here are the implementations we did for the Books Program for 2016:

• Tapaz Elementary School in Tapaz, Capiz – Donated 150 DepEd-mandated books for pupils and reference books for teachers of Tapaz Elementary School Library built and donated by Feed the Hungry, Inc.
Target Population: 950 Pupils

• Kabangbang Elementary School in Bantayan Island, Cebu – Donated 45 DepEd-mandated books for pupils and reference books for teachers of the Kabangbang Central Elementary School at the Inauguration and Turn-Over Ceremony of the Kabangbang School Stage donated by Feed the Hungry, Inc.
Target Population: 500 Pupils

• Sillon Integrated School in Sillon, Bantayan Island, Cebu – Donated reference books for teachers of Sillon Integrated School.
Target Population: 15 Teachers

• Del Carmen National High School in Siargao, Surigao Del Norte – Donated 78 DepEd-mandated books for students of Del Carmen National High School and 20 reference books for teachers.
Target Population: 800 Students

• Bungsuan Elementary School in Dumarao, Capiz – Donated 124 DepEd-mandated books and reference books for teachers.
Target Population: 800 Pupils

• Dayap Elementary School in Calauan, Laguna – Donated 78 DepEd-mandated books and 35 reference books for teachers.
Target Population: 600 Pupils

• Magtuod Elementary School in Magtuod, Maa, Davao City – Donated 96 DepEd-mandated books for pupils.
Target Population: 500 Pupils

• Batanes Elementary School in Basco, Batanes – Donated 70 DepEd-mandated books for pupils.
Target Population: 400 Pupils