RAZZLE DAZZLE

 "If someone listens, or stretches out a hand,

 or whispers a kind word or encouragement,

or attempts to understand, 

extraordinary things begin to happen..."

--Loretta Girzartis 

Last month I posted a list of names that belong to friends who were (and still are) founding supporters of One Candle Schoolhouse. For the past thirty days I have been sorting through reams of photographs, stacks of CD's, and wallowing through ancient folders from long-defunct laptops, determined to find one special picture I have of Jim and Jamie Richter. That photo, taken in January 2004, was of them standing amidst the happy hoard of students who'd planned a going-away party for them, in the still-under construction rooms where OCS had seriously begun Saturday school. I have given up on locating that picture, but the two faces above have exactly the same joyful radiance they had then, almost ten years ago. Jim and Jamie truly were with us from the start, arriving in Port Bonbonon aboard their s/y RAZZLE DAZZLE, the same year (2002) that Saturday classes had casually begun as summer school for a few local children. At that time, we didn't even have a name, or a building of our own, or even knew we'd soon be needing one! During the time that the Richters still lived aboard their boat, they participated as teachers to the children while Bill and I were in the States, providing them with their first exposure to professional photography lessons and giving them 'throw-away' cameras afterwards. Their next project was to solicit the donation of TWO Macintosh computers, a printer, and about a hundred educational CD's!

click here to read Jim's Journal

The list of their donations goes on and on--books, tools, art supplies, mounds of dried foodstuffs, household goods, (recently, two MORE cameras, with lenses--professional quality, too!)--but undoubtedly the most significant were the funding of two college scholarships.

Roy, Cornelia (widow), Ivy

Roy, a recent high school graduate, became One Candle Schoolhouse's first recipient of the opportunity to attend College. Roy wasn't able to complete a full course in law enforcement, but does now have a respectable position as a Security Guard, and responsibly supports his young family.

The following year, when Ivy graduated from high school, the Richters again offered to sponsor a college education, but this time for Ivy. And, because they "stretched out their hands,"extraordinary things have happened...

Jamie congratulates Cornelia

2009 Graduation

Ivy elected to major in Secretarial Science, finalizing her last year's requirement of On The Job Training (OJT) at Great Physician Rehabilitation Foundation, for Children with Disabilities, in Dumaguete. Immediately hired to work full time as a bookkeeper and librarian after graduating, she soon began assisting the physical, occupational, and educational therapists. 



Ivy with Gabrielle

 As GP Rehab's funding began to wind down last year, Analou Suan, Founder/Director, arranged for continuity of services for their client families through local municipalities while Ivy secured for herself another place of employment.  Her dream, however, was to bring those same services back to her own rural community...

 (from a recent email: )

     "...I've just spent the morning talking with one of my former students, IVY, who is so dedicated to helping the Special Needs families in our area that I am continually re-inspired to hang in there with the community work. She has asthma, which is aggravated by not only working in an air-conditioned environment, but living in Dumaguete, too. Bad air. She works at a call center, rotating her shifts weekly, 6am-2pm/2pm-10pm/10pm-6am, and then on her one day off, Sundays, she comes back here to tromp around the back-bush finding families of Children with Disability. 

     Today she told me she's asked her mother to donate some of their land so she can build a Center where livelihood skills can be taught to those capable of it, train locals to be Physical Therapists to teach parents how to give proper exercises, as well as be a resource for education/diagnosis for the locals who are in need of help with their children. I had visited her in order to get a photo of of Jim and Jamie Richter, who'd funded her college education, because I had planned to FINALLY give them their long-overdue Thank You blog posting...but in checking emails quickly, I looked at a Grants Newsletter I subscribe to, I was thrilled to find something I think we can apply for, for her! It's a thousand dollars, not as much as she is going to need but that goes such a very long way here it could possibly be enough to begin the basic building ...certainly it would be enough to begin getting medical help for some of the kids..."

 Since last December, Ivy has steadily pursued her project,

 
methodically using the skills she gained at GP Rehab to interview and assess families, 

while listening carefully to the dreams the parents want for their children's future.

 Her project has a name:  

OPEN DOOR HABILITATION

Last Sunday, May 12, 2013, Ivy's first classes were held in Siit and Bonbonon, at the two Bright Lights Community Learning Centers.

...and there is much more to come!

Jim and Jamie, daghang salamat for all that you helped make possible.

A Special Season

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be

 and you help them to become what they are capable of being." 

-Goethe

Vilma Bravo and Lilia Tuason

Earlier this year a new, bi-monthly magazine was launched in Dumaguete. It is a beautifully assembled magazine and it's name is DAYON,  the brain-child of Edilberto 'Burt' Bravo whose desire was to share his appreciation of the unique qualities inherent in the people and environment of Dumaguete and Siquijor Island.  Wisely, he chose his sister, Vilma, and her equally talented friend, Lilia, to give substance and shape to his vision...and luckily for us at the two Bright Lights Community Learning Centers, our supportive friend at GuavaTel, Fred Dael, immediately put Velma in touch with us!  

What makes DAYON stand out from other glossy magazines is not just the photography, but the humanistic quality of writing:  there is never any doubt that these two women are genuinely interested in, and stimulated by, everyone they meet.  In September they visited the two BLCLC's and, appreciative of our need for support, the November /December's Christmas issue featured us along with other worthy causes during this Season of Giving.  

In addition, Vilma has not only generously promised to send a PDF copy of the article so we can post it to our blogs, but in parting donated a stack of educational materials and her own digital camera to the students! Lilia, bless her soul, taking copious notes about our land needs before returning to Manila, was equally generous in offering her expertise to us, for writing grant proposals.

We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful circle of friends who are 
helping us to become all that we are capable of being.

(Please select 'FULL SCREEN' icon above, to read the article)

Halelujah!

 Many of us think we are different. 

But few believe they can make a difference.  

 --Suhasini Paul

Every year since the first Christmas was celebrated by One Candle Schoolhouse students, Patricia and Alan Lucas have sent gifts for the children, gifts selected over the previous months as Patricia came upon items she felt were right for each of the students she'd come to know through emails and this blog. When OCS evolved into the two Bright Lights Community Learning Centers, and the enrollment grew beyond those children she knew, other ways of supporting us were found.  Last year their financial donation made possible a feast for the student's Christmas Party.  This year, learning of the Livelihood Program of Hand-Painted T-shirts that had begun (2TKTees), Patricia ordered fifteen, individually designed, Philippine Flora and Fauna shirts for every member of her family: 

Oh Diane,
We arrived in Point Clare late yesterday and Kevin appeared almost straight away with your/our parcel! It was a wild moment to open the glory box and exclaim as I took each one out! They are beautiful each and every one, she (and you) have excelled in producing such gifts for all our family. I can't praise you enough I am so excited and can't wait to hear how they are received. I will try and include a photo I took of the quote from your email with a photo of Shane Mae which I will include with the shirts when I wrap them.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
My love overflows,
Patricia

2 sent to Italy

7 of the 15 in Australia

Support on Facebook

Tata Stack is an imp; a mischievous, spot-on observer of humanity, sparklingly intellectual conversationalist, and a passionately loyal advocate for anyone who has a cause. Annabelle Lee-Adriano introduced Tata & Simon to the work of Bright Lights Community Learning Centers and immediately Tata began organizing a fund-raising campaign.  Tata and Simon are truly special friends.  Here is the link to her generous project: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tatas-Designer-Bags-and-Shoes-Sale/181847211896531

...and here is a quick link to a post for Simon, on the Learning Center's blog:  http://wp.me/plKNg-7I

...plus only a few photos of his numerous projects in his weekly help as a Guest Teacher:

The Bill Pool Sailing School

     judge a man, then, by that

     against which he must strive

     against what

     if not this soft night

     and the wind and sea

     against the myth

     he must become

     and his own will

     the ocean waits

     to measure or to slay me
     the ocean waits

     and I will sail

                         --Webb Chiles

We owe the whole program to Doug Schuch, an American sailor from North Carolina who arrived aboard his 47' yacht, FELLOW TRAVELER, earlier this year.  He specifically sailed to the Philippines, to Port Bonbonon, looking for a Community to immerse himself in, and it didn't take him more that a week to become an active and intregal part of our two Learning Centers! 

Doug taught photography initially, then moved to swimming and sailing for the kids.  The three dinghies he built specifically for the students to learn not just sailing, but boat building and maintainence, too.  The boats are here to provide others, also, with an opportunity to enjoy sailing, while generating a small income for the Learning Centers.  

On Sundays, Doug helps the kids rig their boats and set off, then Renato Dela Cruz (co-director of Bonbonon BLCLC) assists the students from another dinghy, as they learn to handle the boats themselves.  

Doug was kind enough to make a motion (passed) at our first Board Meeting of Bright Lights Community Learning Initiatives, Inc, that the name be the Bill Pool Sailing School, to honor Bill's memory in the founding of One Candle Schoolhouse.

We're cook'n now!

Irmgard Krepela

"We are here to add what we can to,

not to get what we can from, Life."

--Sir William Osler

 Our long-time "Austrian Angel", Irmgard Krepela, recently returned to visit our newly constructed Learning Center in Siit, bringing with her a truly heavenly donation from her family: Funds for  the construction of a much-needed kitchen!  

Since September of last year, the cooking of our Saturday Feeding Program has been outdoors over a wood fire, with preparation and dinning on make-shift tables...

 ...but under Irmgard's personal supervision 

the Bright Lights' efficiently modern kitchen was completed in record time

and now hearts as well as bellies are filled with gratitude:

Again, THANK YOU for your open hearts and generous donations:

Christina Stahl                    Helga Krepela                       Mathilde Strobel

Along with Irmgard Krepela's gift of a full kitchen to the Siit BLCLC, Gunther Wegricht's equally generous (and much-needed) donation of a Printer/Scanner/Copier has brought bright smiles to students' faces as well as furthering their literary and artistic enterprises....

Brightening the Path

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

This motto was selected by the BLCLC Teams as the theme for their joint Fund Raising Program over Valentine's weekend, and it was exemplified by the generous support given by:

Siaton Mayor Ator

Chris Koeppel Family

Valery Dyb

CPO Armardo L.Egina

Jamie & Nikki Ingram

Francisco A. Palalon

Julia (& husband Seigfried)

Charly & Mely Kandera

To read the full story please click here

Renewable Dreams

Dreams are renewable.

 No matter what your age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within you 

and new beauty waiting to be born. 

--Dale E. Turner

Last Saturday night, February 12th, as I sat in the front row audience taking pictures of the fund-raising performance by the two Learning Center's students, I was overwhelmed by the realization that the vision posted in September of 2008...

"It has long been my dream for One Candle Schoolhouse to move out into the local community, to be more accessible to both children and adults, and to be run by Filipinos themselves."

...had truly come into existence largely because of these people:

 

...Thank you, Bonbonon and Siit Team Members Annabel, Renato, Analie, Lilith, Evelyn, Jesslie May, Shane Mae, Janefel, Aljendra, Madeleine (visiting DED volunteer Inez, from ANIMO).

Watching the performance, the sudden realization of my dream for One Candle Schoolhouse gave only momentary pause about no longer being needed. I felt not loss but joy, recognizing I was now free to transition more fully into the next phase, the Livelihood Skills Program...and for the first time since Bill died, I was excited and infinitely grateful to feel renewed energy for my private dreams as well!

Grand Opening - Siit Campus

"Are you in earnest?  Seize this very minute: 

What you can do, or dream you can,

begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Only engage and then the mind grows heated. Begin and then the work will be completed."

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Christmases - Past and Paster

Be assured that any worthwhile action
will create change and attract support.

--Philip Marvin

2010 was the second year Dumaguete's MetroPost publishers, Alex and Irma Pal, donated clothing to One Candle Schoolhouse, enabling families along the Bondo Road to have a merrier Christmas. Adding considerably to the Pal Family's gift, was the generous donation from John and Genelyn Carson.  The Carson's donation enabled the purchase of 75 kilos of rice, a monster sack (nine cubic feet) of used clothing purchased from local ukay ukay proprietress, Virginia Espina, at a discount, and numerous bags of semi-healthy snacks for the children.

Christmas 2009 was only three months after Bill died, and though there was much to be grateful for, posting any of it was beyond my abilities at that time.  However, there was a multitude of events that were captured in not only a newspaper article, but a slide show made of all the related activities and presented to the over twenty donors that made all of it possible. Here is the story that was published in the Metro Post:

THE MANY FACES OF CHRISTMAS, 2009

Not often visible are the ripple-effects of spontaneous acts by those who help the less-fortunate.  Nor can we imagine beforehand how significant our efforts might be when we simply “finish the job.” This Christmas I was privileged to witness individual events that became a chain which led to an unexpected blessing for a family in need.  I offer this story as a gift for everyone, but particularly those who made it possible...

It began when Irma Pal, offering condolences and desiring to support the work Bill and I had begun at One Candle Schoolhouse, asked if she and Alex could donate clothing to the rural students of our evolving Bright Lights Community Learning Center in Siit.  When an enthusiastic affirmative was texted back, Irma opened her address book and within days was inundated with huge amounts of nearly-new clothing, shoes, books and toys from twenty-two generous families of Dumaguete.

In the meantime, after attending a recognition ceremony for International Volunteer’s Day, it was decided to deliver an excess of cooked rice to the thirty-seven abandoned and orphaned children of Sto. Neno.  Though also a member of ONCAN (Oriental Negros Children Advocacy Network), it was my first visit to their premises.  While the rice was being delivered inside, a swarm of curious children plied those waiting in the car with excited questions.  My heart was particularly taken with a girl who, through a painfully misshapen face, radiated the largest smile.  “These children have good house parents,” reported Karen Gados, Peace Corps volunteer for Casa Esperanza as we drove away, “but they’re struggling; the kids need more vitamins.”

“Maybe a Christmas Party with gifts would be nice, too?” I wondered, thinking of the one planned for the students at Siit, and brought the question back to Irma and to Siit’s BLCLC director, Evelyn Bucad. 

 “Yes!  There’s more than enough clothing!” said Irma; “Yes! The students can bring their entertainment” said Evelyn and, upon seeing the vast amount delivered by the Pal family to Tambobo, Evelyn and her two volunteer assistants (Gina and Annabel Jandog) plus five former OCS students (Regine Cuevas, Jandie Palarpalar, Jilly Mae Palallos, Honey Antonio and Phebe Joy Palamos) immediately began sorting and wrapping everything.  But not just for the Siit and Sto. Neno children--which now included the fourteen residing at Casa Esperanza and the nearly forty Special Needs children of GP Rehabilitation--but also for the sister-students of Bonbonon’s Bright Lights Community Learning Center as well as the indigent families along Bondo’s old Spanish road!

A week later, listening to a proud recounting of how the Siit students were participating in sensitivity training exercises so they could assist the GP Rehab children with games during the December 26th party, John Carson pulled out his wallet and handed over four thousand pesos to help feed everyone and buy gifts.  (In addition, he and his wife Genelyn, arrived at the party with even more toys.)

The Dec. 22nd & 23rd Christmas Parties of the two Learning Centers were every child’s dream come true when the multitude of gifts passed into their hands.  For Bonbonon’s BLCLC  it was especially significant, as it also celebrated the success of a year-long struggle to finance construction of their building with a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

December 26th’s Christmas Party, staged with games and performances by the students of Siit for the children of three ONCAN organizations, was joyful beyond imagination.  To open the festivities, Siit students asked all the other children face them--whether standing, being held or in wheelchairs--then everyone danced and sang in unison to “Nobody But YOU!”  Games of competition were played between more songs and dances, then the abundance of gifts were distributed and opened.  While plates of spaghetti were devoured (prepared by Casa Esperanza’s Linda Gesim), Vanessa Teves and her son Vito rounded out the day’s events with individual bags of sweets for the children. 

Now comes the confession:  Dec.24th had found me exhausted and resisting the drive into Dumaguete to pick up the last box of clothing that the Pals had not been able to cram into their car with all the others.  I’ll even admit to thinking, “Bondo people don’t know I was planning to deliver those things tomorrow; I could do it Sunday, after the Sto. Neno field trip...”  But I remembered last year when Bill had been so insistent and excited about bringing food and clothing to them, so--grudgingly--at three o’clock Phebe Joy and I climbed in the car and made a whirlwind trip to get the box.  It actually wasn’t as hard as imagined, which surprised me. 

Christmas Day.  Morning steps were again slow and deliberate, paced to minimize returning stress, so it was noon before the car was loaded and the drive down Bondo Road begun.  I had no companion and was concerned about my limited language skills. Thus, when an articulate young woman appeared within the first group to receive gifts, I asked if she would accompany me.  Her name was Jing.  She was from Cebu, visiting her husband’s family for the holidays. 

Walking alongside the road as we approached the next house was a woman and two children.  The mother was carrying a small bag of seed corn in her arms.  The daughter, perhaps seven, carried her baby brother on her back.  As I got out of the car I noted how dirty and ragged-looking they were.  The little girl talked animatedly to Jing, the mother remaining silent throughout the encounter.  Translating, Jing told me their older brother had gone crazy.  “Then he burned down their house.” she said, “They have nothing left but what they are wearing.”   We gave extra gifts of clothing, books for the boy and girl, plus money to help with other needs.

As I watched them continue the short distance to where they would stay, I was stunned and shamed to think how narrowly this family almost missed receiving so many people’s generosity by my tired wish to postpone gift giving until after Christmas.

This experience has been humbling and inspiring, impressing me deeply with the realization that we never know what the results of simple acts of conscience might be. 

I offer this story as a public gesture of appreciation:  if Irma and Alex Pal had not been moved to donate clothing, if the families Antonio, Bigay, Ponce de Leon, Dato, Miciano, Sanglay, Adriano, Siao, Tomimbang, Arbon, Veloso-Antoino, Uy, Academia, Mascardo, Regalado, Lim, Rodriquez (Southdale School), Diaz, Gravador, Raymond (Villacora, Bautista, Martinez), Renacia and Mendietta had been too busy, if the Carsons and every other man, woman and child who participated in the series of linked events leading up to the sharing of so much goodwill had all been too tired...then how much duller, smaller and unconnected, the lives touched by their gifts would have been.

Annabelle Lee Adriano

Real generosity toward
the future
consists in
giving all
to what is present.

--Albert Camus--

A belated Thank You, Annabelle!

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by 1candleschoolhouse

Through the windows of One Candle Schoolhouse we can gaze out over the entrance channel to Port Bonbonon and see the end of the dragon-like tail of Antulang Peninsula. Several times a day the sightseeing vessel, the Annabelle Lee, of ANTULANG BEACH RESORT carries guests to and around the upper basin where cruising yachts are anchored. It was there in the upper basin, in the bamboo cottage at the end of a dock where One Candle Schoolhouse began, that Annabelle first visited our school. Busy schedules and the long drive between our two places have restricted frequent get-togethers but since that time--and more than once!--the crew of Annabelle Lee have been dispatched to deliver gifts to the students of OCS, from Annabelle herself.

Despite our infrequent meetings, Annabelle's generous friendship has remained a constant. Via email she helps us with websites of interest, encourages displays of the student's cards and crafts in the resort's gift shop, and offers support for special student's needs. We have much to be grateful to her for but because our internet connection is extremely slow, until now it hasn't been possible to either email the student's PowerPoint Presentation, or to post it to the blog.

I am happy to have found a hosting site that allows the children's animations to remain, but have yet to figure out how to delete the extra slide presentations that come after ours, so in the interest of avoiding further delay to honoring our friend, I will publish it as is and change it later...

A Marga Melange

"To truly be inspired for great work, you need to know that you're making a difference. That you're putting a meaningful dent in the universe. That you're part of something that's making a difference and that your role in that something is significant. . . "

--David Heinemeier

In this long-overdue return to posting I am going to rely on past emails to present the bountiful influence of Peace Corps Volunteer Marga McElroy to One Candle Schoolhouse. The quote above was chosen in response to a conversation we'd had when I tried to thank her for the many lesson plans she'd created and donated to us. Because her assignment hosts had not known how to take advantage of her vast knowledge and energy, she'd felt ineffectual until her self-motivated projects found a home within our school.

At this writing, Bill and I are again in California for sudden medical reasons, which means that I cannot be with Marga a last time before her assignment ends, in August, when she returns to the East Coast. However, the good news is that being away from the school now provides me with the time to return to updating blogs, so I will start with Marga, her passion for learning, the meaningful 'dent' she made upon us at the school...and my sincere expression of love and respect for a wonderful person.

On Tue, 4/28/09, Betty Halliwell <bettyhalliwell@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Greetings from Books for Peace. Marga McElroy informed me that you could use a shipment from us. Please see the attachment.

Our website address is <www.booksforpeace.org>

Marga had written:

Diane Pool in Brgy Tambobo, Siaton has One Candle School House, her own project where she uses art to teach kids crafts, writing about their illustrations (& vice versa),life skills & self esteem thru their art works. She would LOVE books on drawing! She does a 8-5 scool on sat yr-round at her house for nearly 20 kids (theres a waiting list) & a satellite learning center where they older kids teach the younger ones sun mornings at Siit barangay hall then they are actually BUILDING a learning center at Bonbonon Brgy. She had 90 kids show up for the 3 day/week summer school! Amazing! Chek out the web site or blog whatever--Onecandle school.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 9:34 AM<poolbilldiane@yahoo.com>wrote:

"(Dear Barbara)...the turning over of the school to the Learning Centers takes much more of my time than I'd anticipated, but is worth it. There are leaders emerging, and I'll paste a bit of a letter I just wrote to my relatives, telling them about the opportunity for getting books from the states for our libraries. It will fill in somewhat our activities. If I ever get back to our blogs, you'll see it pasted there, too:

Dear Aunt Maxine, Larry, Vicki, Michele, Danielle & Kyle -

Yesterday's email to you was probably confusing as I was pressed by an unexpected call to attend a Bonbonon Barangay meeting to discuss the need for more volunteers and donations, to continue building the Learning Center, but I think you could follow it from the successive emails attached.

It was an impulse to add all your names--born of your previous offer, Aunt Maxine, to send another donation. Your first made our Working Student program possible but I know the tax deduction makes it easier, so when you'd offered again, I'd not wanted you to do more. until we could offer that. However, when this opportunity popped up I immediately thought of you and how appropriate it was since you were the main influence for my love of books!...and then I thought of all you others who have also expressed interest in our school, and since Books for Peace is located so close to you it seemed a way to make it more real, more viable, to help us.

I have often quoted Tracy Kidder's observation about the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, in Haiti, about "Lives of Service need Lives of Support". Betty Halliwell and her husband are providing a much-needed service--not only to us, here, but many other places so it seemed a way to let others know about the work they are doing, in case you or someone else could possibly support her and us at the same time.

The forward below gives information about how Betty's system works. If you check the website, you'll see that it is connected to Peace Corps volunteers. I became aware of it because last weekend, Peace Corps volunteer Marga McElroy stayed with us and taught all the volunteer teachers for both Learning Centers how to teach a PowerPoint Presentation on Bio-Diversity.

Actually, it was also a lesson in how to Teach Interactively; not just lecture students. What is so fantastic about this is that the majority of "teachers" we have for the budding Bonbonon Center are our One Candle students! Ethel is the youngest--she's thirteen.

There were fourteen in all that Marga spent the morning with: eight who are still in high school; two former OCS students but who are now college scholarship students (entering 3rd year, 2nd year); two unemployed high school graduates who are starting our Working Student program; Gina, from another team of Working Students who is nearing the end of her Program, and Evelyn, the woman who took charge of establishing the very active Si-it Learning Center. Janefel (graduating Working Student) and Renato (#1 handy-man) were both working elsewhere Saturday, but they are my two right-hand persons for the Learning Center project.

When the group came downstairs after Marga had made her presentation to them (exhorting them to not think of themselves as simple volunteers, but as real teachers, LEADERS), it was breath-taking to see the light in their eyes. Igene, in particular--a seriously worried young woman needing employment and trusting that volunteering to help create a school will eventually provide an income--was actually relaxed and laughing spontaneously! It was amazing. And very touching.

While they were upstairs, I had one of my best days ever downstairs, teaching eight students the power behind both Literature and Paintings, with the fantastic material about National Artists that Marga had supplied; none of us had known that Rizal was inspired to write his revolutionary book, Nolie Me Tangere, after Luna won a Gold Award in Spain for the painting, Spoliarium. Imagine! A painting inspired a revolution..."

I would like to add here that because of the materials Marga provided, which included three story books that were based upon paintings by Luna, Zobel, and Amorsolo, several important breakthroughs were made with the students. The most pleasing to me was when, after reading a few pages from Boy With A Kite and Ragamuffin Kid, I noticed a distinct disinterest in Girl At The Fruit Stand. When I asked why they'd lost interest, they said it was "boring." Probing further for specifics, they revealed that the character was not as interesting as the first two because her problems weren't very compelling.

This discussion was the first where a thoughtful analysis and a voicing of their opinions came easily, confidently. This is revolutionary, because previously the students have been reluctant to express themselves independently for fear of 'being wrong'. Marga's introduction of the books, the unusual lesson plan of utilizing a famous painting as a springboard for creating their own original stories, broke through the conditioning.

BRAVO, MARGA!!!

...and now, here, is the book information Marga has brought into our lives that is so vital for the continuing growth of these students and I hope that visitors to this blog will be inspired to support BOOKS FOR PEACE and the good they are doing:

--- On Wed, 4/29/09, Betty Halliwell wrote:

Dear Diane,

Thank you for your enthusiastic response. Marga has told me that my shipment for your work should be sent directly to you, so I need your delivery address for my shipping company, Manila Forwarder. (A P.O. Box won't do.) The first shipment to a new address is limited to one box, so that box should contain as many samples as possible in order to get reactions which can guide selection of contents for a larger follow-up shipment.

Donations to Books for Peace are tax-deductible and are very welcome. They can be sent to Books for Peace, 13646 Hartland St., Van Nuys, CA 91405. (To let your aunt know what she is getting for her donation: Thanks to the shipping company's discount for shipments of donations, I pay $23 for shipping each box, including insurance, Customs clearance, tracking, and delivery to anybody anywhere in The Philippines. Charges are based on the size of the box; my box can weigh as much as 80 pounds, depending on the kinds of books being sent.)

Volunteers also are very welcome, since they can do things which take my time and strength and thus prevent me from getting shipments out as fast as I need to.

Prepare a wish list, as comprehensive and detailed as everyone wants to make it. An important tip: The Books for Peace inventory comes primarily from the discards of schools and libraries, and our materials for classroom use (such as reading anthologies) are usually in much better condition than our discards from libraries (such as popular children's books).

Best wishes,

Betty