Distribution of Educational Packs Stirs Hope in Youth from Leyte

The coronavirus pandemic has brought global economic damage, and many people are left feeling helpless in the face of widespread suffering. But the compassion and generosity of people are never more evident than during a global crisis.

One year following the national lockdowns and suspension of face-to-face classes, FundLife remains on the ground, assisting those who are helplessly in need, especially the vulnerable children. With no exact date on when face-to- face discussions would resume, the children and youth are left with no choice but to face and endure more weeks and months of answering their modules without their teachers close supervision. The uncertainty in the quality of education they get seems to climb high. It has significantly taken a social, emotional, and academic toll, and some children are thinking of just dropping out of the school year. Learning and development have been interrupted and
disrupted for millions of students in the Philippines.

With that, FundLife tries to address these concerns, thinking about what's best to close the gaps in the education
sector. With the support coming from the organization Sport at the Service of Humanity (SSH), FundLife reached a total of 50 families or 291 individuals during its stay-at-home educational packs distribution that included not just school supplies but also food items and hygiene kits on March 26, 2021, at Brgy. 105 San Isidro Suhi, Tacloban City and Brgy. Libertad, Palo, Leyte. The distribution activity was part of the community sessions culmination through FundLife's new Normal Educational Festival in both barangays.

Inspired by His Holiness, Pope Francis, SSH is a global movement dedicated to promoting all faith and sport positive values to unite communities, inspire youth, and better serve humanity. Staying true to their word, the SSH, in partnership with FundLife, reached 50 children and their families from vulnerable communities with the stay-at-home educational packs' distribution. The children who received these packs are the players under the small-based group community-based sessions conducted by FundLife weekly.

The educational packs included essential school items like pencils, ball pens, bond papers, plastic envelopes, coloring materials, and the most important thing nowadays: the load cards worth Php300. Having a connection to the internet is a must-have nowadays, but most students can't afford to buy load cards that they could use, hence, the need to address the said concern.

Further, the parents are very thankful to both SSH and FundLife for helping their kids. Also included in the educational packs are the stay-at-home activity packs, which had fun and interactive games and activities which the children can do, especially during this pandemic. The activity pack was designed to provide psychosocial support to children as they hurdle their school modules while staying at home. The activity pack combines both learning and entertainment, which the children badly need nowadays. As one child shared, The educational packs are already a big help to our family. It includes school supplies for me and we were also provided with load cards. It's useful for us who rely on the internet nowadays to answer modules. Thank you to FundLife and SSH for not hesitating to help those who are in need Also, one parent expressed how grateful her family is because of the food items included in the pack since her husband lost his job because of the pandemic. Having nothing to rely on but their vegetable garden, the food items are already a huge help.

To date, FundLife continues to work with international donors to support the most vulnerable communities through initiatives designed to help these communities bounce back and recover from the pandemic's adverse effects. FundLife is grateful for the collaboration with Sport for Humanity and the Australian Government, making these Stay- at-Home Educational Kits possible.