The things I discover now that I have changed gears.

I found the Aklatang Pambata website through a button on Jillsab’s sidebar. Its main thrust is to establish, develop and improve community based libraries in the Philippines. Part of its mission is to “make teachers, parents and community members partners in promoting reading in children.”

Aklatang Pambata’s programs include organizing communities to create and man their own libraries and to teach them “how to hold fun activities leading to reading and providing literacy training”. I think the last part is especially important. Adults should learn how to make children appreciate learning by making it a fun and enjoyable experience. Hindi na uso mga terror-type teachers.

What wonderful vision, programs and goal. I feel for this project so much because I can still remember how depressingly inadequate the Caloocan City Public Library was when I was growing up. My mother had more paperbacks than the library books. It was probably that feeling of deprivation that led me to really maximize the use of U.P.’s libraries all those years. It would be good to bring even a fraction of those treasures to children all over the country.

[tags]Aklatang+Pambata, community+libraries, Philippines, children+libraries[/tags]