#PROYEKTOLapis2024: My Experience As A Volunteer

Before 2024 ended, one of our close friends, Eljen, initiated a youth-led charity-based project. It's called #PROYEKTOLapis. She called for volunteers and donors through social media, so I decided to be one of them. And this is how I spent my last day of 2024 with my friends and people who gathered to extend their helping hands.

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Introduction to Project Lapis

Why is it called Proyekto Lapis (Pencil)? The project's name is as meaningful as its purpose. First, Eljen is an inspiring youth leader who has joined numerous organizations and youth-led activities. One of those activities is RAFI's youth camp. She found inspiration during this camp, where participants were asked to make nicknames based on objects. She chose lapis
(pencil) for its symbolism. Pencils must be sharpened before it can leave its mark. In the same way, children must be nurtured through education to reach their potential. This symbol became the project's name and mission.

She also recalled a fond memory from her childhood. As a child, she was excited when receiving gifts. It left an indelible mark in her heart to share that happiness with the younger generation through something more meaningful and everlasting - education. Through this project, she aims to distribute learning materials paired with fun educational games to help improve 5-12-year-old children's literacy and numeracy skills.

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Preparation and Planning

The project was finally launched on December 31, 2024. I woke up quite early, at about 6 am. The project was set at 1:00 pm, but I'd like to prepare early since my friends and I decided to meet at 9 am. I went with my mother to the market to shop for our New Year's celebration essentials and to buy some coloring materials for the children. After that, I finally went to Citymall to wait for my friends.

It was quite a miracle that I was the first to arrive. I even received some messages from @lizhavesomefun asking me to prepare earlier since I'm always fashionably late. A few minutes later, she came together with our friends.

After we bought everyone's educational materials, we set off to Timobo Covered Court. It was only 10 am, so we were the only volunteers who arrived. Others were still preparing the food and other things needed for the event. The preparation was quite simple. We arranged the chairs, table, and displays. We also cut the logos to be pasted to the educational materials.

During this time, we faced the lack of some educational materials, mainly coloring materials. Thankfully, this project is designed as a long-term initiative so that the missing materials will be provided in the future. We plan to revisit this same group of children every month to build their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Project Launching

Various people united for a common cause to make this project successful. Through social media, volunteers and donors came together, many of whom are peers and friends of the project's head. What was remarkable was that many of us were strangers to one another, yet we quickly found common ground and worked harmoniously as a team.

The project was off to a good start. The project was introduced, and the children were asked to write their names for registration. While the event was ongoing, the volunteers were on standby to assist the children.

After a while, the children were divided into several grades for tutoring. Debra and I were assigned to the kindergarten level. Honestly, it was nerve-wracking. We were inexperienced with kids and worried about how to engage these children with educational games. That's when we decided to start with the basics, the ABCs and colors.

We did our best, and the children were eager to learn. There were timid ones who needed you to reach out and connect with them. Some playful kids prefer not to speak but to play. Some interactive kids are eager to learn. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone. It required a shift in approach and mindset - I dealt with kids, not high school students. Despite the challenges, our shared goal of making a difference motivated everyone. To be able to reach out to the community and help future pillars of the society made every effort worth it.

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The Philippines PISA Results in 2024 and EDCOM 2 showed that children's foundational skills must be strengthened. A nation is only strong with educated citizens, so even with our limited strength, we hope that through this project, we can make a difference.

Proyekto Lapis is still ongoing. Are you willing to extend a helping hand and become a part of this project?

It would be nice to see you soon!