Paaralang Pantao Good News

I forgot to share some good news. Jay informed me at the end of May that the Swedish volunteers returned to Erap City in April/March. And they were happy with the progress of the school building. Initially I think there was some miscommunication with them and Tita Letty. Think they were expecting a larger school area and Tita was also planning the same thing just that due to problems with labour they saw only a small space when they came so they withdrew their continued donation. But they came back again in April and finally saw what they had wanted for the school. So now everyone is happy. Miscommunication has been resolved and the volunteers have given the money needed to top up the 3rd floor of the school. Finally the school will soon have a roof and the kids can use the 3rd floor for lessons too.

The school was quite desperately in need of financial help at the beginning of the year and I was going round also trying to get help for them. But many people whom I approached are not willing to help in the completion of the school, simply beacuse they had heard of fly-by night charity organizations that make off with the donations. The cost needed to complete the building is less than SGD10 000 which is not much when converted to euros. In pesos, it would be near impossible for the school to raise that kind of money. Also Jay has made a wise decision to engage the services of qualified buidlers rather than rely on help from distant relation. When relatives help out of their goodwill, it's difficult to say no to them, they may not be as experienced and it would be difficult to get them to meet datelines.

So now we can look forward to setting up a clinic on the 3rd floor and perhaps a library for the kids.


a daiily scene. scavengers young and old working on this mountatin of rubbish earning what they can to get by for the day.


Children of Paaralang Pantao (Erap City) looking their best at a school gethering where a wealthy Chinese lady has prepared staionery to give away.