Kiva Stories from the Field

By Sloane Berrent, KF8, Philippines

“Tell Ma’am Sloane about your recent project.” Sir Rexon asks Sir Ronnie while we sit having lunch on Talim Island in Binangon, Rizal, where I am visiting an ASHI branch for the day. Everyone here goes by Ma’am and Sir as a sign of respect.

This island, is the 12th and final stop on the small transporter boat from Morong, and one of ASHI’s strongest branches and most remote. No cars are on the island, only tricycles (motorcycles with sidecars) and the main thoroughfare’s fences in front of the houses are painted with a scene of a garden that stretches the equivalent of 3 city blocks. The rest of the world feels far, far away.

I think the project is going to have something to do with this branch, I’ve heard all about how this branch gets books donated to the schools and how ASHI has a strong social development program to help the ASHI members learn financial literacy, good parenting, how to strengthen their community.

I’m wrong. It turns out Sir Ronnie saw on the news last year a story about 10 children on a small island called Magalundi Island about 100 meters from Ilio-Ilio City on the Panay Island.

These 10 children were reported as swimming to their elementary school, Binon-An Elementary School, in the morning and home in the afternoon because there wasn’t a canoe or boat to transport them and no school in their island.

There is a commercial boat, but the hours start after they have to be at school and end before they are finished for the day.

“But what about their books? Their uniforms?” I ask incredulously.

Sir Ronnie tells me they put their books and uniforms in plastic bags and buried them in the sand every day. “They couldn’t do their homework at night,” he tells me, that is the one thing that stood out most to him.
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