Let’s make poverty part of history

Make poverty history. This slogan has echoed around the world. Poverty sure sucks. A study conducted by Brandeis University Center on hunger and poverty found that children who experience food insecurity and frequent hunger are ill most of the time, prone to ear infections, possibly suffering from iron deficiency anemia, and hospitalized more often than other kids.

That is why there is an urgent need to stop the spread of undernutrition. If you’re unsure how to do your part in this, perhaps you can learn some gems of wisdom from Cebuana Lhuillier, which has launched a program called "Ang Galing Mo, Bata!" Part of the company’s community relations program, it is Cebuana Lhuillier’s way of giving much-deserved importance to the Filipino children and their future. A brainchild of Cebuana Lhullier’s dynamic executive vice president and general manager Jean Henri Lhuillier, the program aims to provide complete nourishment to a vast number of Filipino children from "Ang Galing Mo, Bata!" is a feeding program done in partnership with the Brilliant Minds Day Care Center in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City . Today, this center is proudly enriching the lives of young students who are fortunate enough to be one of the first recipients of such a generous care package. The program’s "givers" have, so far, included volunteer employees from Cebuana Lhuillier itself, representatives of the Caloocan City Department of Social Welfare and Development, along with barangay officials and media guests. For a whole day, these generous souls give out nourishing snacks to the young students while sharing hearty laughter with them.

If you knew what the people in Bagong Silang had gone through, you’d probably understand why something this simple can brighten up their day.

The population of Bagong Silang is approximately 500,000, most of which are believed to be children. The place, a resettlement area for the urban poor, was, at one point, part of the Tala Estate that is governed by the National Housing Authority. Today, it’s no longer just an area for relocatees. It’s now a place built on the foundation of hope and strengthened by love and care.

To date, 60 enrollees, aged four to six, have taken part in the "Ang Galing Mo, Bata!" program. The program started just four months ago and already, much positive change can be seen in the children. There has reportedly been a significant increase in these youngsters’ eagerness to come to class. More, a monthly monitor of the children’s weights has revealed a healthy improvement in them physically. Also expect positive results from Barangay Pulong Cacutod Angeles City Day Care Center in Pampanga where a similar program was launched last July. Indeed, such results are very inspiring and hopefully, even more hearts will be moved and take action.

For as long as there’s a malnourished child who needs to be fed and nurtured, I believe "Ang Galing Mo, Bata!" will keep on going. Fact is, plans to widen the program’s reach are already underway. The program is expected to take place in Pasig, Cebu, and Davao within a few months and other key cities may well be the next recipients. As always, these feeding programs will work to enrich the lives of Filipino children. More than nourishing the body, the programs will also focus on education, values development, environmental consciousness, and progress through sports.

So much work remains to be done to help secure a good future for the youth of this country. The Filipino youth may prove to hold the key to the country’s progress. If given hope now, they would have something good to bring to the future. Then can we truly say, "Ang galing mo, bata!"

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E-mail the author at ice_wave_42@yahoo.com.