“School feeding not only fills stomachs, but has a proven track record of boosting enrolment, attendance and academic performance. For just pennies a day per child, this program changes lives – and ultimately can impact the futures of poor children around the world in a profound way”. – Drew Barrymore

Indeed feeding at school as almost everybody can see how great help it is for the children in their health especially for those who are underweight. Before I dreamt of being one of the candidate for the feeding program because I was really after the food funny to say but that was what I always have on my mind until I knew that it’s not a joke to be there. Then on I started appreciating the fact that I was not included. Not to say it’s a bad thing to be on the list but the thought that it is only for selected underweight children is not good too. Anyway, being with the children was one of the best blessing I ever have.

I feel so happy seeing them above all when they can finish there dish, it’s so overwhelming to see that they are really responding well to what food was given to them even if sometimes they are looking for hotdogs, chorizo, nuggets and all commercial product they used to eat at their house. It hurts us too seeing other children excluded to list watching them eating while they don’t. So sometimes what we do when everybody’s done, we let them in to eat from the food that were left from the feeding, and we call them our “adopted children”.

The school we are assigned to now is near a squatter-like area where there are many families living. It is beside the port and most of the families living there has a number of children wherein they cannot really support. Those children we allow to eat after everybody are somewhat part of those families mentioned above.

I, together with Ate Dodie and Ma’am Carmen the Cater serves the children from 11 to 12 noon. Gladly the teacher who was assigned to the feeding program has been a very devoted to St. Francis, her name was like mine too Mrs. Josefa that made us more common to each other for us was actually a good thing that we were able to move comfortably in her room.
I am very grateful for I am able to experience this kind of service for others. In this program I have realized myself before when I was a child on how our parents brought us to what we are now, I couldn’t expect that we come up to be a healthy children though we are five children in the family. And this inspires me to somehow take care of the young children since they are intrusted in our care. Allow me to thank you Sr. Marvi and to the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor for letting me experience this once in a lifetime encounter with the people of God here in Dumaguete Philippines.

Maria Josepha

Published: 10/02/2020