World Vision builds 270-meter cement road to give students easy access to school
The road construction project caters to the need of 256 students. Its construction started on May this year and completed two months after.
“I felt uneasy every time I go to class with muddy feet and uniform. I could not wash it off because the school doesn’t have a proper water supply,” said Maria Luz, 17 years old and a student of the school. “But it is much better now. Going to school every morning without worrying about having muddy feet is encouraging.”
There were also reports of accidents among students walking and riding a motorcycle to school. The project addresses the risk the students had to go through every day.
“Before the road project, the path going to the school was muddy, especially during rainy days. It was hard and risky for students to go to school,” the school principal shared. “World Vision isn’t just improving the quality of the students’ education, but it is also helping these students realize their dreams through this project,” he added.
In the Philippines, road safety is a major issue among students going to schools. According to a study, there is an increasing rate of injuries and deaths related to road accidents. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that more than 500 children have died from road accidents annually from 2006 to 2015. The most vulnerable were those between ages 5 and 9 years old, with an average death rate of nearly 300. In rural areas, road access to school remains a challenge among students. The need to trek muddy and slippery road going to school adds risk to their journey to school.
After the completion of the project, the teachers observe that attendance has improved compared to before.
