Being a child leader

As of March, there are more than 10,000 classes that are doing in-person classes nationwide, the Department of Education said in a press conference.  The number includes both private and public classes, and mostly from areas that are under Alert Levels 1 and 2.

With the inevitable in-person classes, students who have been studying at home for more than two years have to prepare to go to school again.

Are they excited?

“Not really,” Ryza says laughing. “There are nice and not-so-nice things about studying at home. When we are just studying at home, there are fewer expenses on the part of our parents compared we are going to school.” These expenses may include transportation and meal allowance, uniforms, school projects and materials, and other school fees.

Ryza continues, “What’s not good about studying at home is that you have lesser interaction with your teachers. If we have questions, we ask them. There are many of us asking questions, so it takes time for teachers to reply sometimes.”

She and her classmates and teachers oftentimes communicated via an online platform. “Even me and my school friends are communicating online.”

When not doing homework, she spent her time reading, listening to music and watching vlogs.

Ryza has been a World Vision sponsored child for years. Her mother, Lyn, has become a World Vision volunteer who has been helping staff in monitoring the children in their community.

“Since becoming a World Vision sponsored child, I’ve been joining a lot of children’s activities. One activity that is memorable for me is a children’s event held in Tagaytay City. It was my first time to ride an airplane and be far away from my parents,” says Ryza referring to World Vision’s three-day Spiritual Nurture for Filipino Children seminar.

The seminar gathered children from more 20 provinces and cities where World Vision works. “I’ve met a lot of children there from other places. I also remember that we held a cultural night where we showed different traditional dances,” she adds.

Ryza’s experiences attending World Vision activities made her more confident in herself and opened her eyes that helping others is an important contribution an individual can do. “When I grow up I want to be a doctor so I can help heal the sick,” she says.

Before the pandemic, Ryza was an active child leader in her community and school. She used to be part of her school’s chess club and a member of an environmental student group. Now that restrictions on youth and children are easing, Ryza and her fellow child leaders plan to conduct a feeding program and tutorial for children.



Related Stories