Step Forward: Give the Gift of Education

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

Posing for a Back-to-School Moment with my Mom and brother. 

I was born in the Philippines on November 8. I spent my elementary school days there until I moved to Australia and finally settling in the USA. I was born into a Filipino family of power and privilege. Excellence was an expectation in my every action, and no expense was spared when it came to education to ensure I had the tools to succeed and exceed expectations. This may sound like a ton of pressure to place on a child, but these are the responsibilities you are dealt with when your family is in politics and when your mother is the World's Fastest Reader, and an educator who has made it her life-long mission to help in building the nation of the Philippines by teaching students that reading is the key to learning and success.

Looking back as an adult, I consider myself extremely lucky that I had access to the finest education in my home through my mother. People from all over the world, went to great lengths to study with my Mom. Her business was based in our house - Calderon Reading Workshop, was a wing of the house and along with the classroom came our private library collection (that eventually extended to line the walls of our family's living space), that was stocked with a diverse and updated offering of resources the local and private school libraries envied. Put it this way, it was perfectly acceptable for my neighborhood friends to camp out in my house to do homework, especially research assignments, because of our library. We were also a household on the cutting edge of technology - several typewriters, and personal computers, which was a big deal in the 80's! 

During my formative, elementary school years, I was my mother's #1 student, and I took advantage of all the educational tools and equipment at my disposal in the comfort of my home. There was never a moment in my life when I thought that access to the best education the world had to offer would ever be unavailable, or impossible. I was always told there were no limits to what I could achieve, if I could dream, plan, and work hard I can always reach and succeed. I did just that spending my high school years in a top private school in Australia, then moving to the USA to study at Oberlin College, a top private liberal arts college and world class conservatory of music. I also was fortunate enough to train at Juilliard and the University of Cincinnati's - Conservatory of Music, and take part in various young artist workshops all over the USA. I loved my school experience and can confidently say that my professional achievements today are a direct result of everything I had learned and explored in school.

Celebrating my birthday at school in the Philippines, hosted by my Mom (far left).

On my birthday last year, the most powerful storm in recorded history to make landfall, ripped through the Philippines. Super Typhoon Haiyan impacted around 16 million people - including 5.9 million children - and left 6,300 dead and four million displaced. Having survived many storms, flooding, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as a child in the Philippines, it's hard for me to imagine a storm so powerful could completely flatten an entire area, and leave people with nothing but devastation. Filipinos are a resilient people, we are used to weathering many natural disasters and we bounce back pretty quickly. But Typhoon Haiyan was different, it left nothing but ruin. Nearly a year has past and the rebuilding efforts are progressing slowly amid the ruin. 

Aerial view of Guiuan Philippines, showing the damage left by Super Typhoon Haiyan.
Photo Courtesy of Operation USA and the City of Guiuan. 

My brother spent months in the devastated areas as a volunteer. He helped coordinate evacuation, emergency relief and rebuilding efforts in the neighboring city of Tacloban. I witnessed the change in him, and was also affected by his stories and pictures. I really wanted to find a way to help but I felt discouraged to hear stories about government corruption and red tape in releasing international funds raised by global non-profit organizations and governments towards the relief efforts. I wanted to get involved but wanted the reassurance of a partner organization that guaranteed that all fundraising efforts would go directly towards making an impact on rebuilding efforts in the Philippines.

My brother (gray t-shirt and sunglasses) helping bury the first batch of victims in Tacloban Dec 2013. 

I’ve learned in my life to never question how the universe works, and just believe that all things happen for a reason.The universe gave me an answer a few months ago while I was sitting at the Metropolitan Opera House, watching the retirement performance of one of my favorite ballet dancers with American Ballet Theatre. Somehow from that performance and the power of social media, I met Stella Abrera, Filipino-American Ballerina Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, who founded Steps Forward for the Philippines. Stella and I became instant friends, and a few months later, we are taking steps forward together...

Steps Forward for the Philippines is a charitable fund, created by Stella Abrera, dedicated to serving the educational and creative needs of children in the Philippines. Our goal is to raise $30,000, which will directly provide educational tools and equipment to motivate and help the elementary school children of Guiuan succeed. We have partnered with the disaster relief organization Operation USA, who is currently on the ground helping with the rebuilding efforts in Guiuan, which include building quality infrastructure for the area's children.

Why is this so important?

Child labor rates are rising in the typhoon-hit areas. According to the Associated Press, a joint assessment conducted in April 2014 by the International Labor Organization, the United Nations, the Philippine authorities, and others, found that "54 per cent of 112 surveyed villages reported that children were involved in harsh and dangerous labor, with 39 per cent of them saying the number of such children increased after the typhoon struck... The joint assessment said 82 per cent of villages reported that the children had volunteered to do harsh work to support themselves or their families.“

Increasing access to education for the children affected by the typhoon is a top priority in combating the rising child labor rates. The current conditions for education are sometimes verging on hazardous. Many classes are held in overcrowded, makeshift schoolhouses, and supplies are scarce. These children desperately need a safe place where they can dream, create, learn, grow and heal. They've been through a horrible nightmare and deserve a chance for a brighter future. 

Three of the main schools in Guiuan, after Typhoon Haiyan.
Photo Courtesy of Operation USA and the City of Guiuan. 

Make-shift school house in Guiuan, Philippines. A tent and salvaged chairs and school desks from the rubble.

Photo Courtesy of Operation USA and the City of Guiuan. 

Here's how YOU CAN HELP...

1. Donate your FB Status to help us spread the word. 

"I'm taking Steps Forward for the Philippines to help children gain access to education. Join me bit.ly/StepsForwardPH" 

2. Make a Donation 

I hope you would consider donating to our cause. It doesn’t matter how much you give - every dollar counts and I guarantee that every penny you give directly goes to helping a child gain access to education in the Philippines. 

Donations are being accepted by visiting the website: http://bit.ly/StepsForwardPH.

All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law through Operation USA. 

My Mom's mantra to me and her students growing up "Read. Read. Read. It's your passport to success." Indeed, reading is the key to greater learning and a progressive and mature citizenry, and that's my mother's life-long mission to ensure all her students win the race of life through education. The gift of education is the best thing my mother ever gave me. Access to education is a basic necessity to our survival. For 100 million children around the world, school is just a dream and you can help make these dreams a reality for several hundred children.

Please join me and my friend Stella Abrera, and our partner Operation USA take Steps Forward for the Philippines. 

Thank you for reading and sharing. 

Please also follow Steps Forward for the Philippines on Facebook and Twitter @StepsForwardPH

About OPERATION USA:

Founded in 1979, Operation USA helps communities alleviate the effects of disasters, disease, and endemic poverty by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction, and development aid throughout the world. The Los Angeles based non-government organization offers material and financial assistance to community-based organizations that promote sustainable development, leadership and capacity building, income generating activities, education, health services, and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable people. Learn more at www.opusa.org.

Richard Walden, President and CEO of Operation USA, is available as an expert source on disaster recovery.

Operation USA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by U.S. law through Operation California, Inc.  Operation USA is a d.b.a. of Operation California. Federal Tax I.D. #95-3504080