Teacher Cherry

Crislyn Felisilda - Posted on September 24, 2010

Sponsored child Cherry, 16, a college freshman, has observed that some families living in poverty in Himaya place little value in education. By teaching younger kids on the weekends, Cherry wants to inspire the younger generation to appreciate education as an antidote to poverty.

Instead of spending her free time like other children her age, sponsored child Cherry, 16, loves to spend time with little kids on weekends. She tutors more than 10 kids ages 5 to 10 (sponsored and non-sponsored) in how to read and write. “I am happy to share my knowledge with them,” she says.

Cherry’s tutorial times focus on reading, math, and science. She also teaches the basics, like identifying shapes and animals. Being with the kids often, she realized that teachers shouldn’t be too academic, in order to better retain their students’ attention. “I encourage [the] kids’ creativity through arts, including fun activities that will bring out the best in them. Because of these activities, they’re learning to overcome their shyness,” she adds. “They also enjoy speaking Filipino (Tagalog, different from the local Karay’ a) and a bit of English, too.”

Usually, Cherry gathers her kids on her wooden porch. But, if a great number of kids come, she holds her tutorials under a tree. “When we do outdoor tutorials, [the] kids have a blast,” says Cherry. “They roll around in the grass and pretend they’re lions in the savannah. They also spot birds and other animals in our surroundings.”

To avoid losing her patience if the kids misbehave, Cherry thinks of how patient her teachers were with her. “That gives me the patience to deal with hyperactive kids,” she said. She tries different approaches with them. One kid, for example, likes to talk and tell her stories. “I just let her talk for a while before I proceed with the tutorial. They are young kids, after all and I was once like them,” she says.

After a 20-minute tutorial, the kids are rewarded with boiled banana or camote (sweet potato), prepared by Cherry’s mom, Tessie, 42. “The kids always look forward to snacks,” she shared.

Cherry makes no money from her tutorial sessions. She’s inspired to tutor kids for free since she has personally experienced financial difficulty herself. Her father, Eugenio, 40, works as a company security guard and, like many other villagers, he also does farm labor on the weekends. Her family used to stay in the town proper but they’ve since retreated to the hinterlands to live closer to the farm. “As the eldest, my family is expecting me to be the breadwinner when I finish schooling,” shares Cherry, with consideration for her younger siblings Carlo, 14, Zei, 13, and John Michael, 8.

Cherry’s thankful and relieved to be a World Vision sponsored child. She regularly receives the critical school supplies, bags, uniforms and transportation allowance that keep her in school, despite financial difficulties. Now in college, World Vision shoulders half her tuition fees.

Her sponsor, Cathy Church, sends Cherry letters which inspire her to excel at school. Cherry also receives gifts sent through World Vision. When she graduated from high school, Cherry received a gift of new clothes, shoes, and sandals purchased locally through Sponsorship’s gifting function. “I thank Aunt Cathy for her generosity,” she shared. “My sponsor inspires me to achieve my ambition to be a teacher.”

Cherry continues her journey with her young tutees. “I’m more encouraged by their enthusiasm,” she said. “I pray that these kids will finish their studies through college, in order to overcome poverty.”

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