Quota Cares Month—Honorable Mention Winner
Quota International of Manila

Caring and service happen when people look outside of themselves, and some of the most important work can take place when people cross social boundaries and truly embrace "the other." The Quota club of Manila did just that with their Quota Cares Month project, providing a reading center and lunch program for Pita Elementary School, which serves an indigenous, isolated population in Bataan.

The Aetas live in Dinalupihan at the foot of Mt. Malasimbu, and because of their ethnic roots and physical appearance (they have curly hair), they have become marginalized in their native Bataan. Families often lack sufficient food and shelter, and children rarely receive much education. Only 10 percent of Aetas can read and write, and many of the children who do make the seven kilometer walk to school don't complete the elementary level.

The six-month lunch program began in September and ran through the academic year, ending in March. This contact inspired the Manila Quotarians first to install a deep well and hand pump next to the school in November 2006. The Mayor of Dinalupihan joined Quota members to pump out the first drinks for the Pita School children.

The success of this venture brought the Quotarians' attention to the in-class, educational needs of the school, which then had 442 students and no library. A raffle ticket fund-raiser ran from November to February to support the program, and club members gathered donations of books, bookshelves, and even electric fans.

All this work culminated in the March 22 inauguration of the Pita School Reading Center. In addition to students, teachers, and Manila Quotarians, the guest list included many officials from Dinalupihan and Department of Education and Culture District Superintendent Flordeliza Magday.

Three women who took part in Quota's work with the Pita School are now interested in club membership, but the most valuable part of this project is its continuation. Manila Quotarians are still collecting books to stock the Reading Center and are planning story-telling sessions to get the children interested in reading.

To read or print the club's winning application, click here*.

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