Books are not just about the pages. A good book can be a lot of things. It can be a gate to a child’s imaginary, magical world, a source of comfort or happiness, and many more! Even though the sky wept that afternoon, we got up and went to Brgy. Botocan, Quezon City to fulfill a mission. We wanted to ensure our children’s literacy program remained alive by giving away free books to the kids. We called an old friend who lives there to see if he could help us find where the kids were. I found them alright, as a spotlight shone on them.
As we were reaching out to their parents for permission to take photos of the kids, one kid noticed the logo on my shirt. I couldn't hear what she was whispering to her friend. But they were smiling (I was, too), stretched across their little faces. Like an upside-down rainbow.
We got the books out of the bag; their smile got even bigger. They got all squeamish, excited, like they'd been eager to read aside from the school workbooks. Seeing the happiness in their little faces is top-notch. We shared a mirrored reflection of joy—the children found theirs in the pages, and I found mine in their smiles.
There was a crying baby who couldn't be comforted, even in his mother’s arms. But the moment we handed him a cute book and a small snack, his tears instantly stopped, and my heart was full of joy.
We came across the Youth Council Treasurer, Ira (or as we call them here in the Philippines, Sangguniang Kabataan or SK for short); she was delighted to have heard about our purpose. Ms. Ira is thrilled to show us around the community; she mentioned that there were events for kids and a lot---and I mean A LOT of kids showed up.
We've moved on to another area of the Barangay where Ira told us there could be a lot of kids. When we got there, it was some kind of another epiphany for me. There they were, happily playing.
"Pwede po kumuha ulit ng isa pa?" the young boy asked me. I said yes; he wouldn't be joining the queue if he wasn't interested, right? And him asking for another book is such a heartwarming moment. I just wish we could've brought more books.
The sun has set, and we're walking back to the tricycle terminal; the kids we first saw was still outside. Each one of them is reading the books we gave them, sharing insights, switching books with one another. It is really fulfilling to see that they were reading the books.
This little adventure has given me the feeling of hope and joy. I came home feeling fulfilled and accomplished.