It has long been our dream to adopt a community and contribute to the betterment of their well-being through our series of projects. This started last July 30, 2022 when we partially delivered some of our donations to the Aningway Sacatihan Elementary School and High School in Zambales. Upon our initial visit, we were able to see how the community was doing amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. Unfortunately, their schools had damaged classrooms, incomplete learning materials, and limited spaces to conduct classes. To alleviate the burden of the pandemic on the community, we donated chairs, whiteboards, television sets, and other learning materials during our initial visit last July 30, 2022. After our initial visit, we decided to meet as a group to better determine what we should donate and how we could help the community we chose to adopt.

Indeed, it is a tiring yet very blissful journey – adopting a community and helping them get back up on their feet. There were so many things we wanted to do, and we decided to take it step by step. Upon our return to the community last August 4, 2022, we executed the initial phase of our plan: to donate necessities to both the school and the community. First, we provided food packs to 160 families along with toys, clothes, and some goodies for the kids. The smiles on their faces as they received our gift showed us just how impactful our actions were. From merely imagining a better life, we were now helping them actualize it through our own little way. Our food pack contained rice grains, powdered milk, noodles, and other important goods.

We also noted that independence regarding the food for the community is an important aspect we should focus on. In our second visit, we gave out 1,000 different vegetable plants to Sitio-Gala Zambales for the families to plant around the community. Through this, they could sell the crops to earn money or use the crops as their food for every day living. These plants will help provide them a source of livelihood and a source of nutrients for their food.

Following the community projects, we also have school-focused projects specifically for the students. Our club donated a Rotary Club of Valenzuela Sunrise PE uniform to 200 students belonging to the Aningway Sacatihan Elementary School and High School. This is to help promote the rotary branding alongside providing proper clothing and other necessities to the children. With this gift, they will be able to have a proper uniform to use for their physical education classes. Alongside this, we also donated bags and school supplies to the children. Education is vital in a country – the children are our future, and it is up to us to ensure that they have a suitable learning environment for them to be the best that they can be. We should never get tired of doing little things for others as it is often these little things that make the biggest difference in their lives.