Adopt a Classroom, Peace Initiative by the Asia America Initiative

Reprinted From The Asian American Initiative 

   With Permission From Director Al Santoli

 

The Adopt a Classroom project for Jolo in Mindanao, Philippines is a joint collaboration between the Muslim Women Coalition, based in New Jersey, and the Asia America Initiative in Washington, D.C. This project is focused in Jolo, Sulu; the most impoverished area in the Philippines, located in Muslim Mindanao and threatened by al-Qaeda terrorists. Sulu ranks at the bottom in all categories of health, education, and employment. It leads the country in infant and child mortality and has a 65 percent school drop-out rate by the 6th grade. Through the Adopt a Classroom project, you can provide basic classroom materials to help deter violence and terrorism through building hope in the community, starting with rebuilding schools and hospitals.

 

When Director, Al Santoli, first arrived in Sulu province in mid-2002, he found overcrowded schools with 60 to 90 children in windowless classrooms in sweltering tropical heat with no running water or restrooms, practically no textbooks and only 1 chair for every 6 or 7 children. Nurses often do not receive money for salaries or medicine for months and usually have to buy small supplies of aspirins and anti-acids out of their own pocket money. The local hospital, which serves 250,000 people, had less than a half-cabinet of medicines, no electricity, and routinely performed surgery without any type of anesthetic.

 

Currently, the Asia America Initiative, in partnership with the Muslim Women Coalition is providing direct support for some 25,000 students through more than a dozen schools from the pre-school level to college. Throughout the two years of the program, there have been no acts of terrorism based on religious conflicts. A number of classrooms now have chairs, desks, and even some computers. However, much work is yet to be done.

 

Your generous support is an inspiration to the children and their families in Jolo, who are looking for a better future filled with happiness instead of violence. Education is the key to their success.

 

List of supplies needed:
 

	Pencils
	Pens
	Papers/ Notebooks
	Rulers
	Erasers
	Plastic containers with school supplies
	Markers
	Chalk
	Crayons
	Water colors/ Paints
	Paintbrushes
	Colored pencils
	Flash cards
	Stickers
	Educational posters for elementary schools
	Coloring books and story books from pre-school to 4th Grade
	Math/ Science/ English text books for High schools
	Toys/ Building blocks for pre-schools
	Lab equipment -- goggles, microscopes
	Over the counter children's medicines -- band-aids, Tylenol, Vitamins etc.
	T-shirt/Caps -- the weather is very hot and humid all year round in Philippines
	Letters/ Personal Photos/ Videotapes of lifestyle in USA

To take part in this project, please send all materials to:

Asia America Initiative

1523 16^th St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20036

 

Financial contributions are also welcome to purchase supplies in the Philippines. For more information regarding the Adopt a Classroom project, please send your email to administrator@asiaamerica.org

 

Thank you for your generosity and support.

 

Your friends at the Asia America Initiative,

 

Al Santoli, President and Director

 

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I will be communicating with the organization to get additional information about sending Letters and Photos etc, perhaps I will create (once I have info) a Gather Pen Pal program for Peace and as a group we will work on sending letter to people and students in these very very poor communities.

 

You're Friend,

M. Emmett Townsend