Efren’s ‘kariton’ wheels out of Cavite to rest of country

The modest kariton classroom in Cavite City that made Efren Peñaflorida the CNN Hero of the Year in 2009 is going nationwide.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with Peñaflorida’s Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) in an alternative learning project that aims to reach thousands of street children across the country.

The project will scale up the mobile classroom program that Peñaflorida started in his neighborhood in Cavite, an education advocacy initiative that brought him international fame.

“If we have a chance to help, (we should not) let it pass. Our collaboration with DepEd will hopefully fulfill our goal to have zero illiteracy among street children,” said Peñaflorida during signing rites at the department’s central office.

“This recognition that DepEd has given us is a big boost for us. You get more inspired to do your work when there are people helping you,” said Peñaflorida.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the project would complement DepEd’s existing alternative learning modes for the out-of-school. It would target some of the 4,000 street children, most of them in crowded urban centers, as found in a census of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“At the end of the day, we should focus on those who are left behind, those who are not able to go to school. That’s the mandate of the President,” said Luistro.

“What we’d like to reach are those students who do not even dream of going to school. We should give them attention first,” he said.

Under the agreement between DepEd and DTC, Peñaflorida’s group would be “accredited” to provide nonformal learning to street children using either its curriculum or the department’s recommended modules.

The aim is to give street children a form of education first, then “mainstream” them into formal schooling, Luistro said. Students in Peñaflorida’s program could take DepEd’s equivalency examinations.

DTC and its volunteers will also train DepEd alternative teachers on the group’s tried and tested methods in reaching out to street kids and keeping them interested in studying.

“Using these approaches, we want to bring back love of learning among children and adults who have lost interest in studying,” Luistro said.

Peñaflorida said DTC was currently hosting up to 600 students in kariton classrooms and kariton buildings in project sites in Cavite, Novaliches, Quezon City and Naga City.

Luistro admitted DepEd had no funds allocated for the initiative, as he asked for contributions. Peñaflorida also called on more volunteers to join DTC as the national roll-out would require massive mobilization in communities.

“This is the time to help them. The more volunteers, the better,” Peñaflorida said.

Interested volunteers may log on to www.dtc.org.ph or contact DepEd’s Action Center mobile number 0919-4560027 and e-mail [email protected].