In the Philippines all school children are required to wear a uniform in order to attend school. Kids of all ages (even college) wear a uniform and every school’s uniform is different.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays the children come to the church building after school for our After School Program. On this special Tuesday, there wasn’t any English or Math lessons given, instead there were lots of smiles and pride as the children went with Mom and Gepher to the market to buy their very own brand new uniform.
The children’s excitement was contagious. Not only were they excited to be getting their school uniforms but they were excited to be shopping for new clothes. Most of these children do not get to go shopping for new clothes. These children are actually they lucky to have clothes that fit properly and are without holes or stains.
Mom helped the children one by one try on their uniform shirts and pants/skirts. We measured them and made sure the fit was just right. We wanted to make sure every child felt they looked their best. The better they feel about themselves the farther they will go in school!
When the children returned to the church building with their bags filled with new clothes, the smiles lit up the entire room. Kids that don’t usually smile were smiling! The gift of a new school uniform made these kids feel loved and special. This is exactly how every child should feel!
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