Bright and bubbly Celmar Bernil, 20, is a ray of light for his fellow children and youth amid the darkness of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ensuing lockdowns meant that students were confined to their homes and had to continue their classes online or through printed self-study learning modules. He noticed that the children had a hard time coping, and their parents weren’t also equipped nor prepared to tutor them. He was saddened to learn that even children in Grade 3 still didn’t know how to read, write or count.
Seeing that these children and their families needed help, and in an effort to help recover learning losses in his community, this youth leader shared his observations with the Xavier Agricultural Extension Service Foundation Inc. (XAESFI) working with ChildFund. He participated in the formation of children and youth associations (CYAs) that would volunteer to tutor these kids to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. He then rallied his fellow youth to join this movement, urging them to light the way to give these kids a chance at a brighter future, and essentially letting them share in his higher purpose.
XAESFI offered their full support to Celmar and his friends. To make sure they had sufficient knowledge to tutor the kids, they trained in peer-to-peer tutorials, ASER tool assessment, basic life support, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), psychological first aid, and other useful skills. They then established their CYAs in the municipality of Gutalac in Zamboanga del Norte province, where they carried out projects on education, health, environmental preservation, and gender equality, while paying special attention to the children and youth in far-flung areas and those from indigenous communities.
One of their most successful projects is TRI-SIKAD para sa Magandang Edukalidad (TRI-SIKAD for Good Education Quality). A tri-sikad is a rudimentary form of public transportation in some provinces in the Philippines, made up of a bicycle and an attached sidecar, making it a three-wheeled vehicle. The name ‘tri-sikad’ was also chosen to represent the three agencies working together on this project – the Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council), the Department of Education, and XAESFI working with ChildFund. The youth tutors load reading materials, books and charts for the kids onto the sidecar of the tri-sikad and make their way to the different communities. They thought, if the students can’t go to school, why not bring the school to them?
It is therefore no surprise that Celmar has received several awards and recognitions for his leadership and impactful community work. Most notably, ChildFund Philippines bestowed on him the Bidang Bata at Bidang Kabataan Award (Heroic Child and Heroic Youth Award). Although he doesn’t expect anything in return for his efforts to teach children, he is so grateful for the recognition and the opportunity to serve. For him, the greatest award is seeing the kids they teach and their parents happy and thriving. “I keep telling my fellow youth that we don’t really need to receive awards or certificates to know we achieved something,” he adds. “I believe the biggest mistake anyone can make is knowing you can do something but didn’t do it. I tell them, if you do your part to help others, that is already an achievement. If you are appreciated by the kids, parents, and communities you serve, then you can already say, ‘I lived my life with purpose.’”
Celmar is now studying to become an educator. “My biggest dream in life is to become a teacher,” he shares. “I served my community and advanced my advocacy for more than two years as a tutor to children, as the president of our CYAs and the vice-president of our Kin Care Group, and as a friend to my fellow CYA members. It doesn’t mean that everything will stop just because I’m going to college. On the contrary, this is just the beginning. I’m at that point in my life where I’m starting a new chapter on the way to the biggest platform for my advocacy. There will no longer be limitations imposed on what I want to do. I can reach more people – I can help, encourage, and motivate them. There are so many courses you can take if you only want to get rich, but I still chose to become a teacher because I want to be an important part of the life of every student I teach. I want to serve as their light, I want them to learn from me and live believing in a purpose. My advocacy is not just about quality education, but also about helping others realize their purpose in life.”
He adds, “Thanks to XAESFI and ChildFund Philippines because they gave us a chance to do things we thought impossible. But then again, what is the word ‘impossible’? It simply says, ‘I am possible’. ” Shine on, Celmar! The wider world needs your guiding light.
