Dear Sponsors,

Hello from here in the Philippines!I’m sending you a picture of Maria, one of 550 Filipino school children you are sponsoring here in the Philippines with the Give Children Hope, Meals at School Programs.

Maria is a student at Dugcal Elementary School in Camarines, Sur in Southern Luzon, where she participates in one of the Meals at School Programs sponsored by Give Children Hope.

Maria sends you her love at this special Valentine’s Day time and thanks you for providing these daily meals for her and for all the other 350 children at her School.

Another student at the same school Maria attends says: “It’s so good to come to school and not have to try studying with an empty stomach”.

Just like Maria, the grade 4 pupils from Dugcal Elementary School are expressing their gratitude for the help that you are giving them. Bryan, Gino and Vivian are all very happy with the nutritious food that the Meals at School Program is providing. They thank the people behind this program for giving them this blessing that their families’ little income cannot always provide.

A father of one of these children also expressed his gratitude saying that “most of the times, my children go to school without having breakfast, so for them, this program is a great blessing.. a “manna” from heaven for them”.

What Maria and the other children just expressed here is indeed true. It is true for her, for all her school mates and for me as well. I had a similar experience as Maria. I have experienced going to school with an empty stomach, not because I didn’t want to eat, but there was none to provide for my meals.

Give Children Hope understands our story, they know perfectly our situation. To speak in behalf of the sponsored children here in the Philippines has helped a lot in letting the sponsors know our real situation.

I am so glad that people from another race, another country, another belief has been expressing their sympathy to all the children that Give Children Hope is sponsoring by providing for what they need especially the meals that they need to be getting to start the day.

I know that the smile that Maria wears in this sweet photo is a genuine expression of her gratitude for what you are doing for her and for her schoolmates. The meals provided in the Meals at School Program are not the usual meals that they can have at home. They only taste of these meals through this program.

So, indeed, every day now is a “Happy Day” for these children not just at Dugcal School but at our other Maravilla sponsored school in Aklan as well. The support you give to them goes a long way, and all the volunteers for this program are really happy to render their service for the benefit of these children. We all love to see happy children and not with empty stomach.

May you feel our love for all of you as you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved ones. We all hope that you will have a good one as much as we would do. May you be filled with love always in your lives with special thanks to each of you for encircling these children with your love. You are helping give each of these children better lives.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Our love to all of you!

For the Give Children Hope,
Philippines Sponsored Children,
Kristina Sunico