The Delapaz Education and Welfare Fund

Why should I help the children of Delapaz, Philippines? 

With the thousands of non-profit organizations and charities across the world, you have many to choose from so we hope you will consider this charity.

Your new and used items or money will go along way to improve the life of hundreds of children for the short term and for years to come.  A way of life can exist without money until it comes in contact with modern day needs. This is where we help.

 Delapaz is a community made up of farmers and fishermen.  The families live a good life with warm weather, land to produce vegetables and fruit, space to raise chickens, goats and pigs, and a seas with various types of fish.  The homes are made from local resources such as hand-cut coconut tree lumber, bamboo, seashore sand and stones and a few bags of cement.  Fresh water comes from community wells that are 40 - 60 feet deep which are dug by hand.  Electricity is provided by surplus diesel engines from Japan which are operated from 4am - 6am and 6pm to 9pm in sub-communities. For the most part, life in Delapaz requires no money as the community is self sufficient.  Money for trade can be made by sending fish, mangos, bamboo baskets, vegetables, dried coconut to Batangas City, or working in the city.

This system works well until they require what most would think are basics.  A man who does unskilled labor may make 2000 Pesos (USD $40) a month.  A person selling mangos may profit 20 Pesos per kilo of mangos ($0.50).  A cheap imported  shovel or spade costs 300 Pesos ($7.5), an imported US shovel will sell for 600 Pesos or ($15).  A shovel becomes a major investment for a father who has to also provide clothing, rice, and other tangible items to his family.  Most will do without and borrow from those that have.  A low end new vehicle will cost 400,000 Pesos ($10,000), a 14" TV 6,000 Pesos ($150), and so on.  Now let's translate this over to the school.

A school that operates on $250 per month to support 600 students does not have spare room in the budget for repairs, school supplies, and teachers resources.  Students that have external resources, often find themselves providing other students and the teachers with pencils and notebooks.  Many of the teachers are from other parts of Batangas Province and move to Delapaz during the school year living in temporary quarters.  During the summer recess, these teachers return to their homes and families. We can help to provide some of the basics without modifying or imposing our own standards.  What is provided has to be beneficial without creating new financial burdens for the school, teachers, and students.

Your contributions, no matter how small you feel it is, will be greatly appreciated and go a long way to making someone else's life better.