Stories can be life changing for children especially to those left out as they live in poverty, marginalization, and threats of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To address these, Save the Children Philippines is launching the ‘Save With Stories’ campaign, a series of storytelling sessions with local celebrities who aim to raise awareness on the importance of continued education using alternative learning methods through online, TV, and mobile platforms.
Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines, said learning is critically important for children, especially during the pandemic. It provides normalcy, routine, and also addresses fear and anxiety due to prolonged school closure.
“Every child has a right to education, but thousands of children in underserved communities will miss out on learning because of the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Muyot said.
Save the Children Ambassadors Katarina Rodriguez and Xia Vigor will lead the storytelling sessions, helping parents and caregivers instill the love of reading among their children.
Actress Ria Atayde will also join the storytelling series which will raise funds for Project ARAL (Access to Resources for Alternative Learning) that will benefit low income and marginalized families in the Philippines.
Project ARAL helps children to access quality learning and holistic development experiences with their families at home. It also seeks to support parents and guardians to provide early learning experiences to their pre-school children.
The Save with Stories campaign was started by Save the Children in the US, through its ambassador Jennifer Garner and actress Amy Adams. Garner and Adams provided fun learning activities to children and parents and in the process, raised funds for children who were missing meals due to school closure.
Hollywood celebrities Drew Barrymore, Jude Law, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Evans, and Meghan Markle are just some of the famous names who also read stories.
Now, Save With Stories is already a global movement with more than 270,000 followers, and 27 million views on social media.
The campaign inspired over 30,000 people to donate and help feed and educate children during the coronavirus crisis. It was launched in countries where Save the Children is present such as the United Kingdom, India, and now, the Philippines.
“We thank all the celebrities who are using their voices to amplify our calls, and to everyone who are continuously supporting Save with Stories Philippines and are helping children and their families to have a chance for a better future,” Muyot concluded.