The Community Library in Calingag
Our main project in Calingag is the library. This opened in 2008 in a former rice warehouse to give the children at the school and other young people access to the books that we have been able to collect in the UK and send to the Philippines.
It is a place where younger children can discover the wonderful world that reading opens up. Without the library, for instance, local children would never have been able to enjoy reading books by JK Rowling, according to one local teacher at the school.
The library is also somewhere they can get a head-start in learning the skills for studying that will benefit them later on in life.
For older children the library provides an opportunity to practise reading in English (a core part of the Filipino curriculum), do extra study and project work, and find more challenging literature to read.
Sikat's library is managed day-to-day by volunteer librarians from Calingag who can see up to 100 children a day come through the doors.
The library's success makes it one of the most important community resources for the children in Calingag.
But we are constantly striving to improve it. Better furniture, insulation and cooling fans, and more books in Filipino are all immediate goals. Above all, we would like to give the library a permanent home in the school itself, which is part of our next strategic project.
SIKAT Calingag Core Volunteers Meeting
Please read more.