Ronald Pollescas entered the room quietly with a smile on his face that revealed how extremely pleased he was to be there. I was at the back of the room, looking at him quietly as he and four other junior rowers entered and took their seats. They exchanged glances with each other as they warily took in their new surroundings.
It was another Saturday afternoon and it was time for STREAMS Academy for the junior rowers. But this time, there were only five of them left so the tutors decided to have them use the conference room. “Lima ra sila karon!” I heard one of the tutors lamenting before the start of the class. “Ang uban man gud kay karun pa nag-take ug entrance exam,” another tutor answered, but clearly, the disappointment was evident in their faces. It’s not easy to watch a dwindling class, and if the truth be told for the Academy’s junior rowers, they were a dwindling class.
Fortunately, Ronald was among the five who persisted and came to class. His happiness to be there was eye-catching as his bright red t-shirt. I kept my eye on him during the English lessons.
The tutor on duty was Maricar O. Martinez, a third year BSEd student majoring in English. As she went about her lessons on outlining, Ronald and the rest of his friends were very attentive. These kids are good. I thought to myself as they answered one question after another. They were not shy to put up their hands to answer the questions.
When I talked to Maricar after my little observation at the conference room, she said that from the very start, the junior rowers already showed great potential. “All the junior rowers had been through a process of self-discovery with each STREAMS Academy Session,” she said, “there were fifty students who were very excited to learn when the Academy first opened. But the truth is, the numbers had been dwindling after sessions. It’s really heartbreaking to see the numbers go down, but these kids have problems in their homes, some financial, that even the lack of pamasahe for coming here already becomes a hindrance. These kids are really intelligent, the very cream of the crop, but they really need support, not just from the sponsors, but also from their families.”
I returned to talk to the kids after their English lessons. They were given a short break and they returned to the conference room looking very excited for their next class in Physics. There was no need for me to break the ice. The kids were very responsive and very willing to answer my questions.
“I felt out of place the first time I joined STREAMS Academy.” Ronald answered, “I was the only one from my school who passed the entrance test.”
Matt Rustan Abella who sat across from Ronald nodded at this, “The pressure was very clear during the first meeting because we all came from different schools. But now, we’re okay around each other.” And he gave all his friends a look and they all laughed.
As I continued to talk with the junior rowers, I saw something beautiful and simple. These kids placed great value in their education. Their perspective on learning was beyond their years. To put it simply, I saw in those five children, the future we all desire for our country.
“Our tutors had taught us so many things,” Ronald said, “they gave us advice on almost everything from handling interviews, taking entrance exams, picking a course, and discovering ourselves and our potentials.” The rest of the group affirmed and clapped their hands.
STREAMS Academy might seem like a small educational program compared to those giant organizations that advocate for education. But the truth is, it’s not the size that counts, but the lives that were touched and helped. For us rowers and volunteers, it is further encouragement for us to continue working hard on our programs for kids like Ronald and Matt who need support. It is for the sake of these kids that we must keep rowing.
I approached Ronald after the talk, “I must ask you, why do you look so happy?”
The boy looked at me with his bright eyes and answered, “I wake up every morning feeling excited and privileged that I benefitted a lot from STREAMS. Usahay naay problema sa balay nga ako ang ga-encounter kay ako ang magulang, pero ako gihuna-huna nga kung dili ko muadto, walay mahitabo sa ako. Dako akong pasalamat sa STREAMS.”