July is Nutrition Month in the Philippines. In celebration of this important event, BFCS, my son's school, held a presentation yesterday - The Search for A1 Child 2008. A month ago, I was informed that Jarred Andrei was chosen as the male representative of Kinder I for the Search for A1 Child (Preschool Level). Together with his female counterpart, Jarred Andrei would compete with 4 other preschoolers (from Nursery and Kinder II) for the title. The competition would include a Talent Competition and a Question & Answer portion.
surprise to find out he was born and bred in General Santos City.
two weeks left to learn and rehearse the poem, I moved to another level of nervousness. Gosh! Would my son be able to learn the piece in time? Would he be able to memorize it well enough to perform it in front of a large audience? I was in a terrible nail biting frenzy at this time. Everyday, my son and I would find different opportunities to practice the poem - after reviewing daily school lessons, while taking a bath, in the car on the way to school and back and right before bedtime.
Yesterday, July 18, I woke up in such a jitter, you'd think I'd be the one performing on stage. Ha ha ha...ang stage mother nga naman. Seeing my son so cool and calm is a wonder to see. When it was time for him to parade onstage and do his introduction, I felt something pierce at my heart...and tears started to well at the corner of my eye. Wow! The feeling is indescribable and I'm sure the other parents could understand why I had tears in my eyes. My son, so confident and sure of himself, I wonder where he got it from...hubby and I weren't as brave when we were his age. Watch and listen as Jarred Andrei recites the original poem I wrote for him and aces the question & answer portion...
stuff backstage, one parent commented that these school performances were more nerve-wracking for the parents than their children. As I thought about it, indeed it was true...I had butterflies in my stomach all throughout the event. And I couldn't be more proud when the emcee announced that my son was Male A1 Child 2008 - Preschool Level. My heart was bursting with happiness and glee as I walked up the stage to pin his sash. It is during these times that hubby and I realize how rewarding parenting can be despite all the hardships and difficulties it entails.
I was so sleepy last night I could barely keep up with my student during my last English class for the night. When I finished my class, I was planning to go to bed already but I noticed the featured topic of the local documentary show, "The Correspondents" on the local ABS-CBN channel. On the tv screen were videos of children so severely malnourished, they were dubbed "Batang Kalansay" (Living Child Skeleton). All of a sudden, I forgot about getting my shuteye and got glued on the television. The show presented children aged 2-8 years old suffering from mild to severe malnutrition. These children certainly didn't look their age if you'd compare them to their healthier counterparts. In all of the cases featured, the children's malnutrition started from the time they were still in their mothers' womb. Due to extreme poverty, pregnant women can't have the proper nutrition and daily dose of needed vitamins and minerals. As a result, their fetuses suffer malnutrition from the moment of conception. Life is no better for these children after they're born. With no money for food, these children are lucky to even have one meal a day which would often consist of rice, flavored with a little salt or soy sauce. There are worse days when the families would go on throughout the day without a single meal in their stomachs. As a result of this, the children grow up with severe retardation in their growth, often not being able to walk or talk.
blessing us with enough food to eat every single day. I realize how lucky my children are...and how lucky I am to have been brought up healthy and happy by my parents. I can't even begin to fathom how hard life really is for those people not so fortunate as I am. It made me forget every little problem I have...surely, no problem could be more serious than what these families must be going through every single day of their lives.
malnutrition, the brain stem and surrounding areas would develop more mass of air compared to the brain of a healthy child. The malnourished child would lose focus at school and have difficulty understanding lessons and concepts. One child who was observed for 2 days in school, was already in his 3rd year of Grade 1, having failed the level twice already. He would often go to school on an empty stomach, thus feeling sleepy and lethargic as soon as he arrives in school. It would also be normal for him to come home to an empty table. The child is already 8 years old but his height and weight correspond to the normal measurement for a child who is 3 or 4 years old.
of even just a malunggay tree, squash, sayote and kalabasa can provide a family all their nutrition needs. Feeding programs of the government are not the solution, they're only temporary bandages to a growing problem. As one resource person mentioned, what can turn this thing around is the behavior and attitude change of parents...they need not look for food that need to be bought, they can grow them in their own yard or small patch of land. It's so sad that one tearful parent said on the show that she feels so sorry that she wasn't able to train her children to eat simple vegetables and are now suffering this severe oversight. Because of this show, I am more inspired to let my children appreciate vegetables and learn to love eating them.
