However, the making of BUGTAW started long before ...
In August 2018, Team Holmes began collecting book donations from family and friends. Three months later we catalogued the books and sent them to the Philippines. By early December, the first ever BUGTAW box containing more than 400 books arrived in Naisud, Ibajay! |
Sienna logging all 400+ books into a spreadsheet
The first ever BUGTAW box !
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As the December holidays came around we flew from Brunei to Kalibo, Aklan and on the morning of the 28th of December we drove to the village of Naisud in Ibajay. Despite the rain, around 50 children, aged between 3 and 18 years old, joined the launching!
We started off by explaining to the children what "Bugtaw" is all about as well as how to borrow and look after the books. This was followed by a fun group reading session and breakfast whilst waiting for the rain to stop. However, the rain persisted even more so we asked the children if they would like to continue the activities and they all screamed “yes”! We split them into two groups: 11 & below and 12 & above. The first game was Musical Chairs and everyone had a lot of fun. By this time, the rain had subsided. We formed a line and walked on the side of a very busy road towards a nearby farm where there was enough space for more games. Sienna and other BUGTAW volunteers conducted a Science Experiment involving vinegar and baking soda to create a rocket with the younger group. The older group had a Sack Race where we reused old local rice sacks. It was followed by 50m Relays and Egg & Spoon Race. We knew it was time for another meal when some of the children started eating the boiled eggs from the race. |
We headed back to our volunteers’ home where the brunch buffet was set up. There was also Taho (made of fresh soft silken tofu, arnibal, and sago pearl) and Traditional Sorbetes (home made ice cream) fresh from the cart where I had the chance to serve.
After this, we had an award ceremony for the winning teams of the activities and karaoke. There were also some special prizes for talented artists in the village and stationery items for all. |
Finally, it was time for the children to choose the books they wanted to borrow!
The books were neatly displayed in our very simple BUGTAW bookshelf made of local materials. We taught them to log their names along with the book titles in the BUGTAW Log Book Then the kids placed their books in reusable zip bags to keep them safe in the rain and humidity. We emphasised to them how important it is to take good care of the books and to return them so others may also enjoy them. |
Special thanks to the Tumbagahan Family : Reysa, Arivan and Arvin
A dedicated Mother & Son team based in Ibajay, Aklan, Philippines.
Volunteering is their simple way of helping their local community and those around them.
Live in the sunshine, búgtaw eon!
A dedicated Mother & Son team based in Ibajay, Aklan, Philippines.
Volunteering is their simple way of helping their local community and those around them.
Live in the sunshine, búgtaw eon!
This is the story of how my sister and I launched BUGTAW. It started with wanting to clean out our bookshelves and the concept grew into something beyond what either of us could imagine.
We hope you feel inspired to do something good today!
Even if it's just something small, you never know where it may take you.
We hope you feel inspired to do something good today!
Even if it's just something small, you never know where it may take you.
— Shana ♥︎