Lending a Hand for Hope

How USAID helped triple the enrollment of blind and deaf children in school in the Philippines

Thanks to USAID support, Marinel is now enrolled in school. / Shev Payo for USAID

Six-year-old Marinel Quides stands at the door of her two-room wooden home in Sorsogon, Philippines. Birds chirp in the trees nearby, and Marinel tilts her head to listen, basking in the warmth of the Philippine sun. As her mother Josephine helps Marinel put on her new backpack and gives her a guide stick, Marinel giggles with joy.

Today, she is going to school.

Clutching her guide stick in one hand and her mother’s hand in the other, Marinel steps outside and begins to walk along the narrow path leading from her home to the main road.

It’s a world of difference from last year, when Marinel held tightly to her mother with both hands — hesitant about each step and unfamiliar surroundings.

Marinel sits with her mother, Josephine, outside their house in Sorsogon, Philippines. / Shev Payo for USAID

From early in Marinel’s life, Josephine knew that her daughter couldn’t see, but she couldn’t afford to take her to a vision specialist. Josephine’s husband sells popsicles for a living, while Josephine stays home to take care of Marinel and her two siblings.

“Sometimes, my husband’s income is not enough for our daily needs,” said Josephine. “The school is far from our house, and we cannot afford the daily transportation expenses.”

But even without an official diagnosis, Josephine knew her daughter experienced the world in a different way.

“She always asked, ‘Mom, is it night already?’ I told her that it was still morning and asked why, and she replied, ‘It’s dark, Mom.’ I knew I would need to adjust so I could be her eyes, but to be honest, I had no idea how to help her.”

A community health worker conducts an eye exam at the health center near Marinel’s house. / Shev Payo for USAID

After a free eye and ear screening, a USAID-trained community health worker told Josephine about a nearby school with an inclusive education program and helped Marinel enroll in school for the first time. USAID also provided Marinel with braille learning materials.

“This was the first time I found out that there are available resources that can help blind children like Marinel,” said Josephine. “I felt hopeful that someone could help us — someone could help me properly guide her.”

In addition to helping screen and refer children with disabilities to schools, USAID has also trained nearly 600 teachers on inclusive education strategies and produced more than 5,000 learning materials, such as braille books, the first-ever Filipino Sign Language dictionary with regional variations, and a Filipino Sign Language curriculum that is being used in schools across the country.

Rubie shows materials from her USAID-supported inclusive education training. / Jeff Danipog, USAID

Marinel’s teacher, Rubie Bernardino, said that the training and materials have better equipped her to teach students with disabilities and improved her school’s inclusive education program.

“When I started teaching special education after seven years as a general education teacher, I was reading books and browsing YouTube for resources just to meet my student’s needs,” said Rubie. “Then USAID and Resources for the Blind came into the picture, and I was able to learn Filipino Sign Language, braille, and other inclusive education strategies.”

Marinel studies shapes using USAID-developed braille learning materials. / Jeff Danipog, USAID

Under Rubie’s patient guidance, Marinel and her classmates are learning to count, identify objects, and compare similarities and differences. They’re also learning crucial social and emotional skills to help them succeed.

At school, Rubie warmly greets Marinel and her classmates. Marinel’s face breaks into a wide grin as Rubie gently takes her finger and runs it over braille letters while saying them aloud.

Teacher Rubie runs Marinel’s finger over braille letters and says them aloud. / Shev Payo for USAID

Josephine has already seen the impact that enrolling in school has had on her daughter. Marinel quickly learned to identify shapes and numbers using USAID-supported pre-braille learning materials. Josephine also attended a USAID-supported training for parents of children with disabilities, where she learned braille so she can help Marinel with her school work.

“Enrolling Marinel in school was a big help because I did not know how to teach her myself,” said Josephine. “I am really happy that USAID has been my partner to help me meet Marinel’s needs.”

Marinel and her mother, Josephine, walk through the school grounds. / Jeff Danipog, USAID

Josephine and Rubie are both happy to see Marinel flourishing in school and hope that other children with disabilities will be able to enroll in school and learn the skills they need to succeed.

“We want these children to become independent,” said Rubie. “We want them to achieve their dreams. That’s my purpose as their teacher.”

Teacher Rubie helps her students use USAID-supported braille learning materials. / Jeff Danipog, USAID

In partnership with Resources for the Blind, USAID trained more than 700 community health workers to screen and identify children with vision and hearing disabilities — including Marinel — and help them enroll in school. USAID also provided eye and ear screening equipment to community health centers.

This partnership has helped triple the enrollment of blind and deaf learners in three provinces in just three years.

About the Author

Christina Butler is a Development Outreach and Communications Writer at USAID’s Mission in the Philippines.