Eager Readers at Boys LitClub in Pasig City, Philippines

*Our Boys LitClub in Pasig City, Philippines is done in partnership with the Real Life Foundation.

The boys at the Boys LitClub were a bundle of energy and excitement as they met for the second time. When I brought out our read aloud book, they gathered around wanting for the opportunity to read a paragraph out to the rest of the group. Luckily, there were enough pages in the book for everyone to have a turn!

I brought special gifts from LitWorld to this session, our globe balls, which everyone loved. Using the globe balls, I had the boys answer our question of the day: "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

The boys shouted out cities and countries from different continents, expressing their dreams to see the world.

A boys litclub participant (pictured above) took our read aloud book from the session and sat with it on his own, eagerly reading the text on his own. It was inspiring to see him want to read so much- he even wanted to stay longer just to read!

Special thanks to volunteer Michelle for helping me facilitate this week's Boys LitClub!

- written by LitCorps Ambassador Ruby Veridiano

Our First Boys LitClubs Launches in Manila, Philippines!

In partnership with the Real Life Foundation in Pasig City, our first Boys LitClubs have launched in Manila. Special thanks to Boys LitClub facilitators Mike and Joe of the Real Life Foundation for helping us make it happen!

Mike facilitating a read aloud inside the Community Center...

While Joe's Boys LitClub meet outside!

A new beginning, with stories abound.

The LitWorld Team & the Kibera Boys LitClub Read, Laugh, and Share Together

The challenges of boyhood are at times tricky, or even traumatic. It is also how we carry out ourselves at this stage that would determine our fatherhood stage (a dream every boy harbors).  This was very much evident when the boys club met four gentlemen; Eddy, Jeremy, Billy and Jim.

Eddy, a taxi driver, and a successful one for that matter, told an inspiring story about his boyhood dreams and obsession with cars. He fantasized an adulthood of driving fancy cars from one place to another across Kenya. He nurtured this dream to a successful realization. He now drives people as a delightfully chosen career.

Jeremy, of the Children’s Village in New York also told his story of a tempting boyhood. It is for this reason that he has vouched help young men as he understands the confrontations that come with being a boy. He helps to model them into achievers.

Jim, a lawyer by training only practiced law for a few years and embarked on a mission to help young children (boys included) at LitWorld. He, together with his wife Pam (founder of LitWorld) are out to build a society united in reading. The three stories from these gentlemen are an inspiration to the boys and whenever they (boys) chant the songs they learnt from them (the men) their hearts are filled with joy and hope. Hope that a brighter fatherhood is beckoning.

“We are the boys”, they bellow in unison.

Thank you.

-Jeff



Beautiful Poetry: The Boys in Kibera Speak the Strengths

The LitWorld Boys Club had four sessions in the month of September. On the first week of that month they were re-introduced to the seven pillars of the Boys Club curriculum. They had a general overview of the whole curriculum after which they set on discussing one of the pillars-Esteem (Confidence). Participants were able to define esteem, explain its importance, characteristics, how to develop self-esteem, the contributing factors of positive self-esteem and the importance of high self-esteem. They also had a weekly test which involved self-esteem assessment test.  This scoring purposes to get a general idea of where their self-esteem is at the moment.

The third week was characterized by discussion about values. The objective of this session was to enable them to be in a position to explain what is meant by values and attitudes, identify personal, family, religious and cultural values. They were also able to learn where values come from, know how values affect our behaviors and how it determines our relationship with others. The methodologies that were used included brainstorming, discussions and small group work.

On the last week of September, the boys discussed another element in the clubs curriculum-Curiosity.  Again they defined curiosity, its importance, characteristics and how to improve on it. They also read poems and quotes on curiosity from famous authors. Lastly, they made a pin-up chart that contained the poems and the quotes.

In the month of October, the group had enjoyable moments. The following poems were composed by members of the club as an attempt of appreciating some the elements they have discussed during their meetings.

COMPASSION

By Brian

Compassion is a feeling of love

When you show compassion

Many souls are at peace

The world becomes a better place

Compassion, is all the world needs

Imagine of a world without compassion

People harming and killing

It is a lost world

We can avoid this

Compassion is all what you and me need

Compassionate people have

Smiling faces around them

They help the poor

Encourage the weak

Accompany the lonely

And………list is endless

Compassion, is all that we need

HOPE

By the Kibera Boys Club

Circumstances are grim

Uncertainty is the theme

Fear has blurred my vision

Vision to future mission

Left with a wounded eagerness

Despair and other mess

Hope has deserted me

I keep digging

Deep into my intricate being

To ‘exhume’ the little bit

Left to save the soul a bit

Hope is all I need

Belief is all I breed

To regain my normal being

I hear they say

A hopeless man says nay

And lives with despair and gloom

Never lives to bloom

Hope they say

Is essential for a day

It designates the essence of humanity

-Jeff

Kibera Boys LitClub Trip to Nairobi Arboretum

Sunday, the 9th of October 2011, the LitWorld Boys Club made an amazing trip to the renowned Nairobi Arboretum for an exciting outdoor learning session. The Nairobi Arboretum is a public recreational park situated in the outskirts of the city centre and is frequented by the city dwellers for hedonistic fulfillment. The site also provides room for games at the central lawn in the park.

Having made a 30 minutes journey from Kibera to the park, the group settled down fast and begun with a read aloud session. The read aloud method enabled the boys to read in turns about a story that highlighted the seven principles which form the basis for the Boys Club curriculum. It was meant to improve their comprehension, listening and memory skills during and after reading. They also had an opportunity to revisit some of the elements they had previously discussed during the in-door sessions. The engaging nature of the session also provided a platform for modeling curiosity and posing of questions that enriched the boys with proper understanding of the seven pillars.

After the read aloud session, they also engaged in brainstorming activities, forming questions in groups and asking them to the other members. Later on, the boys sat down for their lunch which was followed by the stretching of limbs. Some jogged around the park, others roamed around enjoying the parks steady breeze and amazing scenery, yet others played soccer. At around 4.00 pm we re-converged and boarded our bus back to Kibera.

It was a fantastic trip and all the boys enjoyed every bit of it.

-Jeff