My nanay (mother) and I had both agreed that I am not going to send Balikbayan Boxes – full of canned goods, clothes and some necessities the Filipinos assumed relatives left in the Philippines needs and would love to have. We both know that they can buy all those stuff back home with lesser price, so I better send money than goods, I am okay with that.

But when I saw my uncle collecting some of my cousin’s books and tossed them  in the recycle, I felt bad, and I needed to gather again the books from the bin. He told me if I want to keep the books and children magazines, I have to keep them to where he can’t see it. They were eyesores to him, well not the books, but he believed that those were no use anymore since his two sons don’t read them anymore.

That incident had sparked off an idea for me, to collect children books and send it to a friend who facilitates theatre acting workshop to children’s, victims of human rights violation in some provinces in the Philippines.

Not too long ago, my employer gave me one box of books she was planning to give to Salvation Army. She asked me if there’s any book that my daughter Aya will probably likes to read among those old books, and then I told her my plan.

Those that I already have are not enough for one Balikbayan Box and I earnestly wants to ask some people to give me those children books they are planning to chuck out. I always see some from garage sales, buying them in small prices will be fine to me too

And I am intending to write the Friday papers in our city to give me a little space for the ads too. Hope I can get them before the year ends These would be a very nice Christmas gift to Filipino kids who loves to read but no books to be read

Photo from Jana Kleitsch.

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