For 11-year-old Anisa, missing a day of school is enough to bring her to tears.
Anisa (not her real name) is a Grade 5 pupil at an Indigenous People school situated in a quiet, close-knit community in one of the farthest and mountainous barangays in Maasim, Sarangani Province. She is also one of the 24 learners enrolled in Catch-up Clubs (CuCs), a play-based reading remediation program implemented by Save the Children. But not only her bright eyes and warm smile make her remarkable. Without a wheelchair or a crutch, each school day begins with the embrace of her parents, who carry her to their classroom in their arms.
At first, she struggled with her reading skills. When she was enrolled in Catch-up Clubs, everything began to change. As someone who loves to play, learning to read became easy with the CuCs approach. “Mas maayo ang CuCs kesa sa classroom kay nagabasa mi ug nagadula (CuCs is better than our classroom because we read and play),” she said.
When it is time for CuCs, her classmates would gather around her and carry her along the hilly road, gently to the school gym – where Teacher Irene and Teacher Sweeney await. Once, Teacher Irene narrated a story about a child who practices pagmamano, a Filipino gesture of respect. From that day on, Anisa embodied politeness the same way. She thanks her classmates for helping her, and teaches them how to read, too.
After school, she waits quietly by the hut near the gate, patiently waiting for her father who will bring her safely home. On weekends, her older sister who is already in college teaches her and their Grade 4 sibling to read. Other times, she plays with their neighbors who are also her CuCs classmates. Their favorite CuCs game is called “Triangle” where a ball is thrown around and whoever catches the ball must read the letters and words posted on the board. After many plays of triangles, Anisa’s favorite letter is now “R.”
In almost three months of playful CuCs sessions, Anisa made a remarkable leap. From barely knowing her letters, she reached reading a story with comprehension, a four-level step. Now, her favorite subjects are English and Filipino. For her, it is now “sayon (easy)” because “nakatabang ang CuCs para sayon na lang magtuon (CuCs made it easy for me to learn).”
Most kids would rather stay at home. But for Anisa, missing a day of school is enough to bring her to tears. When there’s no extra money for fare, their barangay kagawad (councilor) offers her a ride just so she can attend their CuCs session. She deeply believes reading can help her graduate. She dreams of becoming a teacher, someday – one that will allow children like her to have fun by playing while learning.
Anisa was the only child in her Catch-up Clubs batch to graduate after just one cycle. With stronger reading skills, she showed how far her ability can take her and the possibilities she holds.