You are on page 1of 5

SILID PANGARAP

[A Fiction Library Project]


I.

Background
Fairytales are more than true not because they tell us that dragons exist,
but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.1
The value of reading fiction is well-established. Studies have shown that
reading fiction stimulates the brain and affects how we live our lives as it has
been known to teach people to empathize, and to learn tolerance towards
different groups of people.2 Fiction also teaches children to imagine not just
unrealistic stories of dragons and fairies, but also of alternative lives and
future lives that they could aspire to.
Unfortunately, not all children have access to fiction books. Ordinarily,
funding for books, if any at all is available, goes to reference books and
textbooks. Donations of books usually comprise of storybooks for children,
and would rarely sufficiently represent other genres of fiction. In the
Philippines, children do not have access to public libraries where they can find
fiction books, much less develop and nurture interest in them.
Thus, this project is envisioned in order to give certain groups of marginalized
children access to fiction and enable them to imagine a better.

II.

Objectives

1 Paraphrased by Neil Gaiman from G.K. Chesterton : Fairy tales, then, are not
responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do
not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already,
because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of
bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of
bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination.
What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. Exactly what
the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a series of clear pictures to the idea
that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies
in the knights of God, that there is something in the universe more mystical than
darkness, and stronger than strong fear.
2 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-yourbrain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=all

a. Set-up a small library of fiction books in an orphanage to inspire children


to aspire for great things, despite the dire circumstances they may have
been born to.
b. Encourage children to read fiction books.
c. Improve the childrens reading comprehension, in English and Filipino.
d. Improve the childrens writing skills, in English and Filipino.
e. Train older members of the group on how to conduct the read-along
sessions/reading lessons.
f. Teach the children the value of books.
g. Encourage others to replicate the project in other orphanages or
communities.

III.

Project Details
a. Library Books
1. Selection Books shall be curated based on suggestions of
writers, teachers and other professionals. The following
considerations shall be taken in selecting the books:

Books for read-along sessions, values education, and


reading comprehension must be included.
The books should cater to different age groups, based on
the demographics of the orphanage.
Books for pure leisure reading shall be included.
DVDs of book-movie tie-ins should be included to help
children visualize the books they are reading.

2. Acquisition

Books may be purchased or donated based on a list that


will be made public. The list of books already acquired shall
be updated in real-time in order to maximize the resources
from donors.
Books donated personally may include a short note of
encouragement and the name of the donor.

b. Beneficiary Association De Damas Filipinas


1. Pre-assessment of Beneficiary

Demographics in terms of age group, gender, reading skills


(in English and Filipino)
Availability of room/space for library and reading/training
sessions and other resources (books, teachers, teaching
materials)
Available fiction books

2. Institutional Support

Support for project duration (six months), for reading


lessons
Other institutional initiatives to encourage reading
Institutional pledge to continue project
Allow
minimal
refurbishing/redesign
of
the
library/classroom so that it becomes conducive for leisurereading

c. Reading Lessons
1. Frequency Reading lessons shall be conducted once a month,
for the different age groups (i.e., toddler and young adult).
2. Assignments Only optional writing assignments shall be given.
3. Volunteers Reading lessons shall be conducted by trained
volunteers. An allowance for transportation and materials shall be
made available upon request by the volunteers.
d. Read-Along Sessions
1. Frequency Read-Along sessions shall be conducted once a
month for the different age groups.
2. Readers Readers shall represent artists and other professionals
who can inspire children to read.
3. Book Books to be used for read-along sessions may be selected
from the library or may be donated by the reader.

e. Training
1. Training for volunteers - A training session shall be conducted to
train volunteers without any teaching background on how to
conduct the reading lessons. The training shall include a module
on how to prepare a lesson plan.
2. Training for members of the community older members of the
community shall also be trained on how to conduct reading
lessons in order to sustain the project beyond the project
duration.
f. Social Media
1. Donations

Set-up website/blog to open the project for donations in cash


or books.
Update in real-time for every book donation/purchase to
maximize resources.
Make cash donations and utilization available for viewing
online for transparency. Each donor shall be identified by
code (for their privacy and in order to minimize
grandstanding). Balance sheets shall be available for viewing
every end of the month.
Remainder- If, at the end of the project duration, any
amount remains, the same shall be utilized to purchase
additional books or materials.

2. Calendar

Create and update a public calendar for volunteer training,


reading lessons and read-along sessions.

3. Project replication

At the end of the project duration, a summary of the project


will be prepared in order to encourage others to replicate
the project.
A list of potential beneficiaries shall be made available.
The booklist, sample lesson plans, budgets, etc. shall also
be made available.

g. Time-Line
1. Project Duration 6 months from the launch of the library.
2. Timeline

March Curate library books; set-up project website


April - May Announce project; accept cash or book
donations
May Construct bookshelves (if necessary), acquire books
not donated
June Launch project
June to December Read-along and reading sessions.
January Publicize project in order to encourage others to
replicate.

You might also like