The Basadours with the schoolchildren during their storytelling session in Naga National High School.
contributed photo
Basadours Inc. rolled out a series of storytelling sessions last October to the children of Naga City who were displaced from their homes due to recent landslide.
The monthlong outreach project took off on October 4 at CEPOC Central Elementary School.
The children listened as the Basadours animatedly read “Just Add Dirt” and “Bakawan” stories, which teach the importance of cleanliness and environmental consciousness.
Basadours also visited other evacuation centers in Naga, including Central Elementary School on October 11, Naga National High School on October 13, and Enan Chiong Activity Center on October 20.
Volunteer storytellers shared stories of hope and positive change in each stopover.
The monthlong activity culminated on October 27 at Naga Central School, where Basadours teamed up with three other organizations: Summerville (an annual summer workshop for children ages two to 13 years old), Kalinangan Youth Foundation (KALFI Lead), and Choose Tuseday.
They brought the magic of storytelling as well as other engaging activities for children such as a play station, a coloring station, and an origami station.
Jo Belle Marabiles, executive director of Basadours Inc., expressed her gratitude toward her companions and emphasized the power of storytelling among children.
“I thank my fellow Basadours for volunteering their time and effort for this endeavor in the true spirit of service and charity — giving their time, energy and pooling their resources for the children of Naga,” she said.
“Storytelling gives them something to think about. We aim to inspire them to hope for the better by reading and delivering children’s stories that will hopefully stay with them. We also hope that they live out the values from these stories or that they will love to read books as well,” added Marabiles.