Mary Jane has a twin sister.
It’s hard to tell them apart just by looking at them, the two girls are one and the same.
Mary Jane, however, has a distinguishing feature – her love for math.
She loves to hunch over her little notebook, solving math problems prepared by Teacher Milette.
“Mary Jane is a quiet child,” said Teacher Milette. “At school, when I ask her to do tasks, she always accomplishes it.”
“She also likes to volunteer as class leader in school activities.”
Aside from Math, Milette teaches Mary Jane how to write, read, do sign language and lip reading.
The 12-year-old girl uses these skills to communicate with others, as well as to express herself.
Mary Jane has hearing impairment, which causes difficulty in perceiving or identifying sound.
Education is for everyone
Mary Jane not only excels in crunching numbers, but also in dancing and sprinting.
In fact, her mother decorates their home with framed certificates of Mary Jane’s achievements in sports.
Not all Filipino children, however, are able to explore their talents like Mary Jane.
In the Philippines, only 1 in every 3 children with disability is in school.
This prevents children with disability from maximizing their potentials.
We need to change this.
All children have the right to quality education.
Gift of learning
Mary Jane is part of Save the Children’s KASALI project, which provides inclusive education for children with disability.
KASALI ensures that children with disability can enjoy learning, free from abuse and discrimination.
“Before Mary Jane started schooling, we could not communicate properly,” Esperanza, Mary Jane’s mother, said in Filipino.
“When she started going to school, she changed a lot,” Esperanza continued. “She learned how to interact with people better.”
“My advice to other parents is for them to never lose patience,” Esperanza shared.
Someday, Mary Jane hopes to be a teacher just like Milette.
With your help, we can ensure that Mary Jane and many other Filipino children reach their dreams.
Give children the gift of learning today, secure their tomorrow! Support our inclusive education program.