Papaya School

Papaya School

In 2003, the Kalinga Foundation established the Papaya School. The Papaya School stands for free education for talented but very poor children from the Payatas rubbish dump and surrounding areas. This education gives them a chance to develop successfully and leave life on the dumpsite behind.

Why a school at Payatas?

Many public schools in the Philippines face a huge shortage of teachers, teaching materials and classrooms. This is certainly true of the school near Payatas. Teachers sometimes have as many as 120 students in a class and several children share one book together. An additional problem is the fact that a job in, say, a call centre is often more financially attractive and many good students therefore do not work in education anyway. This brings down the average level of teaching staff, which they in turn pass on to their students. All these factors lead to a low level of education that does not provide children with a sufficient foundation for a promising future.  That is why Kalinga has opened the Papaya School.

School system

At Papaya School, education is provided in various subjects. The children are taught arithmetic, English, Filipino, history, home economics, science, technology and sports. Classes are taught in English but Filipino (Tagalog) is also spoken in the classroom. Complementing the curriculum are many different activities such as lessons in scouting, music, theatre, art and more.

The school has various facilities at its disposal to provide the best possible lessons and activities. Each class has its own classroom where a maximum of 30 children are taught. In addition, the school has a library, computer room, schoolyard with play equipment, vegetable garden and a simple kitchen. The school's flat roof is used for sports and games.

Besides all the regular activities, a school trip is organised every year. The children also go on excursions from time to time, for instance to see what an office looks like and to learn about the job market in a playful way. Annual celebrations include the Christmas party, the foundation day and the graduation ceremony. We also regularly take part in (sports) tournaments between schools. 

At Papaya School, all religions are respected and teaching is not done from any particular faith.

At the Papaya school, local teachers teach. They are hired on the basis of their qualities and experience. Many teachers themselves live not far from the school and rubbish dump and can therefore relate well to the home situation of the children, which is characterised by poverty. Want to read more about the teachers at the school? Then read this document (Papaya staff) in which they introduce themselves.

Selection process

The number of places available is limited (maximum 30 per class), but the level at Papaya is high. Pupils are tested beforehand to ensure that they have the capabilities to work successfully on their own future with the education offered. Students are selected without distinction of race, religion or political affiliation.

Besides the children, parents are intensively involved in admission. Only if they fully support their child's education can this form of assistance really bear fruit. They have to accept that their child cannot generate income for the family as long as they attend Papaya School! And because Papaya is only meant for the poorest of the poor, we not only look at the children's level and eagerness to learn and the parents' motivation, but also at the family's economic situation.

Parent participation

Parents are expected to help in school by rotation. For example, they supervise the playground and help with cooking, gardening and cleaning. This saves costs, but most importantly keeps them involved in their child's education.

Free lunch

Due to lack of money, Payatas' children often eat only white rice. This does not contain enough essential nutrients, causing them to get sick faster, have less energy and develop very bad teeth at a young age. That is why Papaya's students are given a healthy lunch during school days, so they still get the much-needed nutrients.

Broader function

Outside school hours, there is a lot going on at the school. The library is open and there are music and sports lessons and information sessions on topics such as healthy eating, hygiene and the importance of breastfeeding. The dentist, doctor or nurse also visits every year for various check-ups or (minor) treatments. And so there are many other activities. Papaya pupils and their families can make use of these, but not only them: many activities are also open to people from the neighbourhoods around the school.

Other projects

Apple Project

When children leave Papaya School after seven years, a good start has been made, but a stronger foundation is needed to build promising futures. Therefore, students can apply for a scholarship for further learning after their time at Papaya.

Pineapple Project

The Pineapple livelihood project was established for and by the parents of Papaya students. The project generates additional family income.

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