ALUMNA IN FOCUS:
Margarita "Margaux" Romero - Atayde
AC HS '93
In 2009, in the aftermath of Ondoy, Margaux, along with family and friends, mobilized resources to join in the efforts to provide relief to communities in need. They identified a riverside community in Tumana, Marikina that had barely received any relief goods and decided to focus their efforts in providing meals so that families need not waste the day lining up in search of food, and could instead begin to rebuild and restore what they could. She also assisted her husband’s company, Wishcraft Creative Affairs Team, in relief efforts for Dr. Sixto Antonio Elementary School in Pasig which was submerged for 3 months after Ondoy. Wishcraft mobilized to restore the library, repair damaged classrooms, and provide textbooks for students. Through all these efforts, they gained a front row perspective on the situation of many schools communities, particularly the problem of literacy. They soon realized that if they really wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, they needed to discern on ways to empower them to build better futures for themselves, and not remain dependent on others. In partnership with The Binhi Foundation, Margaux was able to identify volunteer parents in Bgy Pansol, QC and volunteer teachers in Dr. Sixto Antonio Elementary School in order to set up a reading program in each of these sites. After only a few weeks in the program, children who once were shy and timid began to gain the confidence to recite in class and make friends; they began to show greater interest in storybooks and were no longer intimidated by them; parents once uninvolved, began to show concern for the education of their children; and volunteers were able to shine their big hearts and show the community that much is to be gained by everyone when working hand-in-hand.
What started out with 2 volunteers handling 25 students in each site, has grown in ways they had not planned nor imagined. Encouraged with the success of the first reading classes, Margaux and her husband Dondon mobilized resources and volunteers to continue and establish it in other places that wanted the same for their students. Eventually, they set up the Corazon Sanchez Atayde Memorial Foundation, Inc. – in order to bring more focus and structure in their efforts. More importantly, they wanted and to honor the legacy of generosity their mother, Corazon Atayde who lived her life being an answered prayer to many.
Through the Foundation, LETS Read was born with the goal to provide easy to use programs and materials for schools, teachers, communities, and parents to help struggling learners (especially non-readers in the second grade onwards) in improving their reading skills. They work together with partners to provide effective literacy programs and quality learning materials to schools and communities who have the least access to educational resources. With the invaluable partnership with schools, teachers, parents, community volunteers, DepEd officials, non-profit organizations, donors/funders, and most of all the children, LETS Read has reached almost 29,217 learners in 175 schools and communities around the country in the past 12 years.
Margaux is quick to explain that the program itself is not the secret to success. One can have the best program and materials, and still not reach the desired results. The real secret, she believes, is in the heart, spirit and determination of these truly inspiring Filipinos who have chosen to see beyond tremendous obstacles and rise to their true potential. Here is a glimpse of the many inspiring stories Margaux has cherished through the years:
Jessica, Rizal Elementary School, Makati City
Jessica, started off very shy and had difficulty participating in class activities. Her PHIL-IRI (Philippine Informal Reading Inventory) assessment scores also showed that she was a frustration reader. After joining LETS Read, there were significant changes in Jessica’s demeanor. She became more self-assured and willing to participate in class activities. She even found an outlet to harness her creativity and would write and perform rap songs for her class. Even more amazing, her adviser reported that Jessica, who used to have academic concerns, had passed Makati Science High School. In her school journal, Jessica stated that the skills and the confidence she was able to gain in LETS Read greatly influenced all the changes in her life.
Marie Chloe G. Macaspag, Buting Elementary School
Chloe’s 6th grade class adviser was very surprised to learn that Marie Chloe was formerly a LETS Read scholar in her second grade. “Marie Chloe is very fluent in English that is why I am very surprised to know that she had to take remedial classes before,” he says. He reveals that she is as member of the journalism group, competed at district level and won 2nd place in the English column writing contest.
John Mark Vinasoy, Bambang Elementary School
When he was grade 2, John Mark could barely read. He was also extremely shy and would barely even look you in the eye. His mother felt quite desperate and helpless since she herself was unable to read and write. After a few months in the program, he showed vast improvement, not just in his reading skills, but most especially with his new-found confidence. He happily recounted how he would be chosen by his teachers to lead. His mother proudly told us that he even placed in the top 10 of his class and had begun to teach his sister Jennifer how to read.
Here is Margaux’s own reflection on how Assumption helped lead her to where she is now:
Back in high school, I was lucky to be given the chance to join a group of volunteers for a week in St Martin’s School – Assumption Baguio. We were tasked to conduct some sessions for primary grade students. There I was thinking, “here I am ready to help and be some sort of ‘savior’ to these children”. Was I in for a surprise. I remember one of our students who was so enthusiastic, and was present in all our sessions. Later on, I was assigned to visit and sleep in his home. To get there, my partner and I had to hike hills and mountains for 3 hours. This student of ours probably had to wake up so early to get to school, and he was never ever late for class. At that moment, it dawned on me — who was I to think that I had come to be this child’s “savior” when he had just saved me by teaching me one of the most important life lessons– when you truly value something, when you commit to it, YOU SHOW UP NO MATTER WHAT. That truly was a humbling and awe-inspiring experience which, in a huge way, set the trajectory of my life towards a certain path. I knew then that I wanted to meet more Filipinos like him and support the already amazing things they are doing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to do just that in the work we do. Everyday we encounter so many children who truly want to learn. Even those who seem to misbehave, they still show up because deep down they have the desire to reach their full potential. They walk miles, cross rivers and oceans, climb mountains, stave off hunger, and many times even endure the shame of illiteracy, just to go to school. At the same time, there are so many teachers out there who go over and beyond the call of duty to nurture these students – work overtime, go out of their way to visit children in their homes, create worksheets by hand, and feed their students out of their own pockets. If in our own very small way, we can do something to support them, make their life a bit easier so that they can add a step toward their goal, then we’re there.
Through LETS Read, Margaux hopes to reach all those students, teachers and parents in the Philippines who desire to pursue their learning journey, but have limited or no access to quality materials and training. Some of their educational modules can even be accessed for free at https://www.youtube.com/@letsreadathome7925 . You may also learn more about LETS Read through their website: https://www.letsread.ph or facebook: LETSReadPH
