LiitLit: Raise a Reader

Hello! My name is Gilana Equina and I’m currently a high school senior from Los Angeles, California. The goal of my organization LiitLit is to improve the literacy of children in the Philippines. In Tagalog, “liit” means small, often referring to children. The “lit” part of the name pertains to reading and literacy. Within the next month or two, I will be raising money to buy and ship books to Polo Elementary School in New Washington, Aklan, Philippines. This school holds a very special place in my heart, as it is the school my dad attended when he was a child. I visited Polo Elementary about 10 years ago when I went to the Philippines. On top of the cramped classrooms and small study area, the school does not have a library. For reading materials, they must photocopy the book for each individual student. Ever since my trip, I realized how fortunate I was to be studying in a school in America where books were extremely accessible. Now, I have the opportunity to change the educational careers of several young students in the Philippines. The money from this fundraiser will be put towards purchasing books and covering international shipping fees. It would be much appreciated if you could help me on my journey to improving the literacy of children in the Philippines! Every dollar helps raise a reader!