This Hero Teacher Drove Her Co-Teachers Back And Forth To School During The Pandemic

Children, parents and teachers in Buayan, General Santos City, know of a hero teacher who does not hesitate to use her skills and resources to help the people around her. When she sees a need, she does everything within her power to meet it, all while maintaining her humility and kindness. 

This is Teacher Soraida Kinjiyo, a Grade 1 Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) teacher at Datu Acad Dalid Elementary School (DADES).

Doing whatever it takes for colleagues and students

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Teacher Soraida's driving skills have been useful at her school as she was often able to carry out errands driving her own car. When the lockdown happened, her driving skills proved to be of greater value for her school, colleagues and pupils.

She and her car have been a blessing to her co-teachers — she gives them a ride from home to school and back when strict lockdowns were enforced in their city and it was difficult and risky to use public transportation.

During the enrollment period, Teacher Soraida volunteered to collect the Learner Enrollment and Survey Forms from designated drop boxes in different communities where DADES pupils reside. She also volunteered to fetch all of DADES’ learning modules from the DepEd Division Office in Lagao and deliver them to the school, where the parents pick them up once a week.

She’s also been helping with the reproduction of self-learning materials. Just before school opened, when teachers were still getting used to the process of producing these modules, Teacher Soraida worked until night, and even offered to use her printer for the printing of learning and activity sheets.

Until now, even when the production area has been moved to a closer location in Buayan, she still collects, sorts and delivers the materials every week.

Going beyond feeding the mind

During the onset of the pandemic, when borders were closed and everyone had to stay home, a parent reached out to Teacher Soraida asking if there was a job she could give them. The parents could not go to work in Sarangani (a neighboring province). This prompted Teacher Soraida to think of her other pupils who were in need.

She decided to give them food packs with rice and groceries to help them get through the quarantine. She communicated her intent to her co-teachers and all of them, both Muslims and non-Muslims, also donated cash and goods toward the initiative.

Teacher Soraida collected their contributions, bought the food items and led the repacking of goods.  She also drove to the communities and distributed the goods to the families.

Teacher Soraida also remembered her co-ALIVE teachers who were contractual workers and lost their jobs with schools immediately closing in March. Unfortunately, their second source of income, vending, was also halted because of the quarantine.

Soraida reached out to her relatives, friends and kind-hearted individuals to gather funds so she could buy food packs for these teachers. The food packs reached not only ALIVE teachers but also volunteer Madrasah teachers in General Santos and Sarangani. 

Truly, Soraida embodies a hero teacher, one who sees and loves her learners and looks out for them beyond the classroom. She lives out the values she teaches and cares for her community in every way she can. 

How to help a #HeroTeacher

Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) teams up with Smart Parenting to shine a spotlight on teachers who go the extra mile. For every teacher featured in Smart Parenting, GBF pledges P15,000 donation in kind.

You can also nominate a #HeroTeacher! Just go to this link and fill out the form:
https://bit.ly/NominateAHeroTeacher

A small amount can mean printer ink, a ream of bond paper, learning modules, and school supplies for our teachers and their young learners. Any donated amount will be pooled together by GBF and divided among our hero teachers.

You may send your donations through the following channels:

Direct bank deposits and transfers

Bank: Robinsons Bank – Galleria Branch
Account name: Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc.
Account number: 100230002819

Wire transfers via swift

Account name: Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc.
Account number: 100230002819
Address: Litton Mills Compound, Amang Rodriguez Avenue, Rosario, Pasig City 1609
Swift code: ROBPPHMQXXX
Beneficiary bank: Robinsons Bank Corporation
Bank address: Main Office Branch, G/F Galleria Corporate Center, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave., Quezon City
Correspondent bank for USD: Citibank NY (CITIUS33) or Deutsche Bank NY (BKTRUS33)
Correspondent bank for EUR: Deutsche Bank Frankfurt (DEUTDEFFXXX)

Grace Bautista has had a long and varied career before deciding to be a stay-at-home mom in 2019. She's worked as an editor for print and digital media, a school teacher, a Business English trainer to French students, and a knowledge manager for a multinational company. Out of all the roles and titles she's held, her favorite one is "Nanay." She is a homeschooling mom to three boys ages 12, 10 and 2. When she's not busy writing, Grace spends her time experimenting in the kitchen or playing word games with her boys.

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