School Kitchen Built by Convoy Helps Community Thrive

For four years, an elementary school in the Philippines prayed for a better kitchen to prepare food for their students. Their makeshift kitchen was made with bamboo, palm leaves, wood, and sheet metal. It was a tight fit to cook, and they didn’t have a space for students to sit and eat. Once they got their food, kids would sit on the ground under nearby trees to eat together.

Then their prayers were answered: The school was chosen for a Convoy of Hope Field Teams project. A team from LifePoint Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, traveled to the Philippines and spent a week remodeling a concrete structure into a beautiful building for the school to use as a kitchen and dining space. 

Convoy was able to put in a water tank as well, so now the school has access to clean and safe water, and kids can wash their hands before they eat. 

The kitchen is fully outfitted with cabinets, and the dining room has sturdy chairs and tables so kids can eat together indoors. This school is a part of Convoy’s Children’s Feeding program, which means their students receive daily, nutritious meals so they can grow up healthy and stay focused while learning. 

While the team was there, they got to experience the unveiling of the new building and the celebration after. Several Field Teams members even learned how to crack open a coconut with the back of a machete.

“It was like a college game day. They had a drumline of kids, dancing, singing, and different performances,” said Convoy’s Andy Caudle. “This was a really big deal for them.”

Even city officials came to help with the rebuild and take part in the celebration. 

“How the community, including city officials, parents, and children, celebrated the school’s blessing was a blessing within itself. They all expressed such gratitude for an answered, audacious prayer,” said Tayranette Williams, a participant from LifePoint Church. 

This community in the Philippines is invested in seeing their school system and children thrive. While the team was there, they got to connect with the school staff, community leaders, and the kids. They laughed, celebrated, and worked together as they finished painting the kitchen, staining the cabinets, and setting up the dining room.

“We came to participate in Field Teams, but received so much more in return,” said Tayranette.

This sentiment is often shared by Field Teams volunteers. It is inspiring to see a community work together to ensure their children have what they need to thrive.

This school year, more than 500 children in the community will enjoy their daily meals prepared in the newly built kitchen. They join more than 60,000 other kids in the Philippines who are fed daily through Convoy’s Children’s Feeding program.