I WILL WALK FOR A SCHOLAR. WALK WITH ME!
Every year, more than half of the children who enroll in and finish grade school are not able to enter high school. According to studies, school children drop out of school because of malnutrition, health and sanitation reasons, difficult access to the nearest school, and child labor. The underlying culprit: poverty.
During the late 1990s, lay Catholic organization Couples for Christ (CFC) had been led to turn their focus on the poor. Subsequently, programs on shelter rehabilitation, education and livelihood were funded and implemented, initially in Metro Manila. In the year 2000, inspired by the theme from Luke 4:18, Couples for Christ embraced the work of bringing glad tidings to the poor.
ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) is the primary support of Couples for Christ’s work with the poor since Day 1. ANCOP USA, ANCOP Canada and ANCOP Australia were the three staunchest campaigners for awareness and resources that support the work with the poor programs. Six years ago, ANCOP Canada spearheaded the ANCOP Walk, mainly to be a means to make people aware of the work and to solicit financial support for the ANCOP Child Sponsorship Program. Subsequently, ANCOP USA adapted the same walk-for-a-cause concept, conducting simultaneous walks in different states. In 2011, the inspiration to go global began. Thus, the birth of the first ANCOP GLOBAL WALK.
Last August 21, 2011, an estimated 50,000 walkers from Metro Manila gathered at the SM Mall of Asia grounds to stage the first ANCOP Global Walk. Thousands more from 60 provinces and 7 countries gathered in strategic locations in their respective areas to simultaneously walk for 5 kilometers bringing one message: I WILL WALK FOR A SCHOLAR. WALK WITH ME! The event was able to raise funds for the education of 1,000 students.
The event drew many corporate and individual sponsors, among them Petron, Pocari Sweat, Banco de Oro, Chinabank, Yamaha, Tricom and Maynilad. Associations such as the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association of the Philippines, the academe such as the Far Eastern University and Samson Institute of Technology, as well as government offices like the Department of Foreign Affairs, PhilHealth, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also showed their support for the ANCOP Global Walk.
For current CFC ANCOP Chairman Jose Yamamoto the walk was truly a “huge success”.
“This has shown that the people, whether CFC or non-CFC, can and will get together if the common purpose is good,” Yamamoto added.
On August 12, 2012, at 5:00 AM, walkers will again come together, this time at the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta in Manila, to walk for a scholar. Walkers from the confirmed 41 provinces, the USA and Canada are likewise drumming up interest for people to join the walk.
According to CFC ANCOP President Eric de los Reyes, “The challenge this year is to gather 150,000 walkers from Metro Manila alone. Through ANCOP Global Walk 2012, let us all answer the needs of last year’s scholars and raise more funds to benefit 1,000 new children.”
ANCOP is acronym for ANSWERING THE CRY OF THE POOR. It is the institutional and social response of the Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation Inc. (CFC) to help the poor and the less privileged. CFC attends to their needs thru programs in education, health, community development, and livelihood, administered by the CFC-ANCOP Tekton Foundation Inc.
The registration for the ANCOP Global Walk is currently on-going. Walkers may either fill out a registration form and submit and pay to any Couples for Christ memberor to the ANCOP Global Walk Secretariat located at 29 Evergreen Drive, Capitol Green Village, Bgy. Tandang Sora, Quezon City. The AGW Secretariat may be reached via telephone numbers (02) 794-5363 and 935-7590; fax number 794-5363; e-mail walkforascholar2012@gmail.com. Participants may alsoregister online via www.ancopglobalwalk.com and pay via BDO Bills Payment facility. Registration fee is Php 300.
