MANILA: Brought up in the US, Arianna and Oliver Horsup were aware that their grandfather was a pioneer of Philippine community journalism.
However, it wasn’t until last year, during a visit to his ancestral province, that they fully understood his legacy and found a meaningful way to honor it.
During their trip across the impoverished rural areas of Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao, they observed the severe lack of educational resources and the long distances children had to walk to reach their schools. Inspired to make a difference, the teenagers decided to bring educational materials directly to the students.
Thus, on June 27, they launched Chapters of Change, a mobile library equipped with over 5,000 books, starting its journey from Cagayan de Oro, their late grandfather Ben Emata Jr.’s hometown.
Emata, a reporter and editor, ran the local publication Mindanao Reporter, which was shut down during the martial law press clampdown in 1972.
“The impact of their grandfather’s legacy was evident when Oliver and Arianna saw how fondly he was remembered by locals and fellow journalists,” said David Horsup, the teenagers’ father.
“During our visit, they noticed the scarcity of schools and the long distances children had to walk. Arianna was determined to break the cycle of poverty by improving access to literature and English comprehension.”
Upon returning home, Arianna dedicated her summer to researching how to establish a charity. In July, Chapters of Change was registered in Texas. The 15-year-old meticulously selected board members, including family and community members, such as her former Filipino middle school teacher.
Chapters of Change also became a literacy partner with the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation in the US, which provided early support and credibility to the organization, assisting in its development and networking with other nonprofits.
“Securing the necessary certifications and launching fundraising events were our next steps,” David explained. “We aimed to acquire and retrofit a vehicle to serve as the mobile library.”
Most of the books were donated by prominent children’s book authors through schoolbook drives, while the organization secured sponsorships from businesses and raised funds via a GoFundMe page.
Currently, Chapters of Change operates with the help of a Misamis Oriental-based board member—a lawyer and philanthropist who coordinates volunteers. The plan is to hire a full-time library manager in the coming months.
The mobile library aims to serve 300 children each week by visiting one village or school per day, allowing children to borrow and return books.
As a high school freshman in Houston, Arianna, 15, along with her younger brother, is learning the intricacies of running a charity while balancing her teenage life.
“Our vision is to enhance literacy,” Arianna told Arab News. “Managing my time between education, sports, volunteering, and personal activities has been challenging, but it’s been incredibly rewarding.”
