Community Corner

Former Peace Corps Volunteer Still Dedicated to Helping Children in Philippines, 40 Years Later

Liz Freeman, a Wakefield resident, helps lead BKP, Inc., a non-profit organization that collects books in order to set up libraries for impoverished children in the Philippines.

When Wakefield resident Liz Freeman signed up to become a member of the Peace Corps in 1970, she had no idea her assignment would take her to the Philippines. Or that she'd still be helping the Filipino people 40 years later.

"When I signed up, I was one of the shyest kids in school, and everyone expected me to not last two years," she said. "Well, you had to pay for your own way home if you didn't stay, so I was thinking: South America, walk," she joked.

But Freeman wasn't sent to South America. She was offered a position to help teachers incorporate math into their lessons. In the Philippines.

Find out what's happening in Wakefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I was an education major, and math was one of my strong areas, so it sounded like a perfect program," Freeman said. "I looked at the map and said, 'I guess I can’t swim form the Philippines, but I will still give it a try.' And I'm so glad I went."

In addition to her teacher support position, Freeman spent an entire summer learning how to set up a library. However, she quickly discovered the hardest part of building a library was having access to the proper books.

Find out what's happening in Wakefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"They had a big room with lots of shelves, but the books were old adult books from 1948," she said. "There were no story books, and nothing at all for children."

A Lasting Impression
After she had moved back to the U.S., Freeman found herself still interested in promoting literacy in the Philippines. She became involved with an organization called the Friends of Filipino people who, in 1998, introduced her to Rowena Jimenez, who was - believe it or not - setting up a nonprofit organization to collect books from Massachusetts residents to help set up libraries in the Philippines.

"And then that was the end of my Saturdays mornings - in a good way," she joked.

Local Non-Profit
The organization is called Bagong Kulturang Pinoy, which loosely translates to "New Culture for Filipinos" or, as it's also known, "Books For Kids in the Philippines."

Twice a month on Saturday mornings, Freeman and other volunteers from BKP, Inc. meet up at the Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer St., in Lynnfield. Freeman has served on the Board of Directors for more than a decade now, and serves as the organization's publicity and book donor liason.

In 2006, the organzation won a Presidential Award in the Philippines for an "invaluable contribuion to literacy" and "developing a reading culture among underprivledged children."

Freeman said the fact it's an established program is one of the biggest reasons BKP, Inc. is a great organization with which to volunteer.

"Some of the programs out there sound good, but you find out years later that not all the money is going to where they say," she said, noting that having people on the ground in the Philippines means they get photos and detailed information back about where the books and the money has gone, and even proof that the library is open the required number of hours. To date, more than 130 mini-libraries have been established in the most poverty-stricken areas of the Philippines.

"I've got back twice to visit [the Philippines],  I've adopted a son from the Philippines," she said. "We’re doing hard work, but it’s valuable and enjoyable, and I feel very fortunate that I made these wonderful friends."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here