Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear

A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

As school starts and students enter classrooms, they flop down on to their chairs and try their best to pay attention while the teacher tries her best to teach. Some wonder why they should be sitting in school when there are better things to do out there. Others wonder why should they be different from the rest.

Nicole is a 15 year old school girl.  She attends Manggahan National High School. Education is free in Philippines until the student gets to university. Students are required to pay tuition fees to the school.

She lives with her parents in Rodriguez, Rizal area, Philippines. It is near a big river. When the river floods, the family suffers as their home and what they have will be damaged or washed away.

Her father is a construction worker and her mother, a housewife. She has two sisters and two brothers. Her eldest sister works but even with her income, the family is unable to meet all their household expenses. She can’t ask for any money to buy materials for her school projects because they don’t have any. Whenever she sees her classmates working on their school projects, she wonders what it is like to do and complete even a simple school project. When she sees her classmates spending the allowance given by their parents, she realizes she has nothing at all.

But Nicole is not easily discouraged. She stands firm in her faith. She loves mathematics and wants to work hard. She wants to pursue her studies.

She is thankful that she has been given the chance to be like her classmates – to be able to pursue her dreams because of Care Channels sponsorship.

This is Chris with his father. His mother has left them. Chris lives somewhere else with a relative. He comes every day to cook for his father before he goes to school. Although his mother has left them, she works as a pedicab driver and continues to give Chris an allowance for his food and transportation to school.

Chris is a serious and quiet boy. He has won many medals for academic excellence. He dreams of being an engineer because he likes mathematics. He wants to do his best to be a better man, a successful man. Chris wants a better life.

Nicole and Chris are two students Care Channels sponsors.

A student who is sponsored would receive auxiliaries such as school books, uniforms, project materials, etc. Care Channels Manila coordinates with their schools to provide these for them.  The school follows up on the sponsored students’ attendance and grades. The sponsorship helps the students until they get to high school. A high school graduate will be able to work as sales assistants, call-center workers and so on.

These are smart, dedicated and hard-working kids.

The line that divides is one of opportunity.

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace oh mighty king
Do you know what I know

A child, a child, shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say

A child, a child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

Story By Wong Kah Wei

“Do you hear what I hear?” Written by Noel Regney, Music by Gloria Shayne Baker

Lyrics of complete song

Full version performed by Whitney Houston