Clarisse – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2016-07-082016-07-13

8th Batch of Trainees at Goducate Training Center in Iloilo graduate

The 8th batch of trainees from Goducate Training Center (GTC) in Iloilo, Philippines, has completed their training in community development work. At the commencement exercise held on June 17, the 18 trainees were joined by their parents and friends, who came from different parts of the Philippines. At this event 4 of the trainees also received their National Certificate II issued by the Philippines Government’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for passing their training in automotive mechanical assembly organized by Goducate.

All the graduands were challenged by Goducate founder, Dr. Paul Choo, to continue their mission of helping others.

One of the perfomances at the event was a song composed and arranged by one of the trainees. The song speaks about friendship, and that “one thing” that will still unite them after they go their separate ways is their love for the community, especially the poor.

Most of the trainees will go back to their home places to start community work, some will help the communities around GTC area, 1 will go to East Malaysia to help with Goducate work there, and 2 to Indonesia to help with Goducate’s Sing Your English program.

2015-04-10

Goducate Community Development Workers reach the mountain people of Alimodian

One of the municipalities that Goducate’s Community Development Workers for Barangays (CFB) project covers is Alimodian, in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. Alimodian is divided into 51 barangays (villages). Getting to some of these barangays is quite challenging. For example, to get to those furthermost ones takes an hour’s bumpy ride from the town proper, crossing mountains and rivers. This area covers 7 barangays with a population of 4500. Goducate sent a 7-man team to give health-care services and education to both the children and adults.

The trekking that had to follow the ride was challenging. It meant an hour’s mostly uphill walk under the scorching heat of the sun. However, the hospitality of the community offered to us on our arrival more than made up for the rigors of the journey. During the lectures, the people were very attentive and willing to learn about hypertension, diabetes, moringa, and hygiene practices. The adults were given free blood pressure and urine checks, and the children underwent nutritional assessment. The village leaders were very participative and also grateful that Goducate was able to go to their areas.

Since Goducate desires to help people help themselves, the team worked with those people who have leadership skills, who can lead and mobilize their own community. At the start of the program we allowed them to observe what we did, then we gave them little tasks while coaching them and eventually letting them do the work on their own. One of those was Mrs.Prizel Andea, a mother of 4. Her husband works in the army. She hosted the team for 4 days, helped with the BP taking by facilitating the registration and managing the crowd. She also made her own moringa powder and expressed a desire to do house-to-house demonstration of making moringa powder in her neighborhood.

Goducate CDWs always look out for more of these natural leaders, to be maximized to their full potential so that they can also help others help themselves.

Military escort provided because of possible presence of militants in remote parts of the mountain

Crossing a shaky bridge to enter a barangay

2015-03-202015-03-20

Goducate trainees get much practice in entering new communities

The Goducate Training Center began training its 6th batch of students on Jan 19. Of the 14 students, 10 come from different parts of the Philippines, 3 from Indonesia, and 1 from East Malaysia. They will undergo the 5-month training on Community Development Work, except for the 3 Indonesians who came for only 2 months. Unlike previous batches, those in this batch range quite widely in age, yet they have formed a special bond among themselves, upholding the GTC family spirit.

Their training will cover the various kinds of work the trainees can be expected to do in the community, and they have been fortunate in that Goducate has embarked on a project called CDWs (community development workers) For Barangays (villages), which aims to cover some 400 barangays in 6 months. So the trainees have already had many opportunities learning to meet new communities—and learning the importance of such simple gestures as smiling, greeting, and shaking hands, as well as of asking the right questions, when entering a new community. They have also gained much confidence in talking with barangay leaders, an important skill in getting projects off the ground and running well.

The focus of the CDWs For Barangays is health education, so the trainees have had lectures on health, but their curriculum will also include principles of education, facilitating English talks, agriculture, and moral education, as well as on how to run various camps. They have to be taught how to meet the various needs of communities they are likely to be serving in the future.

Trainees with one of the trainers (in red)