The Goducate Training Center in San Miguel, Iloilo, Philippines, is fast taking shape.
The 11.2 hectare site has been transformed in the last 7 months from a forested area into a training center with agricultural fields (hybrid rice, vegetables, fruit trees), aquaculture pond (with over 3000 fish), large multipurpose hall (for training and accommodation), a camp-site (for accommodation) and recreational facilities (zip lines, horse trails, swimming/dipping pool, restaurant).
We hope to be able to take in our first batch of Goducate trainees in April. They will be trained to help poor communities of Asians help themselves. A large part of their training will be in agriculture and aquaculture so that they can help poor communities produce more food in a sustainable and eco-friendly way.
The trainees will support themselves during their 6-9 month training period by producing their own food – and in the process learn transferable agricultural and aqua-cultural skills.
They will also help to run the recreational and learning activities on the site to generate funds from corporations, educational institutions and other organizations. Presently, there is a strong demand for such activities (team-building, bonding, leadership) from such organizations in Iloilo. The funds generated from these activities will help Goducate Training Center to be self-sustaining in the near future.
This is in line with Goducate’s philosophy of helping others help themselves.
If we can’t help ourselves to be self-sustianing, then how can we help others do so?
Interior of Multi-Purpose HallZip-line over Fish-pond with Restaurant in backgroundMain entranceSpanish pony on play-field
I spent four years in Northeast China getting my bachelor’s degree. It was where I learnt of LifePegs (LP). The first time I joined a LP activity was in June 2009 and at that time, I was close to graduation. It was a pity indeed, I wish I could spend more time with LP during my college days.
My first trip with LP was to travel to Da Qing Gou, a small town in Inner Mongolia which took us 3 hours by bus to arrive from the city centre. Being far away from the hassle and bustle of the city, it was a great place to relax. It was not only about traveling, but a good chance to make friends. The most impressive part was having lectures on life skills on the trip. Strange, you must be thinking, as in China, learning and relaxation don’t seem to go hand-in-hand. Well, that was the biggest difference from a travel agency or an institution. LP trips are about having fun, relaxation and at the same time learning life skills that are beneficial. I could vividly remember the topic of that lecture was about dating. We learnt about what love is and how to show your love. I was impressed with the knowledge that was transmitted to us. You know what? When I was in the college years, I always had romantic feelings which could be dangerous at times. Thankfully I was protected well by my parents and I didn’t do anything wrong which would make me regret my whole life. But I made my parents worry a lot for four years. I am thankful that I finally learnt on that LP trip that love is sacrifice rather than romantic feelings.
With friends in Scotland
One year later, I got a chance to go to Scotland for a year’s further study. I was blessed by the LP lessons, including cross-cultural issues, that I learned which were applicable in real-life situations. I still remember a LP seminar that I joined, the topic was about friendship. What kind of friends do you prefer? Diverse answers were given. “I want to make friends who can help me out when I am in trouble” and “I prefer those who shared the same dreams with me”… well, not bad answers. But I was impressed by the following part. “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. You know what? I realized that we had always focused on what we wanted and what would benefit us but seldom consider others’ needs. I have learned lots of valuable principles about making friends, but “It is more blessed to give than to receive” is a concept that I heard for the first time then! I decided to change from my selfish attitude and apply the principle into my own life, I have since benefited a lot! I am glad that my growth and maturity in life is part of the fun and valuable times spent at LP.
LP is a great blessing to many Chinese college students like me. LP has helped us, the young generation, to see hope and the need to grow. We have been given much guidance through learning lifeskills in activities. Most of us LP members no longer hang out aimlessly on the streets/campuses or immerse ourselves in the internet game bar. Moreover LP is a place full of love and encouragement and positive spirit! Thank you LP for giving me precious experiences that last a long time!
It’s now the early days of a new year, and I have been reminded of a very memorable New Year that I had a year ago, when I had the opportunity to travel with LifePegs to the famous Chagan Lake in northeast China. That was indeed a wonderful start of a new year for me. I not only had fun and made friends, but more importantly, I learned about making plans and developing New Year resolutions.
On the morning of New Year’s day, I got up very early, boarded the bus with 80 LifePegs members, and arrived at a beautiful wild rural area. The snow was very deep and it was freezing cold out there. We were like in an ice land. After our arrival, we had lunch at a local restaurant, and had 10 all-fish dishes —- big fish, small fish, flat fish, round fish… and they were all very tasty. In the afternoon, we went to experience winter fishing at Chagan Lake. We were very excited to witness one of the biggest “miracles” in China. The lake was huge and all covered with slippery ice thick enough for cars and lorries to drive across. It was fun walking on the ice and holding each other’s hands and coats to avoid falling. When a boy fell, some other playful boys all rushed to lie down on him and made a human pile. Everyone was having fun despite the cold!
Setting off across the lakeWaiting for the haul
After a long walk on the ice, we finally got to the center of the lake where the winter fishing took place. There was a long and narrow “river” that had been cracked open cracked open by the fishermen. The miracle is that the fishermen could catch 25 thousand kilograms of fish by using several thousand meters of fishing nets pulled by a herd of horses. We were all waiting and really excited, and kept asking the fisherman there, “Are you going to pull the nets now? ” “When can we see the fish?” We stood there for hours (well, it seemed so!) for the fish to come out. As it was freezing there, each of the LifePegs team tried their best to keep one another warm, encouraged each other and showed love and concern. The boys gave up their gloves and hats to those who needed extra means to keep them warm, and the girls were hugging each other to stay warm. Of course, we took lots of fun pictures.
On the “kang”
That night we gathered as a big group learning about the importance and lifeskills of making plans. My favorite part was writing down my resolutions, and putting the notes in a LifePegs envelope. The idea was that LifePegs would send it back to us a year later to see whether we attained the goals or not. As we were asked to be specific and detailed in making plans, I wrote things like calling home once a week on Tuesday and replying immediately after reading a text message, etc. On hindsight that exercise was really helpful in changing some of my bad habits and shaping me to be a disciplined and persistent person.
That night I experienced something new and “cool” too. I shared a “kang”(a bed warmed up from underneath by heat obtained burning wood or straw or grass in a stove in the kitchen) with several other girls ,and we stayed up until midnight sharing our lives, giving thanks for all the good things that happened to us in the past year. Of course, we are thankful for LifePegs for all the fun and wonderful activities they organised for College students like us! Well, unlike the boys who were playing 3-legged football in the cold, we girls wanted some quiet personal time inside the warm house.
The next morning we had a game called scavenger hunt and other fun games competing amongst different teams. It was a beautiful and warm day. All of us were having so much fun that it was difficult for us to leave this place and leave our new friends at noon.
It was a fun, meaningful and well-organized trip to kick start the New Year. I liked it very much and it gave me, thus far, my best memories at LifesPegs.
