Kristel – Page 7 – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2012-12-072012-12-08

Goducate helps victims of Typhoon Hagabat

In the first week of August this year, parts of the Philippines underwent severe flooding and damage from intense rain. Although the damage was caused by a strong movement of the southwest monsoon, rather than by a typhoon, the severity of the damage led the abnormal weather conditions to be known informally as Typhoon Hagabat [monsoon]. Bay, in Laguna Province, where much of Goducate work in the Philippines is concentrated, was one of the areas damaged. 500 families in Bay were affected, and are still being housed in evacuation centers.

The Goducate team in Laguna has been helping these families by training them in agricultural methods and offering them some work at the Goducate Model Farm. They have been learning different methods of farming such as hydroponics, backyard farming, and organic farming. They also get an allowance for helping with chores at the farm, such as watering, planting, ploughing, and cleaning of the premises. Through this, they are not just earning money but are also learning to know the importance of self will and discipline in helping themselves.

While the men are busy on the farm, 40 of the women have been learning another livelihood skill—that of making soap and dishwashing liquid. We hope that this skill will give those families another means of income.

2012-11-232012-11-23

Making decorative items is a Goducate livelihood program in Laguna

Goducate’s aim is to help the needy help themselves, not only by helping them through their schooling but also by offering them livelihood projects. Making decorative items out of rejects from paper factories is a Goducate livelihood program that has been started in Laguna.

A Goducate volunteer had learnt how to make these products from a friend who had attended a seminar on the technique. Initially this lady worked for her friend, but later decided to work with Goducate’s head of livelihood projects in Laguna to offer it as a livelihood project to parents of the children who attend Goducate Literacy Centers. Since the start of the program at one learning center in early October, the program has been extended to three other centers, with some 35 women taking part.

There are five basic designs in plain white that can be bought as they are. The women also produce decorated versions of these basic designs.

The women have been marketing their goods by personal visits to stores, and also online. A gift store in San Pablo City (a place where people go to buy such decorative items and souvenirs) has placed an order for 1000 items. Many have been bought as “giveaways” for weddings, and orders have been placed for several hundred pieces to be given away at two other weddings.

ScrapPaper, the basic material — Scrap paper, the basic material

Part of molding process — Part of the molding process

2012-11-132012-11-12

Goducate helpers offer combined academic and music lessons

Goducate aims to help the needy help themselves. One group of people in Laguna who have benefited from Goducate projects, and who have in turn been helping others as volunteers teaching academic subjects or music to others in the villages, have banded together to offer their services in the town for 2000 pesos a month per student. For this fee, a student will receive, each week, an hour of one-to-one tuition in academic subjects 4 times a week, and an hour of music lessons every Saturday. The music lesson will be given in small groups of 3.

The teachers will be Goducate helpers who are college or university graduates, and the 15 Goducate scholars. These Goducate scholars are those students who are continuing their college or university education on scholarships offered by the institutions on the strength of their musical ability.

We hope that this endeavor will serve as an example to other Goducate beneficiaries of how they can use their skills to help themselves and their families.