On June 17, 2013, 17 graduates of the Goducate Training Centre (GTC) in Iloilo, Philippines, passed through Singapore on their way to Batam, Indonesia. For many of them it was the first time leaving the Philippines, so their excitement was evident.
The 17 are the second batch of GTC graduates to be attending the Goducate Language Centre in Batam, where they will spend 3 months learning “survival” Bahasa Indonesia and Indonesian culture before they are sent out to various parts of Indonesia to serve as community development workers. Goducate believes that there is no better way to learn a language than through immersion, so their training in Batam will not be confined to classroom teaching. The students will be interacting with the locals to practise their Bahasa and to experience the local culture firsthand.
New batch of students for Goducate Language Center in Batam
The number of countries in which Goducate is helping the needy is gradually increasing, and the Goducate Training Center is about to start training its fourth batch of students to be community development workers (CDWs). Circumstances and needs vary from place to place. For our trainers to be able to fine-tune the curriculum and prepare the trainees appropriately for their future postings, it is important and helpful for the staff to visit the places where the CDWs will later be deployed.
I and two other GTC staff members have just spent about 10 days in Indonesia on an exposure trip to Goducate projects in various parts of that country. We did not get to Indonesia on a direct flight so we went through the immigration checkpoints of different countries and learnt to get about on various forms of public transport. We saw that motorbikes were the commonest mode of private transport in Indonesia, and were terrified seeing how Indonesians zip in and out son their bikes.
We were exposed to Indonesian culture—its food, family traditions, arts, dances, and language. We enjoyed our exchanges with the locals in our limited Bahasa Indonesia and they in their limited English. We learnt how important it was to speak slowly when communicating in an unfamiliar language. We had fun learning Indonesia’s traditional dances and songs and appreciated the richness of its culture. We realised how Filipinos might have to adapt to the spicy food, but that should not be difficult for we soon were enjoying eating it, even with our bare hands.
We observed how Goducate workers entered communities and addressed their needs. For example, learning English was quite difficult for most Indonesians but learning it through songs and activities made it more interesting and easy to pick up. It was amazing to see how the locals would open their homes for the CDWs to help in areas of English, agriculture, health, and counselling. It was also fulfilling to see the locals mentored, and to see them mentoring other locals in the areas in which they had been trained.
The spirit of flexibility, hard work, and love are very important for every CDW to possess. We enjoyed the family spirit and hospitality exhibited by the Goducate workers who hosted and accommodated us. Such bonding time created an atmosphere of encouragement and unity.
This short exposure trip will help us in preparing the trainees to enter communities, not just with skills but most importantly with the right character and attitude that could bring love and hope to needy people.
Meeting Goducate Language Center StaffEnjoying spicy Indonesian food
“It’s All About Me!” was the theme of Goducate’s Sing Your English (SYE) one-day camp held on May 25th in Pekanbaru, Sumatra. This SYE’s first one-day camp attracted almost 300 Indonesian campers, who were grouped into 6 teams—namely, Blue Eagles, Red Lions, Green Dragons, Yellow Sharks, Purple Pandas, and Orange Foxes. The electricity cut in the morning did not stop proceedings.
The aim of SYE camps is to create an environment wherein the campers enjoy reading, using, singing, and speaking English and where they have a memorable time bonding with friends. SYE is program for teaching English in fun ways and through many interesting and character-molding activities; for eliminating the fear of speaking English; and for creating a desire in campers to learn English, dream big, and believe that they can accomplish whatever they aspire to achieve.
These aims were accomplished through different camp activities. Some of the activities that were big hits among the campers were the Cheers & Yells Competition, during which each team performed with painted faces and props that included pompoms flags; the Traditional Song & Dance Competition; the SYE Awesome Race, which was a combination of a Treasure Hunt and an “Amazing Race”; and the Big- Ball Volleyball, which campers enjoyed since it was their first time playing with this game. At the end of the camp, each camper was able to use the accumulated points they got from the different competitions and activities to “buy” items from the camp store.
The campers are looking forward to more SYE camps. One of the parents commented, “This is so far the best strategy for learning English. Learning English through songs is so much fun & motivating!”
Rehearsing camp cheerTaking part in SYE Awesome RaceMeal time at the camp
