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The “Software” @ Goducate Training Center in Iloilo, Philippines

Having met and worked with many teams in various corporate companies or organisations from different countries, diverse backgrounds, multi-racial, cross-cultures over the last 25 years, I must admit that the team of key personnel/volunteers at the Goducate Training Center in Iloilo, Philippines is very different!

May be different is not a good word to describe this group of people. Let me think of a more appropriate adjective … passionate, well, more than that. Committed, yes that’s what they are. United, definitely! Bold, creative, dedicated, energetic … the list goes on … but one thing that comes up all the time is FUN!

Whether is the construction of buildings/huts, the irrigation lake and canals, plant-nursery, green-house, vermi-culture beds, activity fields, hiking trails, clearing of land, terracing of slopes, planting of hybrid rice or vegetables and fruit-trees, the FUN element never seem to cease!

I can’t quite describe what makes this great team of workers so unique, but there is certainly something special in them! So much excitement! So much enthusiasm! So much zeal! … that it is influential and spreading to those around them!

It was great to see the “hardware” (training centre) shaping up but it felt better to see the “software” going strong and progressing on the right track! Indeed, “People makes the difference”!

As we discussed the business model and first phase of training programmes at the Centre to groom community workers when the multi-purpose hall is completed by end of this year, each minute did not go by without extreme excitement from these core workers. They are so willing to adapt and be flexible, going all out to make it work!

We are hopeful that this training centre project will excel because these people are having a great time developing and implementing their plans, or rather dreams to help their own needy community to help themselves!

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Musically-talented Melissa, an inspiration to many

I met Melissa during last week’s trip with several other Singaporeans to the Goducate Centre in Laguna, Philippines. She looked physically smaller than a normal 14-year-old but she behaved like a mature young lady.

Goducate-Laguna orchestra (Melissa in front row, 2nd from left)
Goducate-Laguna orchestra (Melissa in front row, 2nd from left)
Recorder players
Recorder players

She was playing violin at a special occasion when I saw her. After which she played solo for us. Wow! I was impressed! It was the 1st time I’d heard the violin played in a shabby, muddy, dirty environment. But who needs a concert hall? Melissa’s music was most inspiring and sweet sounding! She learnt how to play the violin in less than 2 years! Now, she plays for private functions, and even helps to train 22 children in music. She also displayed confidence in her conversational and public speaking skills. I was told that Melissa’s life was transformed after she met Goducate Community workers who helped her and her family.

Melissa is one of the beneficiaries from Goducate’s Musical Livelihood Project in Laguna to equip children and teenagers to make some money from performances and potentially gain free entry into High Schools through their musical ability, thus giving them hope. The training of playing a musical instrument also instils discipline and determination, as well as keeping them off the streets and getting into any troubles (drugs, alcohol, prostitution etc). More than a 100 children have been learning to play an instrument.

It was great to see the Goducate-Laguna Orchestra grow in size and strength. More native trainers are now involved, and setting a wonderful and hopeful example to many poor children who thought they would never have a chance to discover their musical talents or opportunities to showcase it.

Whilst there are many needy children and teenagers waiting in line to be trained musically, I hope Goducate supporters will donate more musical instruments to help these needy Asians help themselves.

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Goducate helps victims of Typhoon Ondoy

A group of Singaporeans went last week to the Philippines to see the Goducate learning centers and model farm in Laguna and the training center that is being built in Iloilo. The day after we arrived we were handed invitations to the Goducate Dayap Graduation Day to be held that very afternoon (Nov 14). The “graduands” turned out to be a special group.

Typhoon Ondoy was the most devastating typhoon in the 2009 Pacific typhoon season. Some 5000 families have had to be relocated from Manila. One of relocation sites is Dayap village in Laguna province, a couple of hours by car from Manila. There we could see many neat rows of houses that the government has provided for the victims of the typhoon.

Providing housing is one thing. Providing jobs is quite another, and one that is far from easy. And if the family has no income, the children lose out on education because even with free education, there are still the incidentals such as books, uniforms, and transport that have to be paid for.

Goducate volunteers started tutorials for the children here every Sunday afternoon, helping them with the Philippines Alternative System of education. This system has been specially devised for students who cannot attend regular school. It enables students to learn on their own and at their own pace. About 30 students registered for the tutorials. They range in educational level from grades 1-6, and a few at high school level. The houses that have yet to be completed serve as classrooms, and a little shop nearby helps by lending chairs or stools as necessary.

The graduands impressed us with their performances, and an excuse was found to reward every student with something. It was most touching to see them thrilled with what they received even if it was no more than a tube of toothpaste.

Goducate hopes to help this community of resettled people in other ways too. The model farm has been experimenting with different ways of growing vegetables. A couple of the families at Dayap have agreed to be the pioneer group for transfer of growing techniques to little backyards, and as you read this they are probably already being taught what to do. Goducate hopes that soon most of the resettled community here will be able to put their own “veg@table”.