Goducate philosophy is that, for our projects to be sustainable, the training we give people should enable them to help themselves. Thus it is only right that Goducate should try to help itself, rather than depend on sponsors all the time. The Goducate Training Center (GTC) in Iloilo is thus working towards self-sufficiency. It has been conducting Edutours for schools (see blog June 5, 2012). We have also started to rent out space at GTC to large groups of people.
This week Youthlead Philippines ran its Fourth Philippine Transformative Approaches to Innovative Leadership (TRAIL) Summer Camp at GTC. The camp was attended by some 350 youth leaders.
GTC was able to provide accommodation for such a large number by re-using the tents that had been used for our Goducate Tent Schools project, to add to the jungle huts and hillside villas that are normally used for accommodating visitors. The tent-schools project was Goducate’s response to the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in late 2013. We helped schools in North Panay, an area near GTC, by either re-roofing schoolrooms with tarpaulin if the structure of the building was still intact, or by providing tents to serve as classrooms in cases where the building was unstable (see blogs Jan 17, 2014 and Mar 4, 2014).
Some 40 tents were erected in GTC among the jungle huts. Open tents were also set up in the field to serve as the dining area.
There are now plans to build extra rooms, so that we can take in even larger groups.
