Goducate Training Center in Iloilo, Philippines, has been training its pioneer batch of 20 over trainees since April.
The training includes: basic agriculture, sloping agricultural land techniques, teaching adult literacy, teaching English to speakers of other languages, counseling, driving, self-defence, cooking.
The lecturers come from different countries, backgrounds and disciplines. Cross-cultural training is essential because the workers may have to work abroad. If so, they need to quickly understand the people they work with, and more importantly, to be readily accepted by the new community.
The objective is to produce Goducate workers who can work among the needy to help them help themselves, not just at home but also anywhere where needed.
Okkie from South Africa teaching cross-cultural studiesThomos from Indonesia teaching about Indonesian demographics and culture
A few weeks ago, Thomos (our new Indonesian Coordinator) and I visited The Philippines. For Thomos it was part of his orientation program to familiarize him with Goducate projects in The Philippines. For me it was a chance to catch up with our new Filipino workers and new projects.
We visited Talahiban village, where we are constructing a new Goducate learning center. The walls of the training room are already being built (see blogs July 15 and July 29 for earlier stages).
The new training room
Our worker, Sandy and his wife Lisa have been visiting the village for several months already, and many of the children of this village are enrolled in our music program. At present these children practise their instruments in the yard of a Goducate supporter in the village. However, the sound (not music!) from many enthusiastic youngsters is deafening and disturbing to the neighbors.
The new center, which is overlooking a field of trees, is nicely tucked away from the main village. It is also situated at the border of Talahiban village and the neighboring village, thereby making it accessible to people from the two villages.
Sandy has green fingers and has been successful with his crops. The little land around the new center will be a good place for him to set up a model sustainable backyard farm to encourage the neighbors to grow vegetables to supplement their diet.
Sandy’s teenage daughter, Melissa, is a good violinist and music teacher. And more importantly, she is a good role-model for the other children.
We expect this talented family to help the people of Talahiban to help themselves!
The day after materials for the music learning center were delivered to the site, we held a groundbreaking ceremony, attended by the Captain of the barangay (administrative division) and 4 of the councillors as well as parents of our students. The barangay officials assured us of their support for the activities we plan for the center.
Immediately after that, staff and students set to work getting rid of the trees to clear the ground for the music learning center and a staff house.
Groundbreaking by Barangay captain (in blue) and LeoFelling a treeUprooting a tree
