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One boy’s dream in Laguna

This is a story of a boy in Laguna which will probably remain untold had the Goducate team not visited him at his home. One would have thought that Ian Mendoza is 12 years old simply because of his child-like appearance. But he is actually 18 years old. Ian suffers from meningioma – a non-aggressive cancer of the central nervous system. A slow-growing brain tumor – probably the size of a tennis ball – has inhibited the production of growth hormones, which invariably stunted his development as a child. Ian lost his sight in both eyes when he was 15 years old, when the optic nerves in his eyes were compressed as a result of the tumor. According to his mother, doctors had ruled out removing the tumor surgically as it is a highly risky procedure.

Ian playing his recorder
Ian playing his recorder

In spite of his condition, Ian was anything but downcast or defeated. He struck us as someone who has great contentment, and one simply refuses to give up. He wants to develop his talents in music and fulfill his dream of playing the flute in the orchestra. Two of Ian’s younger brothers – Matthew and Emmanuel are now playing for the orchestra formed by Goducate’s Learning Centre in Laguna to train musically talented young people to play at special events. Such events can potentially become a source of income for the musicians as fees can be raised from their performances. As for now, Ian plays a recorder to hone his skills and he looks forward to the day when he can play a flute, given through a kind donation.

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The trap of poverty

For urbanites in First World countries, it is perhaps correct to say that most will find it difficult to empathize with those who experience real poverty. Not that I can empathize any better or had become wiser after my short visit to a rural community in Laguna, Philippines, I think poverty is not just simply earning less than US$ 1 a day, or not having enough to eat as conventional wisdom would have us to believe. To me, poverty entraps families and the future generations of those who were caught by it.

This is a snapshot of a family caught in poverty. Typically, the parents have never been schooled. I was told that it is common for poor couples to have about 5 children (and I heard there was even a couple who had 16 children!). For the children who come from poor households, life can be tough. Because their parents do not have the means, they do not attend school. For them, living from hand-to-mouth becomes real day-to-day. Daily choices in life are dictated by survivability. By the age of seven, most children would have to work to contribute to their household. And for them, work could mean that they would have to go into the forest to look for fruits such as coconuts and bananas, which would be collected as food, or sold to a middleman. Remember, these children do not have the chance to find gainful employment in the city because they are uneducated and unskilled. Most of them will marry as early as fourteen years old, possibly to ease the pressure on their parents to provide for their needs. For these newly-weds, they would have to live from hand-to-mouth and here, the cycle starts again when they have children – that is 5 children on average.

Children at Laguna
Children at Laguna
A child who collected fruits in the forest
A child who collected fruits in the forest

So, this is how poverty looks like from a cyclical perspective. When it afflicts a community, it does look like a vicious cycle with no end in sight.

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From Forest Land to Education Camp

The team behind Goducate Training Centre

Goducate is undertaking to build a Training Centre in Iloilo… the 5th largest city in Philippines. The choice of the location, a city I have not heard of until recently, is well-thought out – the availability of good human resources, experts in various fields. No wonder, after Manila, Iloilo has the most number of Universities in the Philippines.

Much have been written in other blogs about the work-in-progress of the Goducate Training Centre. The once forest-like land, with unwieldy vegetation and poor irrigation & drainage, now, three months old, transforming into an organized plantation with its own water supply system. Subsequent phases will focus on programs to create and attract wholesome family entertainment. All with the view that this Training Centre will nurture agriculturalists with natural crop-enhancing techniques, and, be self-supporting for the long run.

Together with a team of four, we were privileged to visit the site a couple of weeks ago and be led by the architect of the project, Victor. He is a Researcher on coconut trees, including my personal favorite, the fleshy Macapuno. He took us up and down the hilly area, the size of 7 football fields. The slopping agriculture land is being prepared for various fruit-bearing trees. The nursery, the hybrid rice plantation, the chicken farm and the compost for producing organic fertilizers. The multi-purpose hall. All these require different knowledge and skill sets. We were introduced to several of these talents, each expert in his/her own rights, such as Forestry, Soil (scientist), Vermi-composting, Camp Development etc.

I would like to record my impressions about the team members who are involved in the project and the prevailing team spirit.

First, Ownership. Apparently, no one needs to be told what to do. Each of them take ownership not just of their own turf, but also, of the overall outcome for the project. And may I add, with a sense of honor.

Next, Passion. Each step they take, you could almost see a spring in it. They are passionate in what they do and it shows. They speak with conviction as they elaborate on how they prepare the land or the seedlings and what the anticipated outcome will be. Always with the view that what is sowed, will reap returns. Including financial returns.

Thirdly, Knowledge. They know what they are doing. They have deep and extensive knowledge base, on individual basis and combined. After an encounter with them, you can easily place your confidence in their expertise.

Lastly, Team spirit. Though each person is individually competent, they all work as a team.
They have a common mission. One could sense the healthy and happy spirit. A cohesive and cooperative work environment. All excited to see the same dream come true.

You know, the greatest impact on me is to realize that they are all volunteers. Selflessly contributing towards preparing a facility for the needy to acquire livelihood skills so that they can eventually help themselves.

* Chen Hui Liang has held senior management positions in MNCs and is currently in business growth consulting.