In partnership with the Philippine National Red Cross, Goducate Laguna held a blood-donation session on Oct 22, entitled “Find a hero in you”. The session was held at the Goducate Training Center in Laguna.
Goducate staff (in yellow) taking blood pressure
The 34 donors came from different organizations. There were policemen, teachers, Goducate scholars, and church workers. All were pleased to know that their simple act would be a great help to someone who needed blood.
Goducate Laguna has agreed with the Red Cross Team to hold a blood-donation session every three months. In return, Goducate is entitled to some priority should it ever need blood.
Goducate has lost no time in starting its program of bringing basic literacy education to the children of Marawi who have been displaced by the 5 months of fighting there between the Philippines government and ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The city has been badly destroyed, and some 400,000 people have been displaced (see blog, Sept 30). The displaced families have no income, and their children have stopped schooling.
Goducate’s program is to teach mothers who have had some education how to teach basic literacy to their own and to neighbouring children. Goducate has been using this program for 8 years in Sabah, East Malaysia, for the people known as “undocumented aliens”, who have no access to state education.
Potential trainers undergoing training
To start off the program for the people displaced from Marawi to Iligan, Goducate’s teacher-trainers from the Sabah team conducted a 2-day (Oct 17-18) trainers-training program for 10 local leaders in Iligan City. These leaders will then train mothers in evacuation centers how to teach basic literacy using the Goducate curriculum, materials, and other supplies.
Mothers at training
The month-long Basic Literacy Training for Mothers started on Oct 19 in Ceanuri Evacuation Center. The trainees were 40 energetic mothers. So far, the trainees have given positive feedback. They find the program interactive and enjoyable. They say that the lessons and activities they have learned are easily transferable to their children. They affirm that the Basic Literacy Program is needful and is a big help for their family.
Mothers responding during interactive lesson
*Our guest writer is Joanna De Leon, a community development worker
In the Philippines, drug addicts have the stark choice of surrendering to the authorities, or risk being punished by death. The surrenderees report weekly to the police stations. There are some 68,000 surrenderees in Laguna Province, and Goducate has been invited to help 350-400 of them (see blog, May 19).
Recently 76 of the drug addicts from six villages in Laguna completed a 14-week drug-rehabilitation program called Simula ng Pag-asa (SIPAG, “Start of Hope”). They met every week for large-group and small-group activities.
Whole group at a lecture
The program had been adapted by Goducate workers for use locally after they attended a 3-day workshop on addiction recovery in Singapore (see blog May 5).
Social interaction
The group that finished the SIPAG programme will be referred to the Department of Social Welfare Development for job placements
Small-group disussion
A second batch of about 70 drug surrenderees will start to undergo the SIPAG program in the 4th week of October.
