Goducate … Go And Educate! – Page 35 – Helping Asians Help Themselves

2017-01-272018-06-15

Goducate volunteers in Laguna, Philippines, are trained in early childhood education

Last month, 5 Goducate volunteers whom Goducate had helped to pass the Alternative Learning System (ALS) examinations went on to successfully complete their training in early childhood education.

The ALS is an educational system in the Philippines that enables those who did not finish their schooling to complete their basic education.

Goducate arranged for the 5 ALS certificate holders to attend the fast-track Early Childhood Education Preschool Specialization Course run by the Rabbi Theological Seminary and International Ministries Inc (RTS-IMI). Such training is one of the requirements for qualifying as a teacher in daycare centres and kindergartens. RTS-IMI is a non-profit, theological institution that gives scholarships to ALS graduates for them to continue their schooling, especially in the fields of education. The diploma in Early Childhood Education that the 5 former Goducate ALS students received last month will enable them to better help the needy in the community.

One of the 5, Mrs Annaliza Española, spoke during the graduation. Her greatest dream when she was a child was to be a teacher, but poverty and many other factors prevented her from finishing her schooling. She added, “I thought there is no hope for my dream to become a teacher, but right now I am holding my diploma as one of my greatest dream in my life when I was a child, to become a teacher by profession.”

The other 4 Goducate students were Jonathan Catedral, Manuel Factor, Jenelyn Detangco, and Elenita Bigueras.

All the 5 volunteers are good examples of the vision of Goducate, whereby those who have been helped will help others when they reach a position in which they can do so.

*Our guest writer is Bernard B. Benedicto, public relations coordinator, Goducate Laguna

2017-01-132018-09-23

Goducate Training Center, Iloilo, holds its first homecoming for alumni

82 of the alumni of the Goducate Training Center (GTC) in Iloilo returned to the Center on Dec 16-17, 2016. They came from all over the Philippines as well as from Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The celebration officially started with a “boodle fight” for lunch, with everyone using their bare hands to eat traditional Filipino food served on banana leaves. Then one by one the alumni recounted their personal stories of how they have been positively impacted by the community development training received at GTC, as well as their heart-warming experiences in building up people and communities all over Asia.

The afternoon program concluded by the unveiling of the “Alumni Commitment Board”. The board challenged everyone to commit to helping communities throughout Asia by choosing their desired country and putting their thumb print on it.

The day ended with the Grand Alumni Ball and dinner. Faces lit up as graduates from batch 1 to batch 9 beheld each other in formal wear. Dr. Paul Choo, Goducate founder, encouraged the crowd with his heartfelt welcome address. The night also included batch presentations and the election of Alumni Officers.

The next morning started with tree planting along the path to the gazebo. Each batch was given a tree to plant as a lasting legacy to GTC. Next came fun games that allowed the alumni to relish the camaraderie of the group.

The two-day celebration concluded with a community visit. Each batch chose two to three poor families to help, families that they had cherished during their training days. As they sang Christmas carols and distributed gifts, the family spirit and spirit of volunteerism welled up again in them.

*Our guest writer is Joanna De Leon, a community development worker

2016-12-162016-12-20

Visit to Goducate Children’s Home Cambodia

I brought my 2 kids, Ming (18-yr) & Owen (8-yr) with me to meet and explore the life of the 3 boys whom we are sponsoring in the Goducate Children’s Home. We were first warmly welcomed by the well- mannered kids at the Home and then amazed by their agility and ability to handle the tasks that were given to them eg 4-year old Lily was also taught to wash her own clothes like rest of the older children. Each child had their housekeeping responsibilities than just being taken care of. Under the tutelage of the teachers and a good home school system, my kids were able to communicate and played together very well with them throughout the visit. They taught Owen how to find worms directly from the ground for fishing and shown how they take care of the chicken coop and pig sty. In return, Owen taught them how to operate his go pro camera that he had brought along.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to bring my city-life kids to experience life in a forest, to be able to see how the kids live with simplicity and yet with so much contentment. We were also thrilled to see them so elated to participate and later see their own photo prints that we had prepared for them through the photo-booth session. They were so appreciative of what we did for them that they left us with their lovely hand-made thank you cards. It was such a privilege to be able to bring the joy of Christmas all the way from Singapore to Cambodia. All efforts of travel was worth it!

The experience has impacted my kids so much that Owen was talking about how he is willing to give up his next Japan trip to go back to Cambodia again. I am reminded that’s whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Looking at how many lives has been transformed through this Goducate Home, I do hope we are able to return soon too!

The team arriving in Phnom Penh airport on Monday

Contributed by guest writer, Peng Lay