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Goducate volunteers in Laguna, Philippines, set up Green Thumb Garden

A group of five female Goducate volunteers in Laguna, Philippines, has set up Green Thumb Garden in the premises of Camp Goducate, Laguna. The group decided on this business because of their shared passion for gardening.

They hope the project will give them a self-sustaining income to help their families and also contribute to the voluntary work they are doing. For instance, Annaliza, one of the women, said that the income helps pay for the medicines her son needs for his heart condition. And Febie said that she has been able to use some of the earnings to buy what her kids ask for. The others are glad to be able to build up a fund for emergencies.

Green Thumb Garden will showcase different kinds of ornamental plants, herbs and spices, edible plants, as well as gardening supplies and materials.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a spike in people’s interest in urban gardening. The demands from plantitos and plantitas (males and females, respectively, who enjoy taking care of plants) have increased rapidly and resulted in the setting up of new garden businesses.

The Green thumb Gardeners have already thought up marketing strategies such as online as well as live selling, vlog (video blog) features, and advertising on tarpaulin sheets.

The long-term goals of the Green Thumb Gardeners include having their own premises and their own truck.

*Our guest writer is Melissa Espanola, the daughter of Annaliza, one of the green thumb gardeners.

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Preparing Trainers for Goducate’s Sing Your English program in Malaysia

Learning English can be intimidating, scary, or boring for children, which is why Goducate developed the Sing Your English (SYE) program for use in Indonesia. SYE uses songs, games, and fun activities to teach English. Because of school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this program is being conducted online.

Goducate is now preparing to introduce the SYE program in Malaysia. It is doing so in partnership with The Blue Ribbon Global (TBR), whose principles emphasize the development of character values and harmonious relationships within a diverse community.

A training session was held on Zoom on March 29-31 for participants from two partners of TBR. Forty of the trainees were Burmese refugees from Ruth Education Center, and two were interns from the UCSI Vocational Internship Program (VIP). The trainees were taught the philosophy behind the SYE program, classroom-facilitation skills, and how to conduct SYE online through Zoom. In accordance with Goducate philosophy, the aim is that the trainees will later train others.

The trainers were a team from Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia. The team has received feedback that the training opened the eyes of the participants to how to teach English in a fun and effective way. It would like to identify more potential facilitators and teachers for the program. The hope is that SYE can now be introduced to all refugee centers in Malaysia to teach English and build harmonious relationships there.

SYE Book 1 Demo Class
(L) Trainees doing worksheet
(R) Trainee doing speaking activity 
*Our guest writer is Honeylyn Pereira, a Goducate staff member.

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Camp Goducate Iloilo offers new fun facilities

If a playground is every child’s dream, the Family Fun Park at Camp Goducate in Iloilo is what every family would dream of. It has been specially built for parents and children to have fun together. What is unique about this park is that is it made out of recycled tires.

The Goducate Family Fun Park is located on the grassy field near the bicycle booth. Recycled tires have been artistically designed and painted and turned into swings and climbing structures. Children and youth aged 3-15 can enjoy all of these, and parents can play with their kids on swings built for two. Although some play structures are already available for use by visitors, the park is still under construction, but it is expected to be completed soon.

Other facilities at the Camp Goducate Iloilo that families can enjoy include the hiking trail and the viewing deck.

The Goducate Hiking Trail will appeal to nature lovers. They will enjoy the lush green trees and grasses, the fresh air, and the chirping of birds along the route.

A few meters before the start of the hiking trail is a viewing deck that is being constructed and will be available for the public soon.  The deck offers an awesome view of nature that would calm tired minds and bodies.

All the facilities offer good opportunities for group photographs that will provide lasting memories of enjoyable times at these places.

Painted tires assembled for children to have fun with
Swings for parent-and-child use still under construction 
*Our guest writer is Rebecca Depalubos.