camping – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2010-08-182010-08-18

Goducate English camp in China (Part 5)

The day after the 2010 English Essentials Summer Camp ended, students and teachers set off either for Changbai Mountain or for a camping trip at a deer farm. By far the majority of the students (158 of them) opted for the deer farm. They were accompanied by 21 teachers.

Raise your hands if its your first time camping out

After watching a demonstration on how to put up a tent, students found themselves enjoying setting up their own. The afternoon saw the students relaxing in many different ways—some went fishing, some went for a walk, some played cards or ball games, and others took a nap. As dusk arrived, helpful students assisted in collecting firewood. Others gathered round for an explanation on how to barbeque a kebab. After stomachs were filled, the night was spent singing round the fire and talking in small groups. Bedtime came but those few who stayed up were privileged with the chance to watch some shooting stars, whereas the rest could only envy them as they recounted their experience the next morning.

After breakfast, there was a time of sharing, at which many students told of how this camping trip brought firsts for them— first time pitching a tent, first time living out under the stars, first time barbequing a kebab, and the list goes on. Altogether, the students greatly treasured the time spent with one another and the friendships forged.

– Melody, an assistant teacher at the summer camp

2010-05-122010-05-10

Goducate training camp site (3)

Last week about 40 people attended our Goducate Campsite ground-breaking ceremony. These were dear men and women who have offered to help to develop the camp.

Among them were 2 young men, Mike and Jeru, who have will be leaving for USA later this month on a “scholarship” from the Wilds Camp of North Carolina. The Wilds Camp has generously provided their airfares to USA and will train Mike for about 6 weeks and Jeru for 2 weeks at their campsite. Mike and Jeru have been helping at our camps for poor kids for the past year and have proven themselves to be good camp leaders.

Helping Asians help themselves by teaching them to produce food

An architect, Hermes, has also offered to help us to plan and design the camp. He is an old friend who has previously worked in Singapore for four years.

An eminent professor of soil science, Prof Hope, was busy inspecting the characteristics of the camp soil. Prof Hope’s gut feel is that the soil in the valley portion of the campsite is fertile and suitable for vegetable production. After the ground-breaking, soil tests from different portions of the campsite were taken for lab tests.

Accompanying Prof Hope was Dan, an expert in sustainable organic vegetable farming. Goducate hopes to not only produce enough food for our trainees but also to teach our trainees how to grow good crops without polluting the soil and our bodies. In the group of experts was an enterprising young aqua-culture researcher who will help us to develop our own fish-farms.

Before we begin to build, we want to plant the right trees in the right places because building will take months to build but trees take years to grow. Also, we realize that if Goducate wants to help poor Asians to help themselves, then one of the most important things to teach them is how to grow enough food for themselves!

2010-05-102010-05-10

Goducate training camp site (2)

When we first negotiated with Nanay Gonzales to buy the land in Alimodian, Panay, Philippines, it was a “remote” rural place. However, over the past year amazing unexpected developments have taken place!

Each time I visited the site from Iloilo City, I noticed changes along the way. Firstly, I noticed new residential subdivisions were sprouting out along the road. So what had earlier seemed like a rural campsite was now only about 15 minutes from middle-class housing projects. Secondly, the pot-holed road has been largely transformed into a nice national road. A possible reason for this upgrading is the new city airport nearby.

Though the city is fast “encroaching,” the campsite still has a nice camping ambience because it is a 5 minute ride over rough rural track from the national road. Furthermore, the terrain of the campsite – a valley between two hilly ridges – offers a nice, secluded country atmosphere.

We had earlier thought that the land was over 9 hectares but after a proper land survey we found out that it is 8.2 hectares (about the size of 20 soccer fields). The hilly portions of the land are covered with fruit, mahogany and bamboo trees. The flat valley portion is planted with rice and vegetables. Two springs of water provide adequate water supply. According to the owner, these springs continue to provide water, even in the dry season. This is very important because the camp hopes to produce enough vegetables, fruits and food (except rice) for our trainees.

Due to financial constraints, we will divide the development of the campsite into phases. The first phase of development will occupy about a quarter of the land area and should begin as soon as funds come in. Hopefully, we can gravel the roads, set up the electrical lines and build the multipurpose hall before the rainy season sets in in a few months time. Hopefully, we will take in our first batch of Goducate trainees by the last quarter of this year!