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Thank you Jonathan for that warm introduction.
I must admit that as I sat watching those films I did start to wonder
what I could possibly say that would be as eloquent a tribute to VSO as
what we’ve just seen and heard.
From Julie Wilson, Laura Marshall and Peter Reid sharing their expertise
to help the people of Nepal improve schooling, all the way from the
classroom to the top levels of government.
From James and Faless, learning more about each other’s countries and
cultures. I was particularly struck by James’s comment that thanks to
VSO he sees that our interconnectedness is not just an idea – it’s
real.
VSO changed Brendan Barber’s life. And as we saw, by training nurses in Malawi, VSO is changing the life of
every Malawian treated by those nurses. Today, tomorrow, next week, next
year.
The message from each person in those films was the same. Volunteering is
an experience that enriches the lives of everyone involved.
50 years of VSO – from a few volunteers to British institution
Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist, once said: “Never doubt
that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
50 years ago, Alec and Moira Dickson, with support from the Bishop of Portsmouth and Inter Church Aid – now Christian Aid – organised for eight young
volunteers to leave the UK for a
year’s service in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Sarawak.
Since that first small group of thoughtful, committed citizens set out to
change the world, almost 33,000 volunteers have worked in over 120
countries under the banner of Voluntary Service Overseas.
VSO’s volunteers have changed. Their average age has risen from 18
years old in 1958 to over 40 today. Volunteers come from a range of
countries and from diverse professional, cultural, and social
backgrounds.
VSO has changed too. In the last 50 years ago it has grown to become a
great British institution, and a source of national pride.
Britain in the world
As VSO has changed, so too has Britain’s relationship with the world.
In the middle of the 20th century, Britain was a nation rebuilding itself. Indeed our very venue this evening was
built just over 50 years ago for the Festival of Britain, described by
the man who made it possible, Herbert Morrison, as “a tonic for the
nation”.
And the people of Britain needed that
tonic, recovering as they were from the darkest years of the war.
Today’s Britain is more confident, more
dynamic, more open. Today’s London is
a city of 300 languages. More than 3 out of every 10 people working in
our capital was born outside the UK.
Today, Britain is a nation of global
consumers – from films we watch to the clothes we wear, even the food
we eat. We are a nation of global travellers. And we are increasingly a
nation, and London ever more a city, of
global business.
And in this generation, from the Live Aid concert of 1985 to the jubilee
debt campaign and the Make Poverty History movement of three years ago, Britain has increasingly become a nation that not only cares about global
poverty, but wants to do something about it.
VSO in the fight against poverty
VSO volunteers have played an important role in turning Britain’s
concern for global poverty into practical action.
The scale of the challenge can seem overwhelming: 980 million people
living on less than 50 pence a day; 72 million children out of school;
more than a million people dying from malaria each year.
Yet we can each do something to make a difference, as VSO’s volunteers
prove through their actions. The only way to climb a mountain is to take
a first step.
Volunteers can also be a great inspiration to others. Simply through
telling your stories, you are powerful advocates for the change we all
want to see in the world.
And volunteers are living proof that development is not simply something
that governments do. This government is committed to tackling poverty,
and that is why we will provide more than £9 billion in aid by 2010 –
roughly three times more than in 1997.
But governments cannot meet the development challenge alone – no matter
how committed. We need a true partnership for development that involves
governments, the private sector, NGOs and faith groups and individual
citizens.
DFID proud to support VSO
So this Government is proud to support VSO, and proud of our long
partnership together. The first government grant to VSO was not quite
made 50 years ago, but not far from it – VSO received £9,000 from the
UK government in 1959.
As VSO has grown, so too has our support. And so too have our connections.
My Ministerial colleague, Gillian Merron, joined the Department for
International Development in January this year. Three years ago she
spent a summer as a VSO volunteer in Guyana,
giving the benefit of her experience to the Guyana Teachers’ Union. And now she brings the benefit of that experience to
her Ministerial work.
VSO started the careers of many of our colleagues in the Department. Some
of them are here tonight, including Nigel Kirby, who helped to bring
clean water to villages in the Solomon Islands and has been back many times since.
And Richard Thomas, whose daughter has now followed in his footsteps and
is serving with VSO in the Gambia.
My own experiences of volunteering in a developing country made a deep
impression on me. As a student I spent a short time building classrooms
in Kenya. What I saw there - not just
the poverty, but the immense potential alongside it - was something that
I’d never really experienced before.
It was an early and profound lesson to me of our common humanity. That we are all in it together – no matter the distance or the
difference that sometimes seem to divide us.
I want more people in Britain to
have that kind of experience.
Some people may not have considered volunteering. Others may have thought
they don’t have the chance to do it.
Last month I announced a new scheme to give more young people
the chance to volunteer in developing countries. By living and working
with people from very different backgrounds, facing very different
challenges, they will learn new skills and unlock their own potential.
Tonight I’m pleased to announce that the Department for International
Development will also provide £3 million to support a VSO initiative to
encourage more people from diaspora communities in the UK to volunteer in developing countries.
I believe employers should support volunteering, and that’s why I can
also announce tonight that the government will provide a fund of £13
million to ensure that UK public
servants don’t lose out on their pension contributions when they
volunteer overseas.
We know the sacrifices that teachers, nurses, fire fighters and police
men and women make every day to help our country. I want to remove one
of the sacrifices they have to make before they can help some of the
poorest countries in the world.
Peroration
When I was asked to speak here this evening, and I considered the
achievements and the values of VSO, I thought of something that Lester
B Pearson, who went on to become the Canadian Prime Minister,
said on accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957.
He
asked: “How can there be peace without people understanding each
other, and how can this be if they don’t know each other?”.
I
wonder if, even as Pearson was speaking on a cold December night in
Oslo, Alec and Moira Dickson were already meeting with their first
volunteers – who left the UK just six months later.
I
know for certain that, as you have kindly listened to me tonight, there
are over 1600 VSO volunteers around the world - gaining a better
knowledge and understanding of the people who were once unknown, but are
now their colleagues, neighbours and friends.
This
is VSO’s achievement. And it is truly something to celebrate. Thank
you.
Conflict
resolution with the help of technology My
placement was organized within a partnership between VSO, the LGU of
Kolambugan and the NGO Ecoweb. One significant change that
occurred during my placement is the project staff being confident in GIS
(Geographical Information Systems). GIS is the software that is
used for mapping. In the Philippines a lot of people still use
paper maps because they are unfamiliar with the software. GIS can
be used not only for displaying maps, but also for storing and analyzing
data. Because of my training sessions, the project staff now has
enough skills to use GIS to continue their projects after I have left.
In order to highlight the significance of GIS for the communities, I
give the example of conflict resolution by making a 3-dimensional map of
barangay Lumbac in the municipality of Kolambugan.
A
3-dimensional map is a model of the landscape where you can really see
the mountains and valleys. It is made by cutting out different
layers of styrofor and place them on top pf each other. After the
model is finished, it can be used with communities to discuss different
issues, for example landuse or boundary conflicts. Some of the
advantages of using a 3-dimensional map is that it is very accessible
and easy to interpret (in comparison to a flat paper map) and it can be
used for extensive and remote areas without the need to visit these
places. In order to make a 3-dimensionbal map, you need (apart
from the materials) an elevation map, some skills in GIS in order to
produce a large printed map of the area and some understanding on the
process.
I helped my colleagues with acquiring an elevation map, and with
training.
Currently
one of the remote barangays of Kolambugan is evacuated because of a
conflict concerning land. On one hand there are the muslims in the
area who claim the land because of ancestral domain: they have been
using the land since centuries so they are entitled to keep on using
that. On the other hand there are the Christians who have been
tenants of that land since decades. They have titles for this.
The third party are the official land owners who have the papers of
ownership. There is also an armed group from neighbouring
barangays who say that they are protecting the area, but they might have
their own agenda. The conflict is about land and therefore about
the natural resources such as coconut. For the communities owning
or using the land means having a livelihood. The conflict is extra
sensitive by the muslims being opposed to the Christians. This may
reinforce prejudices and might increase the gap between people from
different religions. Recently there have been three people killed
in Lumbac because of the land conflict. In neighbouring
municipalities there are examples from the past that this kind of
conflict can escalate and result in a great number of people being
killed. In order to prevent this from happening, the Mayor of
Kolambugan takes immediate action to start discussions between the
different groups.
At
this moment the technical descriptions from the papers of the official
land owners are being plotted in the GIS to visualize the areas. The 3-dimensional map of Lumbac is just finished, so it can be
used to facilitate the discussions and may be crucial in the immediate
resolution of the conflict.
My
Social Work Profession in Relation to my Client
Based
on my experience, I can say that social work is an exciting, demanding
and immensely rewarding profession. It requires uncommon dedication to
strive for social reform. The world needs people who are committed to
the needs of others. Social workers attend to those in distress and
identify and remedy the social ills that rob people of their dignity and
prevent them from achieving their full potential. Social work is a
profession for those with a strong desire to improve people’s lives;
help people function the best way they can in their environment; relate
with them to help them solve personal and family problem. Social workers
have a multi-faceted jobs that concern various issues and problems of
society such as unemployment, disease and illness, inadequate housing, illiteracy, poverty, disability, drug abuse,
unwanted pregnancy, or anti-social behavior. Social workers also assist
families that have serious domestic conflicts, including those suffering
child abuse or wife
battering. Almost 70
percent of the family is disunited merely because of an abusive husband
due to habitual alcoholism, drug addiction and poor spirituality.
During psychosocial therapy I conducted during my home visitation, such as group counseling, play therapy and art therapy among children, I found out that the effect of child abuse causes trauma and mild depression. The school performances of these traumatized children suffers significantly in school related activity. It breeds juvenile delinquency. It’s really a great concern for parents because this problem permanently damages the child’s development. The child needs continuous supervision, patience, commitment and dedication to reform a trauma victim. Both parents, on the other hand, should exert effort to understand the child. It is a challenge then to some of the multi- disciplinary team dealing with such problem to seek further effective intervention. By: Cora Jarales, Social Worker 26
September 2007 UNVs ‘Going Global’: ‘tis possible–Carmen Baugbog, Gender Advisor In January 2007 I received announcements from
DPKO Best Practices about trainings and conferences for
2007. I wrote to four institutions inquiring whether a United Nations
Volunteer can attend these trainings. One did not respond, two responded
by informing me to fill up application forms and go through the due
process for acceptance. The third one responded that I was not selected.
Gratefully, I received full support from the
management in my unit who facilitated my trip by writing a memo to the
DOA’s office requesting Travel Support for my Training. I received
approval from the DOA’s Office after just one day. I also informed the
UNV Programme Manager about my acceptance in both trainings and
requested his support for my travel. He informed me that support for my
travel to Germany would be discussed once I came back from my trip to
Sweden.
The “Multi Functional
Cooperation in Peacekeeping” training in Sweden was
focused on the peacekeeping framework, strategies and important skills
necessary for peacekeepers in a multifunctional situation. We studied vision/value based peacekeeping towards coherence and
complementation of the pillars of peacekeeping where uniformed and
civilians work hand in hand. Principles, contradictions, value systems,
dimensions and strategies were discussed prior to exercises in planning,
reporting, monitoring, crisis management and conflict resolution,
mediation processes, handling media, safety and security and handling
stress. Gender mainstreaming was continuously addressed because as a
Gender Advisor here in UNMIS, I tried to bring attention to this
dimension by asking the resources persons how they mainstreamed gender in their respective areas of
responsibility. The resource persons included policy advisors and senior
managers from UN HQ.
The training academy was like a paradise resort
so I did not even mind working hard everyday because the scenery was
breathtaking and the venue was very restful. I even went to the spas
regularly. It was a treat.
The conference in Germany was a high level event
with mostly government and diplomatic heads as participants; including
senior level representatives from civil society and bilateral
organizations. I was humbled and thankful to be in attendance. The
opening ceremony was attended by Frank Walter Steimer – German Foreign
Minister; Sonia Picado – Executive Director from the Inter-American
Institute of Human Rights and Sahrif-Al Zubi – Minister of Justice of
the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The venue was the famous Nuremburg Court where
the Nazi war crimes were tried 60 years ago; this was symbolic as the
conference’s theme was peace and justice.
The 3 days were spent deliberating on
international and indigenous mechanisms to ensure that justice and peace
occur. Preselected best
practices from different institutions were shared in plenary and small
discussion groups. The conference affirmed that peace and justice cannot
be separated and justice is always an element of sustainable peace.
Soon, a Nuremburg Declaration on the Future for Peace and Justice will
be released. I continue to take stock of the lessons learned knowing it
will enrich my work as peace advocate here at UNMIS. For details, go to http://www.peacejustice-conference.info.
In Germany I also visited other provinces,
renewed friendships and visited UNV HQ. There I met Kevin, Enid, Laurent and many others who all welcomed
me and made me feel a part of the bigger UNV family. Our time was short (one day) but to me they seemed
very professional and collegial – it was a refreshing environment. I was invited to a farewell dinner for two interns in Cologne;
discussed the conferences plus my work in Sudan and
even got tips for my Rhine River cruise “Take upstream not
downstream!” The team
asked me to send my best regards and wishes to all the UNVs in Sudan and
tell that they are doing their best to support UNVs in the field. The
4VD section also asked me to encourage UNVs here to share any
interesting stories about their work. I feel very privileged to have met
all of them in person.
Now, I’m back in Kahrtoum full of hope and
inspiration from the results of my leap of faith. Now I use these
experiences to remind myself that “I shall overcome”.
by Carmen A. Baugbog 14
September 2007 African
Experience
My
placement in Pakistan entailed a lot of fundraising to support the
pressing demands of the community. Being a community development
adviser, I never expected that I would do a lot of fundraising
activities. I was not used to networking with donors and writing
proposals, but Filipinos are gifted with convincing power, cleverness,
and charisma, and I was able to acquire funding to support the
villagers.
Here
in Malawi, a similar thing is happening. Being a Management Adviser does
not only mean that I manage and set up systems in the office, but also
take part in HIV & AIDS-related activities. I am trying to be a
medical staff - checking on malnourished children, providing them
supplements if there are any, and giving referrals when needed.
Although
I am short of money, I am still happy because things are starting to
shape up. Monthly meetings are now being held regularly and everybody is
challenged to preside on a rotation basis. Now, the people know what
activities are to be conducted in the following month without waiting to
be told.
With
small victories, also come difficulties. I conducted a Trainer's
Training for the staff, but management has not looked favorably upon my
initiative. Even more difficult is convincing them to release funds for
my activities. But I'm hoping they will see the positive results of what
I have done.
Amidst
these challenges, I realized that things have to go on. Would you think
of leaving your volunteering work just because of a few people, when
there are more who appreciate what you are doing and who badly need your
help? It is the determination and hopes of the persons living with AIDS
(PLWA) that keep me here more than anything else. There were only 18 of
them when I organized their support group last November 2006. Now, I
have 44 members who have come into the open to help fight against the
pandemic.
At
the end of the day, all the hard work, tears, struggle and frustrations
pay off when you know you have done something good for others. More than
that, it feels overwhelming to meet kids on my way home, chanting my
Malawian name "anambewe" in chorus and adoring me like I am a
god. They would run towards me for a handshake, caressing the azungo's
(white person) hands, smiling and giggling.
7
September 2007 BUD
BUD SUSTANSYA PROCESSING This is a simple project activity we have adopted at LAFCCOD
for our partner community members.
The objective is to change for better, the lives of the
target communities, focusing on Children, Adolescents and Women through
improved nutrition, health and income generation and create sustainable
livelihood independence among the partner POs as we share skills through
Peace Building initiatives, Gender Mainstreaming, Community Based
Natural Resources and Sustainable Livelihood.
The PO members have acquired diversified knowledge and
understanding of the Bud Bud Sustansya production, skills and more
practical knowledge on value addition of locally available resources. It has also facilitated wider exchange and sharing between our
partner POs and the larger Mindanao Island through study tours, paved
way for launching of cottage level Bud Bud Sustansya production among
our PO partners and opened up skill share market for LAFCCOD and her
partner PO communities for future expansion.
The project has among other things resulted in taking a lead
in replication of the Bud Bud Sustansya production in Lanao del Norte,
enhanced the market identification skills of our partner POs especially
in cottage industry barter trade, build greater knowledge base and
documentation within LAFCCOD and her partner PO communities and to open
up networking and collaboration avenues for LAFCCOD as well as her
partner POs.
Ingredients and Preparation:
Vegetables
2 cups malunggay leaves
Other
¼ cup sesame seeds
Procedure:
USES
Budbod
Sustansya can be used as toppings for rice, rice porridge (lugaw),
“suman” and other bland or cereal preparations, boiled root crops,
or as an ingredient in a variety of cooking. It can also enrich
the taste of noodle and soup preparations.
TECHNOLOGY
The
preparations of Budbud Sustansya is simple and easy. Budbud
Sustansya or Nutritious Toppings
Is
a powder made from a mixture of green leafy vegetables such as malunggay,
kangkong, alugbati, saluyot, sesame seeds, iodized salt, sugar,
vegetable oil, skim milk, and flour.
Is
100% natural source of Beta-Carotene and other major nutrients:
HEALTH
In
the Philippines, Vitamin A deficiency remains an important public health
concern, along with iron deficiency anemia, iodine deficiency disorder
and protein-energy malnutrition.
In
response to these health problems Budbod Sustansya is a good source of
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron, calories, and other minerals,
and helps particularly in areas where the malnutrition occurs.
13
August 2007 My
volunteering experience has been enriching to the community I worked
with, to my fellow staff, friendships within the province and outside
the province, fellowship with the Filipino culture and my personal
development.
Before
I thought of volunteering I was briefed by VSO Jitolee of the benefits
and risks associated with volunteering, the objectives of volunteering
is to help in the fight of poverty and disadvantage through skills and
knowledge sharing, changing peoples lives, helping people use the
abilities/potential they have to become better, improve themselves, and
increase in income, job generation, development and living standards.
I was also told that though VSO aims to help the poor it does not aim to
work with poorest of poor but to work with organizations, systems that
aim at reaching out to the poor.
Coming
to the Philippines was very clear in the sense that I come from Uganda
another equally troubled country, which I strongly considered as a
strength in sharing approaches, understandings, experiences, skills and
Knowledge in fighting a common faced problem, the nature of existing
poverty and disadvantage in both countries.
My
commitment to volunteering in Mindanao, has enhanced my understanding of
the world as a global village, with significant issues beyond
boundaries, that demand a process of learning, information sharing,
technology support, exposure for human development and welfare. In
sharing skills in the VSO contest, I have gained a lot from the Filipino
culture, economy, politics and technology; while I shared lots of
understanding on improving livelihood programs of the province that
resulted in enabling target communities develop products, markets,
production facilities and production technologies enabling increased
productivity. I now will offer better service to the development
of Uganda and other developing countries.
My
3 years in Agusan started with learning off the culture, language and
eating rice and plenty of fish. This was my first time to eat rice
many times through the day in different forms, I was so perplexed by the
observation of rice eating in Mindanao, a fertile land that literal
supports any type of food crops, with lots of root crops, bananas and
vegetables. I soon later learnt from my livelihood assisted
communities that eating rice is considered as sign of wealth and eating
root crops is for the poor. I struggled with this perception; I
desired to eat other starch foods other than rice all the time and many
times I demand inclusion of sweet potatoes, cassava, Irish potatoes,
corn and banana as food choices.
In
the Filipino culture news spreads so first because of the family
network, and more so in the rural communities, soon the entire Agusan
del Sur knew it that I like sweet potatoes “kamote”, cassava, banana
“saging” so it was made inclusive as choice of foods prepared,
whenever there was opportunity to share a meal with me.
I
was later freely taken into convincing community that root crops should
be well taken as alternative, viable source of starch foods and should
be marketed as foods and not snack choices. The perception on root
crops has gradually changed in the three years of my service while I
stayed in Agusan del Sur, increasingly influencing more people to change
in their eating habits to include root crops as food rather than snacks,
and provide income to root crop growers. Root crops are becoming
increasingly available in markets, hence providing income to root crops
growers, as a result of cultural interaction.
I
made it one of my objectives in assisting rural community development,
to enable them become more sufficient with food and have food security,
even with no money. The complex of rice is that you produce Bogus
but in order to consume it you have to spend money to have it processed
into Palay “ready to cook rice”. The poor farmers find it
difficult to do so, and end up exchanging their Bogus for Palay
“rice” at very low exchange prices, keeping them in the poverty
trap. In terms of food security, with no additional costs, root
crops can be consumed straight from the garden, cooked and served at
table, by growers without extra spending, on the food source.
Sweet
potatoes, banana, cassava and corn are now become popular choices of
alternative food choices with the communities I have worked with, their
perception on root crops has changed, and farmers growing root crops are
gradually finding market for their root crops with in the province.
Respecting
culture is a primary factor for one to make good success within a new
cultural environment and hence sharing and learning on cultural
differences developing a bonding, expansion in culture and cements
friendships and calls for patience, it took time to have the change in
the eating habits tailored on rice and pork and now there is
understanding of benefits associated with having opportunity to a
variety of foods.
I
worked with communities, in helping them identify alternative
livelihoods, handicraft making was one of them, making baskets and
selling them, it is indeed a challenge for the community, first to
obtain the skills, then become professional with the skill and finally
find market for their products, that goes with ever changing demand in
terms of designs and quality each year. My target communities were
assisted to understand market trends and link with markets, be exposed
to technologies and product development, and understand nee for change
in product designs synchronized with changing market demands. The
groups accessed funding for technology missions, market studies and
trade fairs through my assistance to enable them access markets, market
information and understandings on products variations, markets and
technologies.
The
community leadership with whom I worked closely, where so diligent and
committed, very responsive ad did appreciated every effort the
government provided them for their livelihood improvement, committing
their time to learn new ideas and mobilize their limited resources for
their own development. The LUBIDA handicraft group now does have a
production center and is developing capacity to fulfill supply of its
obtained product orders.
The
provincial employees with whom, I have worked very closely have obtained
sufficient exposure on livelihood tools to apply in livelihood
assistance and have developed a mindset to enable them do research and
work out solutions to bring about impact in communities assisted for
development. The ASERBAC staff have developed understanding on how
to make and network government support towards development of
achievable, visible, sustainable, and rewarding programs that are
beneficial to majority of the community members, have the capacity to on
good practices shared during my volunteering experience.
The
volunteering experience has been a partnership in learning and exchange
of skills: The provincial staff I closely worked with where quick to
adopt to new proposed actions and are highly knowledgeable allowing for
exchange of skills and knowledge. While they gained from my
experience, skills, knowledge and creativity, I also equally gained from
their understanding, experience and knowledge. The biggest
challenge was to deal with community organizing, it is time consuming
but yet it is the immediate necessity before introducing skills and new
ideas. I desired to work with a community that has clearly defined its
needs, understands its priority needs and then demands government
intervention/livelihood assistance, with a clear expectation.
The
process of assisting development of community groups has to be taken
through stages and is continuous until they graduate with products
selling in given markets, obtaining fair income and improved living
standards.
My
volunteering experience has been worth the time with seeing the joy of
hopeful communities, increased understanding, shared knowledge,
introduced new technologies, best practices in micro scale enterprise
management and enterprise development assistance, enabling increased
productivity and increased income of targeted beneficiaries.
GOD
BLESS AGUSAN DEL SUR – GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES
Geoffrey
Philip Mwesigwa 5
July 2007 After having survived the one week in Manila, which was also my first week in the Philippines, with all its hectic and noise, I was happy to sit in the airplane once again and looked forward to the new city I would call home for the next one year: Tagbilaran City, capital of Bohol. Here, I was going to work with the research team of the local NGO and assist them mainly in a study on heavy metal pollution in a nearby river. Having just graduated, it was a great challenge to be involved in the planning and conduct of a research project that would contribute directly to the local community. But besides my responsibilities and tasks within the NGO, I got the wonderful and unique opportunity to get involved in the rapid assessment of Guimaras oil-spill affected waters, which the government instructed. Under the coordination of the Bureau of fisheries and Agricultural Resources (BFAR), SCUBA divers from SEAFDEC and from the Coastal Resource Management team of my volunteer sending organization, the DED, investigated the nature and extent of damage on subtidal coral reefs in one municipality in September 2006. After 4 days of diving and working for 12-16 hours a day, we presented the findings, which served as a basis for the formulation of rehabilitation and contingency plan, at a meeting held in Guimaras. Experts from different fields showed the results from their studies on socio-economic and health impacts as well as impacts on mangrove and seagrass habitats. In November 2006, another assessment on coral reefs was carried out, this time in the municipality Sibunag. The participation in these activities offered me not only a good training in the methodology of coral reef surveys, but also impressions and experiences on disaster management in the Philippines. During
my one one-year assignment I could increase my scientific knowledge,
improve my soft skills, and learn about the countries history, culture,
its political structure and the problems the Philippines as a developing
country has to cope with. But most important, I got to know
wonderful people that I will miss when I’m going back to Germany.
By: Saskia Otto, Junior Consultant of the DED (German Development
Service) 26
April 2007 A volunteer reaches out to change lives An
article written by Filipino VSO volunteer Gina Dizon about another
Filipino VSO volunteer, Ric Ontal
"He
is very good. He gives me food, allowance and my tuition fee for my
studies", Rabiul said, referring to Ric, his smile radiating in his
face.
Rabiul
stayed with Ric for two years now as a house help, cleaning the flat and
cooking food. While he stayed with Ric, he went to school and was able
to finish a vocational computer course at Tala, Satkhira.
Ric
came to know of Rabiul from his grandfather who works as a service staff
for Uttaran for 18 years now. He is the only child of a farm worker and
a house help for other homes. He lost his father who died of sickness
when he was one year old.
His
mother raised him along with his uncle who works as a janitor in one
department with the government.
Ric
said his intention of helping Rabiul get an education is to "break
the cycle of "peon" (male househelp) and "bua"
(female househelp) in the family. In Rabiul's family, he is the only one
who finished Higher School Certificate (HSC) and a post- HSC course.
After graduation, he applied for a job at Bangladesh Rural Academy
Committee (BRAC) and was able to land 2nd among 2000 applicants in the
screening process.
Rabiul
now works as a Field Officer for BRAC after he graduated at Protassha
Computer School in 2005. He gives trainings for poor women and their
families at Nayarangonj before small loans are given out for the women
trainees as starting capital to engage in animal-rearing such as cows,
goats, and chickens.
Asked
if he is enjoying his job, Rabiul said he is, yet he misses to practice
the computer course which he finished. Yet he feels proud of having
finished the technical course. "The computer course has helped me
find a job", he said. "My mother also does not work as a house
help anymore and she takes care of my grandfather in the house", he
added.
His
job as a field officer reaching out to poor women folks must have
encouraged him to take up a four - year course in Sociology. Rabiul
hopes to enroll in a university and earn a four- year degree course.
Ric,
from Philippines, worked as program coordinator for a church- based
social action work before he became a VSO volunteer in Bangladesh. He
had been in Bangladesh now for three years where he provides support to
Uttaran in setting up management and monitoring and evaluation systems.
"I
consider this support I extended to Rabiul as a very significant part of
my stay here in Bangladesh and I feel proud of it", Ric said during
a sharing session among volunteers of VSO.
With
Bangladesh considered as one of the poorest countries of the world where
almost half of its 140 million population live below the poverty line,
making a difference to the life of one person is already a meaningful
contribution. Indeed, reaching out to Rabiul is helping increase the 58%
literacy rate of Bangladesh while making a direct impact to the life of
a person.
VSO
is all about "sharing skills and changing lives" Ric said.
"You can do things outside of your volunteer placement by reaching
out to practical instances", he said.
23
February 2007 Working Hand in HandCreating
a culture of peace is a priority for all of VSO’s partners on
Mindanao. Entrenched conflict over resources and land has led to whole
communities being displaced. Volunteers share skills in trauma
counselling, peace-building and community planning. While there can be
no development without peace, there can also be no peace without
development.
REBUILDING COMMUNITIESPositioned high on a wooded hill, the cool climate of Marawi provides welcome relief from the humid heat of the rest of Mindanao. This is not the only contrast: Marawi is the first place where all women wear Islamic dress; the first place where, as foreigners, VSO volunteers need local escorts. The small colourful tricycles are similar to those seen throughout the rest of the country, except their names read ‘Amhamdilah’ and ‘Gift of Allah’ instead of the Catholic names found elsewhere. Bernadette
Kyanya and Edwin van Helmond, VSO volunteers featured in the following
articles, regularly make the 45-minute journey from coastal Iligan,
where they stay, to the Islamic city of Marawi, where their partner
organisations Kalimudan and Maradeca have offices. There are several
military checkpoints with armed officers on this road. Accompanying me
on the journey, Bernadette says she still finds it unnerving to see guns
every day after nine months on the island. “You get used to it after a
while,” replies Edwin, who adds, “Now I start noticing the different
types of guns.”
Conflict
is embedded in the island’s history. For 40 years there have been
clashes here between Catholics and Muslims. In 2000, the Mindanao
Islamic Liberation Front occupied a town called Kauswagan and took over
the municipal hall. Coming in a series of clashes, the fighting
lasted two days, and spread throughout the region for
In
one instance, two families had laid claim to 24 hectares of land since
the 1970s. Fighting resulted in a death at each coconut harvest, four
times a year. Since 2003, there has been a formal ceasefire, and another
NGO is hoping to buy the land to prevent further conflict. There
is also a long history of clan feuds between and among different Muslim
groups, which stretches back for hundreds, even thousands, of years.
Known as ‘rido’, these mafia-style feuds over honour can escalate
over almost anything; everyone on Mindanao can tell a different example.
In one recent case, a woman was raped; – and rather than report the
crime to court, her relatives killed the suspect. In another case,
a driver killed a child accidentally. Although the driver agreed to pay
for the burial after a negotiation, the child’s family ended up
kidnapping and killing the negotiator, who was a relative of the driver.
NGO
Maradeca has initiated a simple and effective new scheme to tackle
One
of the consequences of the conflict on Mindanao has been people losing
their homes and livelihoods. An estimated 78,000 people were displaced
in 2000 alone. Given the combination of the recent conflict and a
cultural tendency towards revenge crimes, one of VSO’s main priorities
on Mindanao has been to build a culture of peace.
NGO
Kalimudan runs a settlement for people displaced by the conflict near
the village of Pantar. VSO helped build 36 of the 64 shelters and
provided livestock. Kalimudan
enabled Bolawen and Urac Macaraya to come to the settlement with their
three daughters and two sons. In many ways, their story is typical: they
left their home in Kauswagan on 10 May, 2000 with the outbreak of war,
and haven’t been back since. Although they have titles to 12 hectares
of land, another family is now living in their home. They don’t feel
it’s safe to go back. For now, the family lives in a small plywood hut
with two rooms. The flimsy shelter has a bamboo floor and corrugated
iron roof. Decorated with sequinned cloths, there is a piece of matting
for a bed, and a few shelves and a packing case is the only furniture.
As with the rest of the settlement, one of their biggest difficulties is
the lack of access to water. Bolawen
and Urac have a small income from planting vegetables and corn, but not
enough to send their children to school. Despite this, Bolawen, the only
university graduate in the settlement, is helping Kalimudan run adult
literacy classes for the members of the community. The couple are
grateful to Kalimudan, who provided them with clothes, kitchen utensils
and one goat for every five families.
Another
NGO and VSO partner, Birthdev, also carries out work with the survivors
of armed conflict. Birthdev’s initial focus was on trauma counselling,
and has now widened to include community planning. Cristina Lomoljo,
Birthdev’s director, talks about the village of Napo, which saw
conflict as recently as 2003. She
says, “In this period, people were having difficulty sleeping and
reacting strongly to noise. I remember there was one time when they had
their children dressed ready for evacuation all the time – even at
night.”
VSO
volunteer social worker Jim Stanton, 62, came out to work with Birthdev
for a year, but soon extended his placement to two. Jim has highly
specialised trauma debriefing skills from his experience setting up a
disaster emergency response team in North Yorkshire in England. On
Mindanao, he has helped Birthdev train six new counsellors in trauma
debriefing. Jim says, “The team will train NGO workers and members of
the community how to help those affected by trauma. People really want
these skills.” Jim has already volunteered twice before, in Lithuania
and in Namibia. He says, “I think the challenge of VSO is brilliant.
Here I use my skills everyday, and am respected for them.” Asked about
what trauma counselling involves, Jim replies, “With trauma, time is
not a healer. The way to deal with it is to ask some very straight
questions and acknowledge you can’t change some things: the war did
happen, people did see some very distressing things, but you can change
the way it affects you now.” With this emphasis on looking
forward, Birthdev carried out a community planning exercise in 2000. At
least 15 per cent of the community in Napo took part, recording their
visions of how they would like their life to be. They identified a need
for new houses. Birthdev helped build 23 affordable houses on higher
ground, as the area is vulnerable to flash flooding. Sibibi Martiniana,
whose house was built in October, says, “I was part of the planning
process, and feel happy now.”
PEACE-KEEPING
IN PRACTICE
The
222 square miles of Lake Lanao, in the north-west corner of Mindanao,
have always influenced the identity and lives of the Maranao people. The
word Maranao means ‘people of the lake’, and for as long as the lake
has existed – an estimated 10,000 years – people have come to the
water for ritual washing, to swim and to drink. The freshwater lake, the
second largest in the Philippines, has irrigated the soil for farming
and provided fish for the Maranao to eat and sell. Their houses are
built on bamboo stilts to prevent flooding, and a rich culture of
weaving and music takes its inspiration from the pattern of the lake’s
tributaries and waves. We
met VSO volunteer marine biologist Edwin van Helmond in the town of
Iligan, – a 45 minute drive from the lake. Edwin is coming to the end
of a two-year stay in Mindanao, and also to the end of a one-year survey
measuring fish stocks in Lake Lanao and the fishermen’s income in high
and low seasons. Having already conducted a similar survey in Vietnam,
he says, “It’s the type of work you can do if you only have a small
budget. The key is to involve local fishermen by demonstrating that
documenting the situation will help them to sustain their livelihood and
earn more in the future.”
Carrying
out the survey has provided stark evidence that, while there were
originally 18 different native species of a carp-like fish, now just one
fish – tilapia – makes up 95 per cent of stocks. We know for a
fact that fish stocks are being
depleted,” says Edwin, who works closely with his counterpart Salicop
Disamburun – ‘Saldi’ for short – at local NGO Kalimudan, which means
‘meeting’, ‘festival’ and ‘blessing’. The
campaigning group, headed by prominent Maranao activist Ding Cali,
claims that the provision of basic services here is poor because of the
absence of government institutions. Kalimudan’s
peace, health and livelihood projects all aim to ‘promote empowered
communities that care for their environment’. Although
the 4,537 fishermen are currently catching enough fish to live on, the
unbalanced ecosystem causes Edwin serious concern. “Humans
have destroyed the evolution of 10,000 years
in just 60 years,” he says. “Now only two endemic species remain.”
Having a virtual monoculture of tilapia – a relatively recently
introduced breed – leaves the fish vulnerable to disease and so
threatens the fishermen’s livelihoods.
The
day after meeting Edwin, we plan to visit fisherman Dili Logun, who has
been leading the collection of data for the survey. We stay in the
forested campus of Mindanao State University just outside Marawi, in
order to be up at dawn to go out with the fishermen on their morning
trip.
Even
at four am, the forest is alive with sound:there is a thick hum of
forest insects, the rhythmic alarm of cicadas, and a final layer the
melancholy, insistent chant of the muezzin announcing dawn prayers at
the campus
mosque. The day before, Saldi had visited the Muslim fishing
village of Gadongan to see if any conflict had erupted there recently.
He gives the allclear, but Kalimudan staff members always accompany him
to be on the safe side. There is much anti-Western sentiment in the
area, and as a foreigner it would be risky for Edwin to travel on his
own.
Dili
is waiting for us at the water’s edge, and we climb into precarious
wooden narrowboats. The lake is not immediately accessible – first he
must paddle through narrow tributaries and thickly bunched water lilies.
Frogs leap up in the bank and, at the edge of the water, a single heron
dives. Fifty-three-year-old Dili has been fishing for 25 years and uses
a fine mesh net to collect fish. “I used to fish with hook and
line,” he tells us, “but now that there are mainly small fish
left in the lake, I use a net.”
Ding
Cali founded the Kalimudan Foundation after campaigning throughout the
country against the Marcos regime. For Dili, the value of the
survey is to see how much money fishermen are earning from the lake. He
proudly displays a detailed logbook that the community has carefully
filled in, noting the day, the catch, and several other detailed
observations. “When I arrived,” remembers Edwin, “they didn’t
have clear records to show what was going on.” Now, using data
gathered by Dili and the other fishermen he has mapped out
the lake’s resource base and was surprised to discover that for most
of the village, fishing is a secondary livelihood after farming. The
living is modest but adequate, providing enough food for the village to
live on, as well as a surplus to sell at the local market. And while it
might be difficult to re-introduce species of fish that have died out,
Edwin is optimistic that with the involvement of the fishing community
and good management, it might be possible to stabilise the ecosystem.
Today,
however, the lake faces an even greater threat to its future. The dam,
which generates 80 per cent of Mindanao’s electricity, has caused
drastic fluctuations in the water level. When the level goes down, small
fish get trapped in the plants by the lakeside and die. When the level
rises, it kills most of the crops – rice, tomato, chilli, cassava and
arrowroot. Kalimudan think that this dam, combined with the introduction
of the tilapia fish, has been the cause of the other fish dying out. For
Dili and his community, an urgent priority is to persuade the National
Power Corporation, which generates the electricity, to regulate water
levels.
The
lake provides the main power source for the whole of Mindanao, with
seven hydroelectric power plants along the Agus River that feed the
lake. The fact that the lakeside villages have an erratic power supply
and bills that are significantly higher than average seems deeply
ironic, and it is hardly surprising there is an atmosphere of mistrust
and suspicion. Dili says, “We are just little people; they don’t
listen to us.”
Edwin
agrees, explaining that when he leaves, the next stage of the project
will be to campaign to ensure that the villagers’ concerns are heard
so that there is more effective and fair management of the lake. “The
results of the survey will form the basis for this,” he says. He
has just signed a memorandum of agreement with the State University,
which will continue the research and advocacy alongside a new volunteer.
The past two years have provided a steep learning curve for Edwin who says, “I had a background in science but I realised pretty soon that wasn’t going to help much here. I had to put the data in a form that would help people, and learn how to share.” It might not be immediately obvious how monitoring the species and numbers of fish in a lake could help prevent conflict, but for VSO’s partners in Mindanao working on peacebuilding, there is a natural connection. “If the natural resources in Lake Lanao are destroyed, this will create a lot of problems for peace and order,” says Saldi. Or, as Ding says, “You can understand why people are getting mad at the government – there are no job opportunities and no irrigation. If you destroy the lake, you destroy their culture.”
Even
in the dry season it’s a long, slippery walk across sparkling green
paddy fields to the tiny village in the district of Dansalan.
Bamboo lengths
are balanced across the most treacherous areas of the dirt track, but
despite
The
small lakeside community, 15 minutes from the
road, consists of around 50 people. There are two
metal outbuildings housing new toilets, a new water pump where we wash
our feet, several houses raised on stilts, a handful of bald chickens,
and a boat that reminds us of the proximity of the lake. In one of the
houses there is a small shop, and just beyond, a water buffalo is
tethered in the fields.
When
we arrive in the village, we’re greeted by Kalima Mauti, a
softly-spoken woman with a young baby. We should have given them notice
that we were coming, she says: not, it turns out, because of etiquette,
but because they would have put more bamboo over the mud to help us make
the journey. We’re glad they didn’t, however, since it’s spared
them a great deal of effort and we get to see the village as it really
is. Given
the inaccessible location, the buffalo is the main way villagers
transport provisions to the community and carry goods to market. In 2003
the women raised enough money to buy the first animal, which they now
rent out to the men, who were previously renting one more expensively
from local businessmen. Kalima, who is in charge of the income from the
water buffalo, says, “We thank God that Maradeca has come and helped
us. It has helped us plan and do other things. The women needed a way to
earn money and the men were spending their savings.” The
NGO Maradeca was set up in 1999 by husband-and-wife team Saliq and Sinab
Ibrahim. Bernadette has built on the achievements of volunteer Angie
Bangbosie, working on ‘gender mainstreaming’ – ensuring the impact
of all programmes is fully thought through. “When
you give a hand pump to a community, you need to think carefully about
who will benefit from it,” she explains.
“It’s
an amazing achievement,” says Sinab, who points out that before, the
only way women could hope to own anything was as part of their dowry. “The
men were incredulous at first – they didn’t believe the women were
capable of succeeding.” So
impressed have they been by the women’s achievement, the men have
asked Maradeca for help in organising themselves.
A micro-credit project, similar to successful examples Sinab has observed in Bangladesh, has also been set up. The women put money into the bank and are able to make small-scale loans to local fisherfolk. They will have more money to invest soon, when they sell the water buffalo at the market and buy a younger, cheaper one – something they do each year. The community banking is in its early stages, and the village is about to send two staff for training at the Hong Kong Bank in Manila for six months. Some of the villagers – men and women – have also started up businesses, selling nets and intricate fishtraps fashioned from old ketchup bottles, strips of bamboo and coconut husks. “I’m
very excited for the women,” says Bernadette, who sets an example by
being so independent herself. “It’s always the men who go out. We
wanted to show that women can do something. And it’s not only the
women who benefit: the whole community does. Now everyone is
communicating.”
23
February 2007 Unless
a Volunteer be "Born Again" He Cannot Fully Embrace the
Spirit of Volunteerism Twenty years ago I was subjected to a surgeon's knife in a simple surgical operation medically referred to as "appendectomy". As I was wheeled in to the operating room, I clearly remember having been very jovial despite the scruciating abdominal pain. I can also remember that I was all alert, a little nervous maybe, but fully conscious of my immediate surroundings at that material hour. A gas mask touched me and "bang" everything went blank! It is worth noting that when emerging from the "knife experience", a patient normally goes through a "gray period of convalescence" ranging between one minute and a whole eternity! Within that time span he is supposed to either regain consciousness or disappear forever in to the next world! It so happened that I regained my consciousness but lo! and behold!, at that particular moment a sight appeared of what looked like a calendar on the wall beside me. What was even more disturbing was the fact that I couldn't even comprehend the characters written on there. In fact everything was upside down! I, volunteer number 0442K, landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila after some sixteen odd hours of an uneventful flight on October 5, 2005. On landing, at exactly 10 p.m. Philippine time, there to meet us (my two Kenyan colleagues and I) was a smartly dressed jolly-looking guy wearing a big smile who announced his name simply as "MATT", VSO volunteer. With that reassuring first comfort we were off to a down-town little boarding house called Park Villa. On the way, the on coming vehicles appeared to be driving on the "wrong" side (right instead of left). Yes, our vehicle seemed to be plying on the "wrong" side too! Remember the "upside down" snapshot immediately after my theater episode? It came back flooding my memory. Those were the events of day one in the Philippines. Day two! It dawned on the three of us from Kenya that we had missed the arrival date by a whole six days! Our colleagues, twelve of them as the twelve of the Bible fame, had already been through five days of the all important "in-country orientation". Still hazy and jet lagged, the next day we joined the lot in a brief courtesy call on the down-town Makati-based offices of the British Embassy and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA). Day three! Go yee to thy destinations and preach Volunteerism! Fate had it that the final destination of volunteer number 0442K was to be Cebu City. Traffic still flowed on the "wrong" side but there was more in store: Breakfast at this end of the world was much "heavier" than lunch going by Kenyan standards! By definition and context, "food" began with rice and ended with rice! The language too seemed to be "upsidedown", for how else could "bata" mean child instead of "duck"! "Ugali?" (maize meal) - No known definition or immediate equivalent "Nyamachoma" (charcoal grilled beef or mutton) - "UFO" (unidentified fried object" in this far away corner of the earth). Port and Fish? Yes, these frequent "plate mates" freely visit the confines of your dinner plate again and again and yet again! "Githeri?" (mixed maize and beans) - as rare as ice is rare in the desert! How about this: "unmanned jeepneys"! ("Matatus" in the Kenyan context). With the absence of a conductor to collect "pliti" (jeepney fare) wouldn't one surely be forgiven for referring to them us (unmanned?) Back in Kenya guys would have a field day! Their sole interpretation of unmanned jeepneys would be Divine Intervention meant to help them navigate around their perennial impecuniousness. At the placement front, the infectious wide smile I first encountered upon my arrival in Manila kept becoming even wider! In the meantime I sumptuously studied the local language (both vocalized I.e. Bisaya and signed i.e. Filipino sign Language). Similarly, I made friends at dizzying speeds, heartily sampling their rich sense of humor and captivating generosity which lie deep in the heart of the Filipino Culture. Talk of everything being "upside down"? You bet it was! Prescription? Simple, "let your culture be Born-Again"! Daghang Salamat ! 26
January 2007 The Two-Year Stint of Dr. Masako Inata It was December 2004 when the much awaited JOCV finally arrived in the person of Dr. Masako Inata aka, Mai-mai to us. she will help and assist our Dairy Development Program in the province of Oriental Negros for the next 2 years of her stay. The province through the office of the Provincial Veterinarian and led by our Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Antonio B. Mutia, has long envisioned to establish and sustain the Dairy Development Program to fight malnutrition of our school children and farm families in both the rural and urban areas of the province. Her arrival marks the start of this very challenging and highly potential Program to answer some of the most important issues of our people in the locality. Mai-mai's first year with us was a period of adjustment not only home, clothes, inter-relations with co-workers, language and other concerns but we were grateful that Dr. Inata didn't take these as major barriers for her to focus on the task laid ahead on her, her purpose of coming and sharing her life with us. It didn't take long for her to learn our native language, the Cebuano dialect, to adapt to the kind of food and beverage we shared, the clothes we wore during the different weathers in our place, the culture, the real situation of our farmers especially in the rural areas, their needs and dreams. She was polite and soft-spoken, readily expresses her thoughts, honest and frank. We could feel the desires of her heart, to help and share what she have to the Filipinos. Although her mobility to see the farmers regularly was a big problem at the start, she still tried to visit the farmers to get to know them better, to adapt to their ways. Of course, to learn the possibility and potentials of the Dairy Program in their most natural situation. Not only that, she also explored and study the potential of the Dairy Program in the different areas in the province as she traveled with the undersigned to assist in the establishment of the program and organizing and strengthening Dairy Farmers Associations. Meantime, she assisted in the conduct of Dairy Production by giving practical lectures and demonstrations in the City of Dumaguete where she is based. When a motorcycle arrived in the last quarter of 2005 to serve as her service vehicle, she immediately started mobilizing the dairy farmers, organized cattle and carabao raisers/farmers and more lectures on milk collection and processing were conducted. At first our farmers did not like the idea of collecting milk from their cows/caracows because they were afraid that the calves' growth be stunted and both the cow and the calves' health might be affected. The persistent visit and encouragement of the undersigned and Dr. Inata had finally convinced few farmers to consent and agree in the collection of milk from their cows and caracows. It's not only in the collection of milk and proper management of the cow and its calf that were instilled in our raisers but most importantly, by teaching them to process, drink and market the milk as an additional source of income of the family. In the process, we also experience several problems like in thee choice of the person to process/pasteurize the milk as we centralize the collection and pasteurization, the persons and resources of the persons assigned to collect the milk from each farmer, the materials/ingredients to use and in packing the milk for distribution and marketing, and in the collection of payments. We also resolved the problem of how much we should sell the milk so as to make it profitable to the farmers and yet still very affordable to our small clienteles, the school children. We are slowly and surely hitting the goals set from the start but the process is still long and hard but no longer as difficult when we started a year ago. The province has also strengthened this goal by creating and putting into an ordinance the Gatasang Barangay Program in PO # 6, Series of 2005. Literally, this means the Milk Production Program in the Barangay with our backyard farmer-raisers as the main characters, using their own cows as the source of the milk. They don't have to buy or avail of dairy animals but have to start with what they already have. Then they are being strengthened through seminars and demonstrations. The said ordinance was launched last Sept. 14, 2006 with the local officials of the entire province present. the ordinance may have been started just recently but the endeavors initiated by Dr. Inata and the undersigned which started earlier has done a lot of progress. More farmer-raisers were convinced and encouraged to join the program and we aim to cover the whole Metro Dumaguete area soon. We would like to attribute this progress to the natural charisma and diligence of Dr. Inata, who was always, persistent, patient and understanding of our farmer-raisers. She is also generous with her time, talent and resources. She initiate activities on her own without waiting to be told and has successfully accomplished them to name a few; the production of yoghurt of different flavors and consistency, packing of such, etc. Her good command of the dialect has helped her a lot and an important factor in making communication line always open. We learned a lot from Mai-mai and she too has learned a lot from her experience with the farmers and her co-workers. As much as we wanted to have her stay longer, our request for her extension was not granted. We know that we still have a lot to do in order to accomplish our goals and we hope to finish them, sustain the program, and answer the real problem of our people. In the end, we would like to make Mai-mai be proud of what she had started will not go in vain. by:
Jesus C. Libby Volunteer
Experience in Kiribati WHAT was the situation before the change? I worked in a regional project called Pacific Skills Link (PSL) funded by the European Commission with a total budget of over two million euros. PSL contributes to the goal of reducing the poverty of opportunity and vulnerability of three Pacific Island countries (Kiribati, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) by empowering disadvantaged communities to meet their livelihood needs. It does this by building the organizational, managerial, technical and financial capacity of NGOs and community-based organizations. I joined the team in early 2004 together with a local Project Officer who was recruited a month before I arrive. So both of us are "new" in the project, but she has the advantage of knowing well the people and the culture. I choose to share the story about working together with local staff as the most significant change story in my two years stay in Kiribati. Abana Leremia holds a degree in Social Work, and has a one-year work experience with the Ministry of Internal and Social Affairs working with Juvenile Delinquents. For the first three months while we were doing courtesy call to various government agencies, donors and even during the visits to NGOs and CBOs to accomplish an NGO profile, she feels shy and oftentimes she would let me do the interview. I would say that her level of confidence is low, which was also seen by the acting PSL Regional Coordinator that time when she visited Kiribati in March 2004. In meetings and discussions, though she has ideas, she holds back to express them. In addition, her knowledge about the whole process of Project cycle and other areas like facilitation, networking skills, budget preparation and report writing need to be enhanced. It is imperative that she learns or be better equipped with these skills to effectively and efficiently perform her role as a Project Officer. WHAT
has changed that VSO has contributed to? Now Abana has build up her confidence-she speaks up her mind during regular meetings and planning activities. She is confident to meet with Donors, key Government and NGO people and other visitors who come to KANGO office. She can also deliver training on her own, design session guides and program, her report writing and documentation skills have noticeably improved. Abana has also developed a very good interpersonal relationship with the NGOs and applies community development principles. She does not hesitate to volunteer and take on other responsibilities beyond her usual responsibilities. All these changed and improvement are noticed by the NGO leaders, AMAK president, some donors, PSL Co-ordinator and external evaluator for the Final evaluation of the PSL project. Lastly, she now takes the initiative to learn new skills to further improve and add on to her existing skills to better perform in her new position as a Deputy to the KANGO Co-ordinator in charge of NGO Development and eventually provide better service to the NGO community in Kiribati. HOW
did the change happen? The change happened gradually. In the beginning, the volunteer has to take on the lead in most of the activities but at the same time she is conscious to involve and explain all the process to the Project Officer and even invite questions on anything that the Project Officer finds unclear or vague. We have identified the skills the project officer needs to enhance/learn and other interests she wants to pursue and we periodically update/feedback to each other how the level of confidence and efficiency on a particular skill. The project officer and the volunteer even allotted regular time and day to discuss a topic, but this was not religiously followed due to other work that we both need to do, so we just maximize the time whenever we go on fieldwork and during free hours when conducting workshops. We informally discuss the needed skills and other practical tips, or sometimes we also do it formally after our regular meetings and when we meet to discuss our training modules and activities. Having open communications, tolerance, respect, tact and flexibility helped a lot to achieve a harmonious and productive working relationship. In addition, use of encouraging words, praise and constructive criticism and feedback both helped the project officer and the volunteer. It was a combination of developing soft (facilitation, confidence, power dressing, etc.) and hard skills (report writing, training delivery, budget preparation, etc.) and being a role model in all of these. We also started out building rapport with NGO, donors and government people by doing courtesy calls, interview sessions for the NGO profiling. We basically started with easy activities and training topics and moved on to more complex themes. I prepared the training modules in a well-explained and simple format so other people/staff can easily follow when they use the modules. One important strategy which the volunteer used is to capitalise on the interests of the project officer, at the same time slowly building her up to take on new and bigger responsibilities. WHY
was this change seen as most meaningful? This change seen is most meaningful because it is an evidence of building capacity of local staff which is one of the primary aims of the Pacific Skills Link Project and VSO. All the skills and work attitude displayed by the volunteer will remain with the project officer and will be beneficial to her personally and to her country. The volunteer likewise learned a lot from working with her and all other staff-volunteers and local staff. The sharing and learning was mutually beneficial and impacts long after the placement has finished. Local staff and other NGO leaders see Abana as a future leader in the NGO community since she has already developed the basic and some of the advanced skills and qualities to be a good and inspiring leader. What have you gained personally from your experience as a volunteer? Staying and living in Kiribati for almost two years now has been a life changing experience for me. I would say I gained more lessons personally yet it also offered fresh ideas professionally. It has been a real test of character living in a foreign country, the loneliness and isolation living in a tiny, rustic atmosphere and very simple lifestyle, the everyday challenges I encounter especially during the early months such as understanding the language, culture, local and foreign people in the capital. Kiribati is just like one of the barrios near the beach in the Philippines, except that one can only see the vast Pacific Ocean on the left and the aquamarine, sometimes turquoise lagoon on the right side. I have learned to be tolerant of other people, to listen first to their nuggets of wisdom, advice or anything they wanted to say from the local people before expressing my views, and I have come to know about myself-my creativity and ingenuity both at work and life outside work. If I have not been a volunteer, I have not known aspects of myself and some interests I wanted to pursue but either I did not have time to de before or too scared to even think about it. Living away from home also strengthened my ties and relationship with my parents and my sibling I am now able to fully express my love and other feelings to them without feeling shy or embarrassed. I felt that being a volunteer is a big blessing and a wonderful opportunity to know and learn other culture and to be part of their lives even for such a short period of time. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all my colleagues at FSPK and KANGO. I am delighted to learn other practical skills from the locals and foreigners as well. 8
August 2006 A
Scoop at Scope Project
The concept of corporate citizenship has this fundamental philosophy in mind. The symbiotic relationship between the corporate communities and society is based on the principle that business interest could be best served in line with social development. In support of this principle, the German Development Service in cooperation with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) worked out the development of the SCOPE Project in December 2003 until August 2004 and launched it in August 2004 to assist companies in implementing projects that create a win-win solution between the company and the community. SCOPE stands for Strategic Corporate Community Partnership for Local Development Program. SCOPE develops and pilot test a framework that would show how the limited technical and financial resources of companies would achieve CSR program objectives. The project received positive response from the business sector and was pursued with the Visayas and Mindanao SMEs as focus of assistance. SCOPE focuses on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that integrate and implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their companies. It orients them in implementing an affordable CSR scheme while aligning their companies business interest and bottom lines in the process. SCOPE tries to build reliable partnership among Community-based Organizations (CBOs) and companies to assure sustainable growth in the community as well as enhance corporate citizenship. SCOPE assist companies in identifying suitable partners and projects; provides access to best practices; provides technical assistance for project implementation through deployment of skilled specialists; and provides financial assistance to selected projects. In coordination with the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), the deployment of a DED volunteer to the PBSP was finalized in 2005. PNVSCA provided DED technical support in placement of volunteers and identifying suitable partner organizations for the SCOPE Project expansion to cover the Visayas and Mindanao areas. According to Matthias Niggel, the German Development Service Worker presently assigned by DED to PBSP to oversee the SCOPE implementation, the problem of some companies in implementing their CSRs is not on technical and financial matters but more on finding suitable partner organizations. Matthias was assigned to PBSP last September 2005. When
he came to PBSP, he focused on finding suitable partners by
bridging companies and potential community partners. PBSP
provided Matthias with a vast network of companies affiliated with PBSP
to work on. What he did to effectively communicate the intention
of SCOPE is to improve its communications materials. He completed
already a new SCOPE leaflet and new Power Point presentations
about SCOPE which is used for conducting briefing to various companies.
He also conducts monitoring and evaluating projects done during the
pilot phase.
Another case in point is Dedon Manufacturing in Cebu - a producer of high-end furniture. It sought the help of SCOPE in getting quality weavers for their products. Assisted by DED, Dedon partnered with Don Bosco and trained out-of-school youths in in the weaving craft. Dedon Manufacturing were to get weavers from this training institution . At present, around 300 trained weavers contribute to the growth of Dedon while providing a stable job for the out-of-school-youths. Matthias works in PBSP led him to the doors of various SMEs in Sulu, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo and Davao. He said that companies though interested in CSR normally have no time to come to ask for assistance as they cannot leave their shop. You have to visit them and sell the idea. One of the problems of SMEs is writing proposals. They cannot put in writing their plans so you have to help them and in extreme cases write for them, Matthias added.
Matthias found his works in PBSP challenging. The concern about resource mobilization was at the moment solved by the funding provided by DED. At present, the project has sufficient budget to cover its targets. He is focusing now on looking at the manual of companies to put things together as all the components are there already in place needing only organization. He hopes to complete a manual for companies that is understandable to them avoiding NGO language that are not understandable to SMEs. His work on System Development is expected to be complete by the end of the year. At present, Matthias has conducted briefing to around 30 companies. Five (5) proposals have already been approved for SCOPE assistance. Things are currently being finalized yet but he assured that there will be three (3) concrete projects for this year. SCOPE Project has served as the bridge that interface between the corporate and community partnership. It lends neutrality and credibility in engaging both parties to achieve the goals of sustainable development through an effective collaboration between the two sectors. The project has given a new dimension in business partnership and has infused social responsibility in corporate undertakings. The deployment of a volunteer to the project similarly highlights the role of volunteerism in supporting social development. The works of volunteers in catalyzing local development initiatives has been underscored and demonstrated by the SCOPE Project not only in achieving its project objectives and forging private public partnership, but more significantly in infusing the value of volunteerism among the various stakeholders. It provides a sustainable mechanism that is grounded on human capacity for helping one another in the spirit of community and attainment of the common good. PNVSCA will continue to support this kind of initiative. Trainer
in Early Childhood Development My name is Angela Serong. I am a 30 year old woman from Melbourne, Australia. I have been working at CRIBS Philippines, Inc. for the last twelve months as a full0time volunteer. I belong to a program called the 'Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development'. This is a volunteer program that places young Australian professionals on assignments in developing countries in the Asia and Pacific Regions. We are sponsored by AusAID (The Australian Aid Agency for International Development). CRIBS (Create Responsive Infants By Sharing) is a non-government child welfare organization in Marikina City, Metro Manila. CRIBS provides two main programs. The Receiving Home (residential home) provides full-time care for up to 25 babies who have been abandoned, surrendered or neglected (aged newborn to 2.5 years). The New Beginnings Program provides a residential rehabilitation program for up to 25 girls aged 7 to 17 years) who are survivours of sexual abuse. I felt very fortunate to be selected to come to Manila to work on a project at CRIBS. I arrived in late April 2005, and set about meeting with Grace Pangan (my supervisor), Yolanda Himmiwat and Glynice Morta (my counterparts) to establish what the project would involve. One main priority, identified by Yolanda Himmiwat, was to reduce the rate of illness in the Receiving Home. New guidelines and practices for infection control were implemented in the Receiving Home in August 2005. The aim of these guidelines and practices is to reduce the frequency of respiratory illness (coughs and colds) and diarrheal illness (LBM) in the Receiving Home. The babies are at an age where they are least able to fight infection and illness. The prevention of illness is a major responsibility of all caregivers, staff, volunteers, trainees and visitors in the Receiving Home. Handwashing is the most important way of reducing illness in the Receiving Home. This has been demonstrated by many studies. All people who enter the Receiving Home, whether they are staff, volunteers or visitors are advised to wash their hands before any contact with the children. All diaper changing should occur on the diaper change mat. Babies should not be changed on the floor. Diaper changing on the floor spreads germs. Nose cloths or bibs used to wipe a babies nose are single use only. The staff are encouraged not to leave a bib on a baby it it has been used to wipe their nose. The baby's bib should be changed right away. Nose secretions are very infectious and carry many germs, especially if they are yellow or green. All volunteers and visitors are required to wash their hands when entering the Receiving Home, to wear a clean shirt and socks. Handwashing is the most critical of all these practices. It is difficult to control the spread of illness in an organization where there are many young children living together. However, illnesses can be minimized when all people in the Receiving Home follow the guidelines. I would like to thank Yolanda Himmiwat and all the Receiving Home staff for their openness and willingness to commit to these new practices. Handwashing is an equally important illness prevention measure in the New Beginnings Program. This is a responsibility of all girls, staff, volunteers and visitors. During
the project, I presented workshops to Receiving Home and Placement
Program staff (Adoption and Foster Care), and produced or accessed
resources, in the following areas: I presented workshops to the girls and the staff from the New Beginnings Program in the following areas, in February 2006: (i) Preventing Illness; and (ii) Common Illness in the New Beginnings Program. I presented a seminar to the Foster Parents in February 2006 that covered the topics of Preventing Illness in Your Home, Early Childhood Development and Early Detection of Developmental Delay, Language Development and Delay and Baby Massage. The final phase of my project involved facilitating a workshop called 'Facilitation Skills Program, Training the Trainer in Early Childhood Development in February 2006. This was presented to selected staff from the New Beginnings Program and Receiving Home, and all staff from the Placement Program. The aim of this two-day workshop was to give input to the staff about conducting seminars in Early Childhood Development so that the education and training may be ongoing, once I leave. I was able to facilitate the donation of a specialized chair for a baby with special needs. This chair was donated from old workplace in Melbourne, Australia, The royal Children's Hospital. I also facilitated the donation of parts, plans and photos for a standing frame for this baby. This is a piece of specialized equipment that will enable her to stand with adequate safety and support. It is hoped that the standing frame will be made locally soon. I have produced a CD of Early Childhood Development resources for CRIBS. This CD has also been provided to Aus AID (Manila), SAGRIC International (our managing company) and PNVSCA ( Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency). This is to facilitate networking between Australian volunteers, other foreign volunteers and child welfare organizations in the Philippines. If anyone would like to access the information or resources please contact PNVSCA or Grace Pangan (Program Supervisor at CRIBS). You are very welcome to avail yourself of the information. Grace Pangan has been my supervisor. I have been part of the Placement Program Team. I would like to offer my sincered thanks to Grace for her support, guidance and encouragement. Yolanda Himmiwat and Gynice Morta have been my counterparts. I too would like to thank them for their professionalism and support. To all the staff at CRIBS thank you so much for welcoming and accepting me. I thank you for your openness, friendliness and patience. Hindi magaling ng Tagalog ko, minsan naintindihan! Mabait po kayo. Thank you for all the fun times. However, my experience has not been just about me teaching or sharing information. I have learnt so much from living and working in Manila. I have felt very humbled by the generosity and hospitality of the Filipino people, and your willingness to share despite the daily hardships faced. I have many fond and happy memories of my experiences at CRIBS. I have grown close to many of the babies and I will miss them greatly. I worked a lot with a baby named Nicole. She has special needs. One great memory I have of her is one morning when I was talking to her and playing with her, she reached out to me to touch my face and smiled. This is a very significant milestone as eye contact with her is very difficult and she has very limited movement and control of her body. Another very happy memory I have is being greeted by one of the toddlers, named JM. He said to me "Oh Tita!" and stretched out his arms with a big smile. I have been very fortunate to travel quite a lot in the Philippines. My favourite place was Coron, Palawan where I completed a Scuba Diving Course. I was also very pleased to be able to go and visit my kuya in Thailand during the Christmas vacation break. I
found CRIBS to be an organization very open to ways of improving the
services and care for the babies and girls. I feel very blessed to
be a part of the CRIBS family. I am sad to be leaving. I
will not forget the children, staff and volunteers at CRIBS and I will
definitely come back to visit. 26
June 2006 Jenelyn Remetio says her journey as a VIDA volunteer is difficult and challenging. At first, the community people were not enthusiastic to work with her. Among her projects and activities are nutrition education, food production and livelihood. But Jenelyn has "a thousand patience on my bag." Her dedication paid off and now "the people of the community realized how my role is important to the cooperative." _________ 26
June 2006 Providing Nutrition to the Malnourished When I commenced my placement in June 2004, I began my training a core group of women including 2 teenagers to become community nutritionists. As part of their practical training, we implemented a 6-months Supplemental Feeding Program which targeted the very underweight children who belonged to very low income and large family. One of our beneficiaries was a one and a half year old boy who only weighed 7 kgs and was categorized as Severely Underweight for his age. He had not gained weight in the previous 6 months. His eyes were sunken and he had a distended stomach. His mother, in her twenties, used to take him to the Feeding Program. She had already undergone a seminar on Nutrition and Hygiene together with the other parents whose children were in the Feeding Program. This was conducted by the Trainee Nutritionists under my supervision. I began to hear some reports from her neighbors about how her children were always seen playing outside without slippers, naked and looking filthy. I immediately arranged a Home Visit taking one of the trainees to see for ourselves. We then gave further advice to the Mother about the risks of getting parasites by her sons. (All of the children in the Program have already been de-wormed before they started). We gave her more explanation on the importance of hygiene, both personal and environmental, in the prevention of avoidable illness such as parasitism and diarrhea. She made many excuses including how she could not watch them all the time especially when she's busy with household chores. After the visit, her attendance in the Feeding Program became irregular. We decided for another Home Visit because we are so concerned about the child. Again we encouraged her to go back to the Feeding Program and reminded her of the importance of hygiene. But, we became very disappointed of her when she decided not to come anymore to the Feeding Program. We respected her decision. Two weeks later, we heard that her child was rushed to the Hospital for severe diarrhea and dehydration. The child lost weight and was then at a dangerously low level of only 5 kgs. He was taken to Intensive Care Unit and stayed for about 3 days. While in hospital, the child had some laboratory tests and they have found out that he got lots of parasitic worms inside him. He was de-wormed and some were expelled. The kid was dismissed out of the hospital when the doctors felt that he was now safe from danger and no more worms were coming out from him. The Mother visited the Clinic to tell us the story. We gave her our support and encouraged her to take her child back to the Feeding Program again as soon as he was well. Three days later, the child was back in hospital with more worms coming out again. This happened one more time and this is when I realized why. The whole family should be de-wormed at the same time. Every time the kid was back in the house, the other members of the family were innocently infecting him again with worms. The whole house were sanitized a few bottles of bleach was used to disinfect everything. Bedsheets, pillow cases, mats and mattresses were out in the sunshine. handwashing with soap, always wearing of slippers, etc. The mother gave another visit to the Clinic to tell us of the good news, this time the parasitic worms have not come back. Some members of the family have expelled worms, too. The child gained weight after a week of being given a special formula, and reached his Normal weight for his age after another 2 weeks. He was able to leave the Feeding Program in a stabilized condition. The mother became an avid advocate of the importance of hygiene and became a role model for other mothers in the community who encountered the same problem with parasitic worms. By
Charito Hall, VSO 5
April 2006 JOCV
tried CRM ! The Province of Cebu is surrounded by sea, and CRM is a very important issue in this island. Borbon town located in the north-east of Cebu is working on CRM by setting a "Sanctuary" (marine reserved area) to prevent over-fishing, and protect precious corals and fish. But! there was an outbreak of predators, namely starfishes, in the sanctuary. They eat the protected corals! The Provincial Government of Cebu and the Municipality of Borbon started to catch those starfishes. How do they do that? Very simple. They have a lance in one hand, and stab it into the starfishes with thinking "Revenge from our corals!" Though it was my first time, I tried to catch the starfishes with local fisherfolk. While other kinds of starfishes have beautiful colors and nice features, this coral-eating-starfish has a grotesque color and lots of thorns. I thought "Starfish which do bad things look really bad". In addition, its name is "Crown of thorns!" Sounds really bad! We caught about 10 buckets of them in one day. My work was not very helpful for fisherfolk whose work was very fast and efficient, but it was a very good OJT (On The Job Training) for me. Lastly, biscuits and coke I had on the sea were especially good!
What does "rich" mean?
"One JOCV went to a village, and tried to do a
JOCV: "What are you doing?" Speech
at Eastern Visayas Swear-In Ceremony Tonight's swearing-in program feels a lot like a graduation ceremony. An outdoor, tropical graduation ceremony where instead of diplomas we receive little metal pins with the Peace Corps logo (which, I think, are more practical than diplomas due to their higher poking-to-pain correlation) and instead of caps and gowns, we're sporting the one pair of extra nice clothes that we packed solely for this occasion and probably won't wear again for two years. In fact this whole past week has felt a lot like senior week, each day anticipating sa big celebration, and after which we go our separate ways. We all passed our final language interview last Monday, and after several days of fun and laughter and swimming and dancing and assorted shenanigans, it's as though we've all landed jobs that begin next week in unfamiliar territory, away from each other. And immanent separation tends to forcefully remind us just how special these relationships are. All of us have experienced transitions before, be it graduating from school, starting a new job or moving to a new location. But in the past these transitions have had an element of familiarity to them. Perhaps the people you were living or working with stayed the same, or you remained in the same area, or the line of work was similar, or at the very least the language and culture and food was familiar to you. What we are all faced with this weekend is a transition in which nothing is familiar. Every aspect is different from what we have known before and what has become comfortable for us. So here is the depressing part of the speech where I pour forth my insecurities and gears about our impending doom and cause you all to question why you picked me to speak to you tonight. Frankly, I'm terrified about what's to come. Frankly, I'm scared of the loneliness and discomfort and frustration that lies ahead. A Psych Professor told me once that there are two major potentially traumatic transitions that the human body experiences in life. The first is the birthing process whereby a baby leaves the comfort and security of the womb and is forced to begin breathing and existing independent of its mother. The second is the transition from college into the post-college life, because for most young Americans this is when they attain true independence, financially and otherwise. (This professor also mentioned that symptoms of schizophrenia are most likely to materialize during this latter transition). I would argue, however, that what we are faced with is a more difficult transition than that from college into post-college life, more difficult even than leaving the States for the Philippines in the first place. This could be the most harrowing, emotionally tumultuous transition we experience in our lives and it starts tomorrow. BUT now here is the uplifting, inspirational part of the speech where I proclaim a message of such great hope and profound wisdom that you all validate your decision to have me speak here and are left reeling in the speech's glorious aftermath. Here's what comes to mind for me when the terror creeps in. We are, all of us, travelers on a journey. And we are fully equipped for what lies ahead. And furthermore, we desperately want to tackle and embrace and overcome the terror that lies ahead. It is said that all of life is a long exciting journey but the chunk of road that lies ahead takes us off the highway for a stretch and onto a dirt road, overcome with rocks and ruts and rickety bridges. It winds steeply upward, around switchbacks and over mountains and there are piles of karibau poop and dogs sleeping in the road that must be avoided. Sometimes there's no shade and sometimes the fumes from the smoldering piles of coconut husks on the side of the road become unbearable. Hallmark's belittlements aside, a chunk of life lies before us that is entirely about the journey and not at all about the destination. The Chaplain at Dartmouth once wrote some thoughts to a group of students embarking on a trip to Nicaragua that I found apt to describe what we are faced with here. Perhaps at no other time in our lives will we experience the sense of journey with the same forcefulness as in these next two years. It maybe physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, or all of the above but it will no doubt be profoundly indescribable. Regardless, it will not leave us the same people as we are now. So we are setting off on this journey now. My dad likes to say that there's no such thing as bad weather, only improper clothing and inflexible plans. I think there's no such thing as a bad Peace Corps experience, only improper preparation and inflexible attitudes. We are travelers, fully equipped for what lies ahead and emotionally and mentally prepared for what we cannot control. Route-wise, we can trust the path that has been mapped out for us, albeit a mysterious road. We will have traveling companions along the way for the next two years. Some of them will barely influence our journey, remaining instead on the side of the road and yelling "Hey Joel!" Some companions' role will be to supply us with the necessary provisions for our journey such as patience and perseverance, Milo, and a sense of humor. Sometimes our traveling companions will be sneaky, tricky types who lead us off the path and push us into the piles of karibau poop and cause us to question why we're here and doubt the worth of experience. And then there are those inseparable traveling companions who walk by our side for long stretches of the road. And there are those who end up carrying us part of the way. When it seems as though your journey is taking you through an area where you feel particularly alienated from those around you, remember that 94 to 97% of human's DNA is identical, and that last 3 to 6% is what makes each one of us gloriously unique. We and the Filipinos that we live and work alongside are inhabiting this same earth, breathing the same air and feeling the same raindrops and sunlight. We experience the same emotions. We all laugh and cry and long for love and companionship. Ultimately we have much more in common than we have that differentiates us. On this journey we're armed with certain supplies. I like to use the term "armed" because I don't think the Peace Corps uses enough violent militaristic analogies in their training terminology. We are equipped with powerful weapons for this journey. Language is one. Remember the first time you heard the phrase "maayong buntag"? For most of us it was back in Cavite when Snapper told us to forget whatever Tagalog phrase we had memorized because in the Visayas they said "maayong buntag," which sounded like nonsensical gibberish to me. And now, ten weeks later, we are empowered with a solid Bisayan foundation that will carry us far. Cross-cultural relationships is another one. Remember when your host family was a mysterious projection of your imagination? Today we know then well, and count them among our closest friends here in the Philippines. And we volunteers are a third. Remember when each others' faces belonged to strange nobodies in some hotel lobby back in Detroit? And look at us now. We are priceless supporters for one another. All this has been accomplished in just ten weeks. Imagine what lies ahead in the next two years. There are rest stops and scenic views along the way of this journey that we may look forward to. We are presented here with the opportunity to live differently for two years, to live experientially and to learn not from books and professors but from fellow global citizens living out their lives close to the earth and close to each other. We have an opportunity to embrace the relativity of time and not feel imprisoned by the restraints we used to impose on our days. We are presented with the opportunity to live the way 80% of the world lives, with limited resources, and often no running water or electricity. We can enjoy the refreshing sensation of knowing just how little we need to get by. Most of all, we may look forward to a freedom from the numbness that accompanies an easy life. An Italian monk who is said to have preached to the birds once wrote a prayer in which he asked, "Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, and to be loved as to love." I find this empowering, because it allows you to be the doer of the consoling, the understanding and the loving instead of the passive participant. It places the focus on the actor, instead of the object-focus, the instrument-focus, locative-focus or the benefactor-focus. That's for you, Mercie. On this journey we discover a compass ingrained deep within us. There is a system in place in America, in most of the world in fact. It is something that Daniel Quinn calls "Mother Culture" and it whispers constantly in our ear what we should value, what we ought to do and what will make us happy. Its message is so deeply ingrained in us that we fail to even recognize the whisper any longer. Regardless of the merits or downfalls of Mother Culture's message, we have, to some extent, escaped it here. And it's only when one exits the system that we're granted the opportunity to listen to our inner compass and determine what is ultimately meaningful for us. If our two years here are viewed only as a bridge, as a means to something else, then we might not be listening to what our inner compass is saying. The needle may not point to that graduate degree after all, or to that particular line of work in that particular location. But the point is that on this journey, we must get lost before we can find out where our inner compass points. Getting lost is a step in the right direction. The best news of all is that each of us wanted to step off the paved highway and set off down this rocky stretch of road. Each one of us chose to come here, not out of guilt or duty but out of joy and a deep sense of gratitude. The greatest injustice of poverty is the lack of choices imposed on its victims and with that in mind, it is a privilege to have this experience. Tomorrow our journey begins. And it ends 730 days from now-give or take 729 depending on whether or not we get kicked out of the Peace Corps tomorrow or extend for an extra two years. To our supervisors and co-workers: thank you for being here tonight. Working with you is an honor that we all look forward to these next two years. To our hub staff and LCFs: the time and energy that you, Janet, Rachel and Ibeth, invested into training has made our weeks in Leyte a truly fun and worthwhile occasion, and cannot be overstated. To Snapper: as we begin this new chapter in our lives a chapter is closing for you. We know you've loved helping us ease into the role of volunteers but you are the main reason why we feel so prepared, so eager to begin and so grateful for what lies behind. You've provided an inspirational model for us to live up to and your friendship is cherished. And finally, to my fellow new volunteers, my partners in crime and my dear friends: It's been quite a ride. And it's not over yet. We're heading off on our own but 'on your own' is an illusion in this country and the stretch of road that we travel together hasn't ended yet. We've endured diseases and stool samples, and we've shared long nights of dancing out on the street under plastic flags, Christmas lights and a full moon while rats scurried across the dance floor. We've shared a dozen barefoot ultimate games followed by evening swims in the ocean and countless sunsets. One sunset, I recall, was so spectacular that it caused a volunteer who shall remain nameless to compare it to a scene from Star Wars, it was just so elegant. We are forever united by the Chocolate and Wa Wa Wee songs. And we've failed at some things too. Our greatest failure I think is that no one ever actually hit the buoy with a rock, which is mostly Jeremy's fault. These are special memories, but the best is yet to come. In two years we will look back on so much more, provided we're all alive then, which means we might want to stop raising the bar on our pattern of inane bets to the point where we're paying Katrina 7 pesos to eat sea urchins. So stay alive. Get lost. Remember to laugh at ourselves. Watch the sunsets and wake up for the sunrises. We go forth now to learn and to love our neighbors in the global community. We and they are equally needy and equally enriched. We're here to enrich our lives and become part of the missions of enriching the lives of another community. This
is not a spirit; it's a marathon. And if all else fails think about your friends at home who are sitting in cubicles playing desktop solitaire. VIDA Volunteer undeterred by challenges Children no matter where they came from, no matter what their history is deserve a bright future. This premise led former Catholic priest Fr. Edward Gerlock to set up Bahay Tuluyan, a center that caters to children who are abused, abandoned and are facing difficult circumstances. Here they are not only being educated with the 3 R’s, they are also taught alternative livelihood project such as gardening and carpentry. VIDA volunteer Flordeliza Abante who supports such cause came to Bahay Tuluyan and helped the children learn basic fundamental skills in writing, reading and counting numbers. She also taught the children in her morning and afternoon classes how to draw and make use of indigenous materials. Ms. Abante likewise had the patience to teach good manners even to her most errant students and show them how to pray. To ensure and sustain a good attendance in school, Ms. Abante sought the help of parents. She educated them about the roles and responsibilities they play in the education of their children. She visits them at home twice a month and regularly meets with them in school each month. Ms. Abante remains undeterred by the challenges she faces. She is determined to keep the children in school even if some of the parents remain uncooperative or the student frequently behaves badly. 09/28/04 ‘Rat
race’on Banaue terraces may help solve the giant earthworm problem MUŅOZ SCIENCE CITY, Nueva Ecija – There is a ‘rat race’ on Banaue Rice Terraces. But this is of the neneficial kind. This rat race resulted in the finding of “three” friendly rat species, one of which may help solve the terraces’ giant earthworm problem. A group of scientist from the Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice) based in this community is studying the salient characteristics of three rat species which the team initially found to be friendly – again not harmful to the rice crops on the world famous terraces in the Ifugao province. One of the rats, the lowland striped shrew rat (S. Chrotomys mindorensis) is believed the nemesis of the giant earthworm that has long been a problem and has even threatened to wash out one of the world’s agriculture landmarks. The other “friendly” rodent species is the common Philippine forest rat (S. Rattus everetti). As for the other friendly farm rat, the scientists are still doing further taxonomic research to know to which species it belongs. In an article “The Mysterious Rats of the Banaue Rice Terraces” released recently by PhilRice, it was learned that not all rats are harmful to farm crops, particularly those planted in the Banaue area. The article is part of the mother paper “Rodents and Other Small Mammals in Banaue and Hungduan Rice Terraces, Philippines” by Dr. Ravindra Joshi and other scientists from PhilRice, Australia and local counterparts from Ifugao local government. The researchers led by Joshi, include Alexander Stuart, a graduate student on wildlife management and conservation from Reading University in the United Kingdom; and Rachel Miller, Youth Ambassador for Development of Australia. Joshi had been doing research on ecosystem preservation and pest management of the terraces. The most popular of his works was the Banaue rice earthworms. Stuart, who arrived here in April to join the rat study, had previous involvements in forest farm ecosystems, including his participation in 1998 in the project on mammal counts, reception work, mapping of burnt lands, culling and patrolling at the Mkuze Game Reserve, South Africa, besides another project, in connection with his Reading University graduate works, in Gibbon Rehabilitation Center, Thailand in January 2002. The team is now trying to determine the habitat distribution of the rat species in Banaue and Hungduan to establish a baseline data that might be useful in evaluating changes in the unique status of the rice terraces’ ecosystem. What prompted the rodent research was the recorded traditional rat-pest problem in the terraces. In an earlier study, Banaue and Hungduan farmers ranked rodents as first among the three most pre-harvest pests of their rice crops, besides the damages this pest had inflicted on local warehouses and households. The study was held from November 2002 to June 2003 with a survey of rat species and their behaviors. It was followed by introducing trapping techniques in farm areas and residential communities, which yielded to capturing six rat species. The early significant findings in the study included the food preferences of the rats. Stuart had initially found that the lowlands striped shrew rat feeds on insects, snails and the giant earthworms. The common Philippine forest rat eats fruits and wild plants. Miller started studying the reproductive biology of the pest rats, and to find means to protect or separate the newly discovered friendly rats from the former. One possible measure is controlling the pest rats without using pesticides. She said: It is important to find out [and understand] the habitat of the ‘good rats’ [Chrotomys mindorensis] to protect them when the control method is applied. The researchers were glad they did not find the most notorious rat species, Rattus argentiventer, in the area. It is known as the major rodent pest in the rice-growing systems of mainland Southeast Asia and Indonesian archipelago. This rat species has been noted thriving in Laguna. Mindanao, Mindoro and Negros islands. “Many believe that some of the good rats are also present in the lowlands, which we doubt, because they are mostly found, according to this study, in farmlands near forest areas,” Miller said. Joshi said this might be because of the unique biodiversity environment on the rice terraces that play hosts to abundant native mammal fauna, with “native species effectively holding back the competitively inferior invaders,” apparently referring to the more destructive Rattus argentiventer. “This
is good indication that the rice terraces environment despite its
very long history of human activities and interventions,
nevertheless remains a relatively healthy one. This finding provides
an important benchmark to which future developments can be composed
[with],” Josh said. Thoughts
Of A Leaving Development Worker During the last five years of working together with Babas Foundation Inc. (BFI) in Davao City, I think we have achieved a lot. Following the BFI support, we have aimed to support each other and the whole program construction. These are the model farmer project, the demo farm, the agro-marketing and the micro-finance project. Now we have reached a point, where the model farmers get farm inputs as a loan, sow hedgerows along the contour lines to prevent erosion, plant fruit trees, bananas, vegetables in a low-chemical way and raise goats, chicken, pigs to improve their livelihood. Repayments and interests serve as loans for future model farmers and sustain the BFI-agro-extension officer. In the demo farm the farmers are trained and the farm inputs for the model farmers produced, thus contributing to the self-sustainability of the demo-farm. And the agro-marketing provides good prices for the farmers’ produce and sustain itself by processing them into high value products like from copra to coco oil, which can be sold at a higher price. It’s natural that this system still needs to be improved, but we’re on the right way to sustain our programs and services while helping the underprivileged people. A lot of efforts, trials and errors were necessary to build up this program and its components. By working together in harmony, being tolerant and learning from each other we could master all the difficulties. So I have been able to spend many happy moments with my colleagues and our farmers in the office and in the field. We have found out that service to humanity can be satisfying for oneself too. As my contract will be finished soon, I have to go back to Germany together with my family. On one hand we are not glad about it. I will be missing my colleagues and the satisfying work. On the other hand I have a good feeling that BFI-programs and services will go on successfully. And that’s it what all of us wanted to achieve. I wish all of us good luck for the future. Daghang salamat! JOCV Volunteers: DepEd’s ally on SBTP Volunteers help a lot in the development of a community. In addition to facilitating the establishment of improving livelihood and other development projects and activities, volunteers also assist in the education sector. This is currently being undertaken by our Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) through the School-Based Training Program (SBTP) of the Department of Education. SBTP is a unique way of teacher training launched by the Department of Education in pilot Regions V, VI and XI in 1999. This program gives opportunities to teachers in elementary and secondary schools to study subject contents and to learn teaching skills continuously. In 2002, the Department of Education and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) agreed to implement a technical cooperation project for SBTP with Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) providing school-based trainings for teachers. KOJI
HASE is the JOCV Field Coordinator for SBTP in DepEd Region V (Bicol
Region). He shares his observations and the activities undertaken by
the following JOCV volunteers in SBTP. TETSU
YAMAGUCHI Tetsu demonstrates teaching skills in physics. He encourages teachers to comment on his lessons as a way of improving theirs. Tetsu conducted a survey on 150 teachers from different schools to gather their opinion on how SBTP could be improved. TAKAKO
MIYOSHI Takako is an elementary teacher in Japan. She is determined, patient and tries to motivate the students to study more. Her work in SBTP has enabled her to visit different schools to observe their teaching styles. She studied the daily lessons of these schools and made a report of her observations. JUNICHI
NAKATANI Jun is an elementary teacher who displays lots of energy and bright ideas. More than merely expressing his suggestions, he prefers doing and experimenting on them. As an advocate for equal education, Jun wants to focus more on helping the slow learners cope up with their lessons. NORIYUKI
IMAGIRE Nori specializes on Geometry. He shows his teaching skills on how to properly draw different figures and angles. He also wants to make Geometry more enjoyable to the students. KAN
MOTOYAMA Kan, given his Masteral Degree in Mathematics has done several demonstration lessons on mathematics as requested by teachers. MATSUYO
UTSUNOMIYA Matsuyo conducted an achievement test on science teachers to find out their strengths and weaknesses. She is teaching how to use the microscope as a tool for learning. TAKAFUSA
OKAMURA Taka makes sure that the SBTP participants learn things that would be useful for the teachers’ lessons, including suggestions on how to use local materials for simple experiments. RYOKO
TAKIGUCHI Ryoko,
an elementary teacher is keen to know what motivates the teachers to
teach more effectively and students to learn more. Korea
on my mind
I
left for Korea on September 14, full of apprehensions, as any first
time traveler would be. I had thought of many factors which I
perceived would make my Korean sojourn as surprising as that of a
jack-in-a-box. One of these: the weather. As the days went by, and I
had my daily routine all ironed out, I slowly got the hang of the
entire activity and proceeded to perform my duties as Local Language
instructor.
Together
with other 12 language teachers from other countries, I would share
our culture, traditions, and local language with the Korean Overseas
Volunteers Batch 17. The two-month training has two components: the
first was the language and culture and the other is volunteer
indoctrination.
In
the language and culture classes, we discussed eating habits (bagoong,
merienda, halu-halo), social and religious practices (fiesta, siesta
and other celebrations which we are world-renowned for), local art
(music and dances), economic situations and Filipino lifestyle in
general. Classes may be formal or informal, depending on the
situation in order to have a very interesting discussion. Education
cannot be confined in just the four corners of the classroom so
there were times when classes were held outdoors to stimulate
participation. I admit that teaching ten mature students with
different personalities became a challenge to my creativity.
The Korean government prepared a three-day guided tour for the
instructors in order to know the Korean culture and history. We
first visited Kyeong-ju, the capital of the Shilla dynasty of
ancient Korea. This place is a vast historical reservoir. We visited
temples, royal tombs, and other cultural heritage recognized by
UNESCO. We also got a glimpse of the car manufacturing, shipping and
steel industries of Korea when we toured Hyundai Heavy Industries,
Hyundai Car Manufacturing and Pohang Steel Corporation.
Touring
the countryside was an eye-opener for me. Korea is only 30% arable
flat land but the farmers use each tract wisely. These are planted
with green and leafy vegetables and harvested before the winter
season comes. There were no resources like trees, forestry,
minerals, farming and fishing and yet it became a member of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Koreans have enviable persistence and dedication to labor, working
six days a week at more than 12 hours daily. Their discipline and
incorruptible integrity are character strengths that have brought
Korea to the OECD status that it is enjoying.
As the end drew near, we prepared for the culminating program where
the students would present a comical skit. I could not help but feel
melodramatic for the imminent farewells I would be giving to my
fellow teachers who were my sounding-boards during the times that I
would feel homesick. My consolation was that I would be seeing my
students in twenty-days. I would be seeing Sean of few words,
mischievous Andy, talented Jim, fatherly Harry, cynical Tony, "Anak"
Owen, White, Tall Dany, Dog-lover Rusi and: Maganda" Dandelion
and Korea will be back on my mind again.
For
my parting words, I have nothing but appreciation to the Korean
government who took utmost care of the instructors especially for
the outstanding teaching facilities and equipment, excellent food
and deluxe accommodations, and their assistance to all of us during
times of need. Kumapsimnida!!!
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Before,
you hardly see the office open and no staff or volunteer is around to
attend to office duties, but things have changed since I arrived.
However, my allowance is being exhausted from taking care of everybody's
lunch! They are all local volunteers, which means they are not getting
paid. It would be hard to ask them to bring their own lunch because they
come from far villages and can hardly even provide food for their
families.
Twenty
year old Muhammad Rabiul Islam smiled when asked how Ric is treating
him. Ric Ontal, a Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) volunteer works as
Programme Management and Monitoring and Evaluation adviser to Uttaran, a
social development organization based at Satkhira, Bangladesh.
Bernadette
has five children, aged between 
Business
and social development are intrinsically connected . Business is
affected by poverty. Product consumption, purchasing power,
quality of manpower , labor stability and raw materials supply
chain are undoubtedly influenced by the level of economic liberty
a community enjoys. 
One
of these projects is the case of Figaro in Central Cordilleras.
Figaro is a model on what corporate-community partnership can achieve.
Figaro wants to establish its steady supply line of quality coffee
from the Cordilleras. But the farmers are not eager to produce
coffee because of its low
According
to Matthias, SCOPE has established a set of criteria for
SMEs to qualify for assistance. This include, among others, a good
reputation; external partners and good relations with the partners;
supply or labor and investment in the host communities in
form of basic services such as livelihood, potable water, electricity,
etc