Volunteer for the Visayans (VFV) recently announced that they were looking for an international intern to join their team for a period of 12 months in order to assist with day-to-day operations and future developments of the non-profit, non-government organisation located in Tacloban City. Today, the organisation is currently accepting applications from its volunteer alumni network and fresh applicants who want to gain valuable international experience in the field of non-profit management and sustainable development.

The intern will work in all corners of the organisation, from aiding with the development and promotion of VFV’s Child Sponsorship Program to liaising VFV’s international partners and benefactors and helping to manage and improve VFV’s current on-ground operations in the Eastern Visayas.

VFV will provide accommodation and meals for the intern as well as a small stipend. This position is ideal for fresh graduates who are aiming to acquire international experience ahead of applying for employment. If you wish to acquire any further information on the position, please feel free to contact us.

Applicants can email their resumes and letters of application to chris@visayans.org. Application deadline is June 1, 2012.

For the second time I was placed at the RSCC orphanage, where my heart was effortlessly melted by the numerous adorable Filipino babies in the nursery. The vibrant happiness of the children, portrayed in such hard circumstances, showed me the resiliency and optimism that fills Filipino culture. My most notable experiences are, literally getting my hands and feet fully immersed in the VFV Build-A-Home Projects, in a rural farming community called Cangumbang. During my stay I was able to help complete three new Build-A-Home projects, it was unbelievable to be able to physically give families so much over such a short period of time. Even when it was pouring down rain or the area became flooded, construction of the homes continued. Not only did the community welcome the help of VFV staff and its volunteers, but the handfuls of children that lived in the area were dying to help us build too. Building the homes was such an amazing challenge filled with hard work and a generous amount of smiles. I never imagined my second trip to Tacloban could be so tremendously rewarding. I am so thankful to have formed a relationship with Volunteer for Visayans and to have had the opportunity to participate in all of the life changing projects they are constantly creating. I greatly look forward to returning yet again to the Philippines, as it seems near impossible for me to stay away. My blog site is http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/elsat/2/tpod.html

It therefore came as a great surprise and source of elevation for me when I learnt that the men and women from GMA’s Imbestigador had taken the opportunity to reach out VFV in order to assist them with the outreach to an eighty year old grandmother who is fondly referred to as Lola Cion.

When GMA‘s Imbestigador called VFV, they were put in contact with VFV’s Community Program Coordinator Wimwim Canayong who used some of the resources in VFV’s inventory to provide relief goods to Lola Cion and to also learn more about the elderly woman’s situation.

For those of you who didn’t catch the show, or for those of our friends living abroad who have problems with the language translation: Lola Cion is an elderly woman and carer to her three grandchildren aged 5, 7 and 10 years old. Despite her age, Lola Cion undertakes an immense number of chores looking after her grandchildren; which involves her collecting firewood from a small forest to use and sell for pocket money and tending to a small piece of ‘borrowed’ land in order to grow root crops. What is made even more challenging is the fact that Lola Cion lives on an extremely small island off the coast of Leyte which is accessible only by pump boat.

Since then, VFV have had an influx of well-wishers and local benefactors from around the Philippines who have pledged support to Lola Cion and her grandchildren. VFV hopes to further assess Lola Cion’s situation and provide services to both her and her children which will insure the acquisition of mainstream education for Lola Cion’s grandchildren and help sustainably improve the situation of the whole family. After the show aired on GMA, the sheer influx of emails from people wishing to pledge support to Lola Cion was outstanding and still strikes me a true indicator to the great spirit of the Filipino people.

With more than 300 individuals connected to VFV’s various outreach projects including its well established Child Sponsorship Program and Dumpsite Project the sheer workload at times can often be overwhelming. As a result VFV staff are so thankful to their international and local volunteers who are always close at hand to provide that extra bit of support.

Reflecting on 2011, it was one heck of a year, more build-a-home projects than ever before, a number of successfully implemented supplementary feeding projects, more children rehabilitated from the grim horrors of working inside the Tacloban city garbage dump, not to mention a whole number of other great achievements. I only hope, that 2012 can match, if not better the success the organization had in 2011 and we can only do that with the continued support of our fantastic volunteers, sponsors and donors. At the same time, I want to give specific credit to the fantastic staff at VFV who do such wonderful things for disadvantaged communities all year round!

Christopher Franks
Trustee
Volunteer for the Visayans, Inc

Since then, with the help of friends at the GoAbroad Foundation, VFV has raised over $5,000 in order to construct a venue which will enable a wide variety of outreach and enrichment activities to be conducted with the more than 40 enrolled children on VFV’s various Dumpsite Project initiatives. Aside from that, by the middle January of 2012, the centre will also serve as the venue for VFV’s 4th 6 month long supplementary feeding and nutritional awareness project which aims to provide daily healthy meals for malnourished infants between 3 and 6 years old whilst at the same time providing a variety of workshops and seminars to help promote the importance of healthy nutrition throughout the local community. This project will be effectively supported and led by individuals wishing to volunteer abroad in the Nutrition Public Health field, with particular man power support being rendered by a number of international academic institutes.

VFV Community Program Coordinator Wimwim Canayong cuts the ribbon to officially open in the centre.

The inauguration of the building was attended by VFV staff, the local priest, members of the local community, international volunteers, international sponsors and members of the local community council who all pitched in together in order to help beckon in the festive season by conducting a small but throughly enjoyable Christmas Party for all of the children on the project.

The day was made even more special when each child on the project received a Christmas gift courtesy of the diligent work from an anonymous donor and her family who helped supply each and every child on VFV projects with a gift in time for Christmas.

When asked, VFV Community Program Coordinator and founder of the Dumpsite Project Helena Claire “Wimwim” Canayong could barely control her emotions, stating that “No amount of words can describe how truly happy we are with our center which my kids fondly called ‘balay nga orange’ (the orange home)”. When asked about the project, Wimwim has been operating the project for a period of six years and has faced many challenges, setbacks and successes – the physical presence of the centre not only serves as a beacon of light for the local community but also a testament to what can be achieved through long periods of devotion and hard work.

The completion of the project beckons in a new era for Volunteer for the Visayans who hope to not only expand the development of their Dumpsite Project but who also hope to complete further community centers in similar remote barangays as a means of nurturing sustainable education and community development initiatives.

For those that gave money, who shared the dream or who put their sweat and hard work into the construction of the centre, we thank you all!

If you’d like to find out more about the Dumpsite Project and the ways in which you can help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

As a ‘far flung’ area, the children of Canggumbang are not as familiar with seeing foreigners as some of the other children on the Sponsorship Program are. However, for the last few months the children have seen more and more foreign volunteers entering the barangay as the VFV Build-A-Home Project expands to benefit the local community.

The barangay, which is extremely prone to flooding suffers almost every year as local rivers and streams overflow and flood into the neighbouring rice fields, causing both physical and economical devastation to a community which is already facing its fair share of socioeconomic issues.

In order to alleviate some of the damage caused to personal property during the rains, VFV has already assisted three families in the barangay through the construction of brand new houses which are raised by approximately four to five feet above the ground on sturdy concrete pillars. Through this innovation, the local families can seek refuge during floods and will be spared from the threat of damage to property.

Funding for the three Build-A-Home projects have originated from various sources; including private donations, donations from one of VFV’s international partner organisations and from funds siphoned through VFV’s unique social enterprising model. The houses, which are easily identifiable due to their bright fluorescent appearance cost between 80,000 to 100,000 PHP (approximately $2,000 USD) and will last the families for a number of years. In addition, the homes have also been provided with septics tanks and comfort rooms in order to improve local sanitation.

Project labor is obtained through the employment of local carpenters and paid labourers who are assisted by international volunteers, by providing additional support through the use of volunteers, the project is able to be completed quicker and reduces costs which allow for the purchase of higher quality materials. Whilst the houses are by no means anything like the houses from which our volunteers come from, volunteers leave satisfied upon witnessing the smiles of the family entering their new home for the first time.

As time goes on, VFV would like to address further houses in the community and is also considering the future development of a small community centre which can act as a daycare as well as an emergency relief shelter for other community members who fall victim to future floods.

VFV continues to be grateful for the kind and accommodating nature of the residents of barangay Canggumbang who make working the community so rewarding. If you’re an individual who is interested in funding a Build-A-Home Project, or you’d like to participate as a volunteer, please do not hesitate to contact us.

However before many people reach for their credit card or check book, they often like to explore the various different projects and schemes that are out there in order to be reassured that their money is going to a good cause and that they are supporting a project which is both responsible and sustainable.

Sponsoring a child is no different and there is absolutely no shortage of Child Sponsorship Programs that boast a multitude of services in a wide range of different developing nations.

In this article, I’d like to offer an insight to the Volunteer for the Visayans (VFV) Child Sponsorship Program so I may outline the various services and support networks that are offered to children and families enrolled on our program in the Philippines and the unique personal contact that is made between sponsor and child as well as the professional services offered by our experienced and friendly staff.

Resources for Education

Offering access to education is at the forefront of VFV’s mandate and is one of the major directives of the Child Sponsorship Program. By enrolling and keeping children active in school VFV can offer children the means to be the master’s of their own destiny and aim to use education as a means to eventually break the poverty cycle.

Every child who is sponsored through Volunteer for the Visayans is given the means to have all major academic costs handled by the organization (including enrollment fees and examinations fees). In many cases this is one of the major issues that prevents children from pursuing academic studies, in the case of large families some children have to sacrifice their opportunity to go to school so that a sibling may go in their stead. By providing these fees, VFV lightens the burdens for families suffering from socioeconomic hardships and allows children to develop their full potential.

In addition children are also provided with all of their necessary school supplies and partial provision of school uniform items. The reason this service is provided is because that is incredibly common for children in the Philippines to stop going to school because they do not have notebooks, pens, pencils and other stationery – after all, there’s little point in going to class if you’re not able to take notes. Outside of the Child Sponsorship Program, VFV have also devised projects such as the Adopt-A-School Project which aim to alleviate similar issues in remote rural schools in the Philippines.

Children on VFV’s Child Sponsorship Program are also provided with daily after-school tutorials which are facilitated by Volunteer for the Visayans staff, local volunteers and participants enrolled on VFV’s Volunteer Abroad Program. As well as this all of our children’s attendance and progress in school is closely monitored by VFV’ staff and shared with sponsors. If children begin to fall behind, VFV can maximize its additional support structures to offer one-on-one tutoring to further enhance the academic performance of every child.

Health

Every morning before school (and on the weekend), VFV sponsored children are provided with a nutritious and healthy breakfast to prepare them for the day ahead. These meals are regularly monitored by international volunteers participating on VFV’s Nutrition Public Health Project.

Aside from this, children are provided with daily multi-vitamins, offered a free medical health check every year by a licensed doctor and given the means to receive support during illness. By keeping children healthy and their stomachs filled, we reduce the likelihood of them having to miss school due to sickness and/or hunger.

Close Monitoring & Extra-Curricular Activities

VFV is lucky to have two full time members of staff who are able to provide frequent regular contact with both children, parents and sponsors. By having staff dedicated to the welfare of the children and the management of the program VFV is able to constantly evolve its services and offer children access to activities that they might not have been fortunate to have received outside of the program. Frequent regular contact with international volunteers, including excursions and games also allows our sponsored children to develop a strong command of the English language, a quality that will be a great benefit to them in later life.

Aside from this VFV staff and OJT social worker interns from Leyte Normal University are able to conduct such activities as character and confidence building sessions to not only further develop a child’s academic performance but to also mold appropriate social skills.

Build-A-Home & Other Projects

By being enrolled on the Child Sponsorship Program, disadvantaged families have the means to be recipients of VFV’s Build-A-Home Project; which requires absolutely no financial commitment from the sponsor (although donations will always be put to great use). When children are enrolled on the program, their house is ranked based on its condition. Those children living in unsafe, uncomfortable or unsanitary conditions will immediately be marked as potential targets for VFV Build-A-Home Projects which will result in either complete rebuilds or major renovations to the living conditions of the child and his family.

Aside from this, other projects that stem from VFV’s Community Program may also become available to a sponsored child’s parents or siblings. Examples of which include the Mothers Club which lends skills based training, livelihood development workshops and micro financing projects to local low income mothers, Supplementary Feeding which could provide a regular nutritious daily meal for a sponsored child’s infant siblings or even the Girls and Boys Club which provides peer bonding and counseling, skills training and character development for local adolescents.

Correspondence and Connection

Our children love writing letters to their sponsors and we attempt to send as much correspondence from our children to our sponsors as we can. Aside from this, we also encourage our sponsors to send letters to their sponsored children so that a unique relationship between child and sponsor can develop. At the same time, our local English speaking staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer the concerns and queries of sponsors. VFV takes pride in the personal relationship that develops between the sponsors and the organization and make regular online posts as well as Facebook posts to keep sponsors up to date on progress. VFV appreciates all feedback, comments and suggestions offered by sponsors and even communicates with sponsors to discuss possible new policies and services.

Our Staff

Leoma Godinez, a Registered Social Worker, is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Social Work at Leyte Normal University. During her Third year in College, she practiced Casework and Group Work in handling clients in DSWD Home for Girls where she was assigned. During her Fourth year, she completed her Community Immersion by being  assigned in Pastrana, Leyte under the supervision of the Municipal Social Welfare Officer wherein she practiced Community Organizing. She organized a Children’s Organization in the community and she conducted community surveys, orientation for the whole community about a certain legislation and also a Parent Effectiveness Seminar. Towards the end of her practicum, she helped the community where she was assigned, in coming up with a Community Development Plan, addressing the problems of the said community. Prior in working with Volunteer for the Visayans, she worked as an enumerator at Department of Social Welfare and Development. Leoma currently handles the role of Child Sponsorship Program Coordinator, overseeing the distribution of social welfare services of 144 children.

Crisel Macabare is a graduate from Leyte Normal University with a Bachelors Degree in Teaching. Prior to being appointed as Assistant Sponsorship Coordinator, Crisel was a local volunteer for VFV, working on both the Volunteer and Child Sponsorship Programs. Today, Crisel assists the Sponsorship Program in providing social welfare services for 144 disadvantaged children. Aside from this she is also responsible for coordinating the after-school tutorials for sponsored children in Bliss and assisting with facilitating communication with international child sponsors.

Price and Administrative Costs

VFV separates itself from other Child Sponsorship Program by deducting no administrative costs to cover the salaries and benefits of it’s employees. Due to the unique social enterprising model that is adopted by Volunteer for the Visayans.

This means that the whole of your $300 a year annual payment ($25 a month) will be used to provide the services for your sponsored child. If you’d like to find out more about sponsoring a child with Volunteer for the Visayans please feel free to contact us.

The building, which has been abandoned for many years is a total eye sore for the school and the nearby community, not to mention an immediate health and safety hazard for the local Elementary school children.

After being granted permission, VFV hopes to renovate the entire building in order to create two brand new classrooms for the school as well as creating a small community center and satellite office so that it may closely monitor and nurture more sustainable social welfare projects for the surrounding area.

“Going to the Philippines has been the greatest experience I have ever had.  It was fun, challenging, life-changing, exhilarating.  I could go on and on.  I am a twenty-one year old and had never traveled on my own or to the other side of the world for that matter.  It was such an adventure, and I met so many awesome people: the VFV staff, volunteers, and host families.  Filipinos are the most genuine people out there.  They really do care for you and make you feel at home.  Everyone looks out for one another.  My host family taught me that Filipinos live for today and don’t worry about tomorrow.  I’ve heard that many times, but they really live by it.

For four weeks I worked on a feeding project in a town about a 45-minute Jeepney ride away from Tacloban.  The project was brand new when I arrived, so I was more implementing the project rather than seeing results from the kids.  I talked to another volunteer three weeks after I was home though, and they are already making great improvements.  I have a forever place in my heart for these children.  After a couple of weeks there, I was already calling the kids by their name.  It was always a challenge to prepare a meal for 30 children on a limited budget and on one burner, but to watch the kids eating and loving a healthy meal was more than worth it.

I always had a blast going on my weekend trips with the other volunteers as well.  We traveled to different parts of Leyte, Biliran, and Samar, but the possibilities are endless with the Philippines’ 7,000 islands.  I saw and experienced so many things that I would have never had the opportunity if I had not gone on this trip: snorkeling, eating chicken feet and intestines, climbing and hiking, and waterfalls just to name a few.  I loved this trip and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make a difference and have an amazing time doing so.“

For many of the families that Volunteer for the Visayans (VFV) serve, the house of their dreams would be one where they escape the rain dripping in through the cracks in the ceiling, the kind that doesn’t shake in heavy winds and the kind that has a sanitary human waste disposal system – and that’s exactly what we are trying to give them!

Since January, VFV has invested in five build-a-home projects both in Tacloban City and in Palo, Leyte; providing safe, comfortable and sanitary living conditions to some of the families of children enrolled on our Child Sponsorship Program. These figures are something that we’re especially proud of as it marks the most Build-A-Home projects that we’ve ever been able to complete in a year – and it’s still only August!

Our latest project was implemented in Palo, Leyte,  a rural town just outside of Tacloban which last April was hit with some of the area’s worst flooding in more than one hundred years. This event caused crops to fail and significantly affected the livelihood of many rural families who are dependent on farming and agriculture as a means of achieving their regular income. In many cases, people’s houses had water running up to their knees causing major damage, discomfort and disruption to the regular everyday lives of the community. When our staff arrived on the scene, they were shocked and dismayed to see the levels of calamity that had been caused by the heavy rains and knew that many other houses would continue to be vulnerable from bad weather in the months and years to come.

After the flood waters resided, our staff  revisited the community and reviewed the current living conditions of our children in Palo and knew straight away that something had to be done if certain houses were going to survive another spell of Filipino bad weather. Whilst most of the houses were already raised, many of them were supported by flimsy bamboo supports that would be easily washed away in another spell of severe flooding. With this in mind, we targeted two high priority houses for immediate rebuild before the year was out.

Facilitating the use of our beloved local carpenter Tatay Dondoy, his motley crew of local laborers and international volunteers, VFV was able to build a brand new house for both families who had up until now been living in severely unfit living conditions; one of which did not even have such simple facilities as a comfort room (toilet). Both houses that were constructed were built upon a solid timber hard floor which was raised two to three feet off the ground by concrete pillars in order to keep the families safe from any future flood waters. On top of this, the building boasts strong wooden walls and a aluminum roof that will help keep the family bone dry during the wet season.

The second of the two projects was assisted by Arisa, one of our international volunteers from the United States who had chosen to participate on our Volunteer on a Construction Project. At the same time, the project was assisted by further volunteers such as Anyi, Tom, Sophy, Michelle, Amy and Dave who chose to pitch in and dedicate their extra time and energy.

By the time we left, both families had wide smiles on their faces, sure – the houses are by no means Buckingham Palace, but at least now both families no longer have to worry about the imminent collapse of their houses.

When asked, VFV Director Aldous B. Moro (who was constantly on hand to supervise both projects) expressed his sincerest thanks for the efforts of both the local carpenters, volunteers and international benefactors who worked diligently together to truly make a difference.

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If you’d like to find out more about volunteering in the Philippines or about our Build-A-Home Project, please do not hesitate to contact us.

“Dear parents, teachers, principals,

As a high school teacher, I have had the opportunity to live the VFV experience with eighteen of my grade 11 year students. In this letter of recommendation I will explain why this program is perfect for high school groups with regards to security, cultural exchange experience and quality of assistance during the stay. Finally I will recommend some links and resource to prepare your students well.

Regarding to security issues, this project offers many advantages for accompanying adults. First of all, the community is use to seeing foreigners and volunteers. They are very welcoming and we truly felt included in the community. We therefore feel very safe in the barangay (neighborhood). Tacloban is also a very safe town if teens follow the basic security rules, such as never leaving things unattended, coming back before dinner (~18:00), staying in small groups and making sure to get in the proper jeepney (bus). Walking around town, my students felt safe although they had to get used to being stared at. The city center is at perfect distance from the barangay; it is close enough to go during the day but less accessible during the night for teenagers.

It was very easy for my students to bond at the center. These kids are alert, curious and always ready to play educative games. Also, since my students became role models for them, my students naturally had to uphold a certain behavior in the community. This was very helpful for me as their supervisor. Last but not least, the community adopts a curfew: after 9pm, all underage kids in the community have to be with their parents/host families. Since the curfew is well respected in the community, my teenagers could not argue this rule and had to obey. This was a relief for me as their teacher as I knew I would be home by nine o’clock.

Culture wise, the system of host families is really the key of the success in this program. Living with families, my students were all very attached with their houseparents and they each lived a quality time with them. The food was delicious and the houseparents are used to having foreigners; they are hence capable to adjust to allergies and dietary restrictions. They always want to please their new children and also agreed to cook with them some of the local delicacies such as mango float and homemade peanut butter! We are very happy to say that no-one got sick during the whole stay as everyone was careful in the preparation of food. Those who had the chance to have apoy (grandparents) or siblings had a wonderful time playing with them and bringing them to the [community] center during the evening to see the hip hop dance classes.

The staff from the center are all amazing people. They are always ready to help and I was amazed with their availability: even when they are not working, staff members are always on call. As we were one of the first high school group to live this introduction to international cooperation internship, two staff members came to welcome us at the Manila airport. During the first week, they organized Waray Waray and Filipino culture classes, carried a small orientation tour of Tacloban City and did not forget the security and prevention speech. Everyone at the center is competent and you will be amazed at how the community center constructs the hearth of the neighborhood. VFV works with sponsored kids, but also with toddlers, with kids who dropped out of high school or who work in the dump-site. They also put in place a micro-credit system for mothers and help them to create their small businesses, they give hygiene and mothering classes, carry play time activities with under-school children and organize rice distribution events. The staff were always open to new ideas and were always ready to assist us in any way possible. They are extremely generous with their time and I owe them a lot.

As for tips and recommendations, I do recommend to prepare your students in advance. Other than team building seminars, it is important that teens be open minded and ready to take initiatives. This is the key to their success in this experience. Also they must also be prepared for the weather. Although it was not always so, we got 2 weeks of non-stop rain out of 4. I was glad that this did not discourage my students to carry on with their activities. I do recommend that you teach some basic Waray Waray. Even if most houseparents and kids speak English, this will help them integrate into the community and will be a good impression to everyone. Also if you plan on volunteering in an orphanage, this will be extremely useful as 4 – 5 year old’s often only speak Waray. I did the first 4 lessons of this website and my students found it very useful: http://waraylessons.bythehost32.com. As for the pronunciation, we made it sound a little Spanish and it worked fine.

To prepare them culturally, I recommend the following book, which is excellent and easy to read. I did leave a copy at the center. I had my students read most chapters and we carried on discussions. “Do’s and Don’t in the Philippines” by Maida Pineda, illustrates by Stephanie Bravo. You can buy it new ($30), used ($20) or even download it ($10).

Finally communicating with my principal and with parents was easy thanks to the wireless internet connection. Although it was sometimes interrupted because of the heavy rain, I was able to hold regular skype communication with my school and with parents. My students were also able to keep a blog http://phap2011.jimdo.com (in French) and were independent with their iPod for basic communication such as short email, facebook and even to call home. Although there are some desktop computers available, bringing three mini-laptop was useful as it gave us more freedom. I also recommend that each adult bring a cell phone and buy a local sim in Tacloban. I found this was convenient to coordinate or ask for help. It also allowed me some free time, while staying on call. Teen do not need cellphones however and it does give them a break (I left our two sims at the center before I left).

In conclusion, I would gladly return to Tacloban to work with VFV, alone or with another group of students. We all came back extremely happy with our experience and were very sad to leave. I did see a wonderful transformation in my student’s lives and we all learned a great deal. I would be happy to answer any questions.

Andréanne Michaud
High School Teacher, programme DéfiMonde
College Sainte-Anne-de-Lachine,
Montréal, Québec, Canada