Sunday 11th December marked the official unveiling of the Volunteer for the Visayans community centre in barangay Sto. Niño, Tacloban City. The centre, which will primarily serve as an outreach station for the children enrolled on VFV’s Dumpsite Project began construction in May 2011 thanks to a comprehensive outreach appeal which was facilitated through the use of the popular Causes application on Facebook.
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.
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