This week we worked in aquaponics by tilling soil and cultivating the plants for two hours every morning. A lot of the lettuce, radish, and onion seeds that we planted a few weeks ago have grown faster than I had expected. I have loved being able to see the results of our work in aquaponics these past few weeks, and I look forward to continuing this work for the last two weeks of this internship.
I began teaching English to five new Tuloy students from Eastern Summer, Philippines this week (one hour per day). Although I do not know to what extent, their lives were affected by the devastating Typhoon Yolanda. These fourteen-year-old kids are so sweet and so eager to learn, which makes our English sessions a lot of fun. They were somewhat shy because they are new to Tuloy and obviously do not know me very well yet, but I am sure they will open up more these next two weeks. We began working on greetings, dorm vocabulary, and chores this week so that the children can begin to learn English that they will use here at Tuloy. Thankfully, they know basic English already and understand new vocabulary words with simple explanations in English. A lot of our sessions, however, involve drawing and/or acting out words or phrases so that they can better retain the information and have fun while learning. I'm excited to see their progress these next couple weeks!
In dance this week, I began teaching their choreography for their show on July 11. Each group has one contemporary and one jazz piece. They are SO excited to perform for their friends at Tuloy, which makes them learn the movement quickly. Here in the Philippines, though, timing and scheduling are very tentative and a lack of communication is very common. I have found that many of my dance students often come late because they don't know what time they are supposed to be in class and/or have other scheduled activities at the same time. This will definitely be challenging as I begin teaching choreography because the students who miss one section of choreography will have to learn that material quickly in order for me to continue teaching more. Even with this challenge, I can't wait to continue teaching these four pieces to these talented and passionate students.
We conducted our last two Self Discovery Workshops on Wednesday and Friday for Voc-Tech programs of computer technology and welding. Both groups were very interactive and fun to teach. Each Voc-Tech program had their teacher present at the workshop. One of the greatest parts of these workshops was getting to hear these teachers speak to the students after the workshop. They shared personal stories of their pasts and gave the students encouragement to keep pushing toward their goals. Some of these teachers had lived in poverty just like the kids at Tuloy, and the students were probably able to connect with these stories so much. I have loved conducting these six Self Discovery Workshops and watching the students become so motivated and excited to follow their dreams.
On Tuesday, the Philippines military came to Tuloy to present the Pinoy Batang Bayani (Filipino Young Hero) ceremony. In this ceremony, the Tuloy staff/students and the military honored and welcomed ten new students to Tuloy. The military had sponsored these children from the Manuvu tribe to come to Tuloy to complete their studies by flying them from their province to Manila in a military plane. The Manuvu tribe is one of the poorest tribes in the Philippines, and it was a great honor for the military to give ten of their children a chance for a better future. Principal Jojo described how the children who had never seen a sink before were amazed by how the water could flow out of the faucet when they turned the knob. These kids are being exposed to so many new experiences, and I can't wait to see how God uses their time at Tuloy to help them and the people of their tribe.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Halfway Done…What?
My fourth week at Tuloy flew by. Actually, this whole internship experience has flown by. Wednesday marked the halfway point of my work at Tuloy, and I can't believe I only have 3 weeks left.
This past week Dylan and I worked in aquaponics again (pictured on the left). We did a lot of painting and planting outside. The heat and bugs are definitely frustrating at times. On Thursday, we had hundreds of tiny little bugs in our clothes after working… Although this has been hard to handle at times, I've learned to become more patient with these kind of things and remain joyful in my opportunity to serve in the aquaponics system.
We conducted two more Self-Discovery Workshops on Wednesday and Friday with new automotive and electrical students this week. The students were a lot of fun and we shared so many laughs as they made up cheers and completed art projects together. Although some of the kids on my teams were somewhat shy, all of them became increasingly more open with each other throughout the day. I enjoyed watching them bond as new classmates and friends so much.
We also worked on a powerpoint presentation that we will present on Monday, June 23 to Father Rocky, the founder and president of the Tuloy Foundation, and the Management Committee. This powerpoint consists of all of our statistical analyses from the interview of OJT students and graduates that we conducted on June 1, 2014. Many of our findings were positive. We found that Tuloy's high school education system prepares its students for their job interviews, jobs, and relationships with their coworkers to a similar extent as other high school equivalents. We also found that Tuloy's living conditions were rated significantly more comfortable than living conditions outside of Tuloy. Based on concerns or suggestions made by our interviewees, we will formulate future workshops like the Self-Discovery Workshop to better prepare students for their lives after Tuloy. Currently, we are considering future workshops that will help with interview skills, professionalism in the workplace, interpersonal skills, money management, and sexual education/ethics. After our meeting on Monday, I'm sure we will have even more ideas for future workshops that could benefit these children. I'm excited to see Tuloy progressing in such a big way so that it can better prepare these kids for their future.
Dance was a lot of fun this week. Both Group 1 and Group 2 had their first contemporary classes this week. I introduced "lifts" in their classes where they worked together to lift one person into the air. This was somewhat difficult at first because they refused to cooperate and follow instruction. After discussing the importance of safety with them, however, they began to listen more. This activity turned into a great way to teach discipline and teamwork with the kids.
This week, I also ordered screen-printed T-shirts for the dance kids to wear for their performance on July 11. I am so excited to donate these shirts to these kids so that they can have something to remember their experience in this dance clinic. Some of these kids only have one or two shirts, so this shirt will provide them with another shirt to wear, too. I can't wait to see them all in these shirts!
This upcoming week I will begin teaching English to a few new Tuloy kids whose lives were affected by typhoon Yolanda. I am nervous and a bit insecure about my abilities to teach English to students whose language I do not speak, but I am beyond excited to be able to show compassion and love to these kids who have been through something so tragic. I know this will be a great experience, and God's definitely going to use this for His glory. Prayers for this new task ahead are greatly appreciated!
In other news:
We adopted an adorable Golden Retriever puppy named Mango.
My dad, brother, and I saw the amazing Broadway show "STOMP" at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
…and my family will be reunited this upcoming week as my mom and sister move here to the Philippines. We can't wait to have them here!
It's been another great week in the Philippines.
This past week Dylan and I worked in aquaponics again (pictured on the left). We did a lot of painting and planting outside. The heat and bugs are definitely frustrating at times. On Thursday, we had hundreds of tiny little bugs in our clothes after working… Although this has been hard to handle at times, I've learned to become more patient with these kind of things and remain joyful in my opportunity to serve in the aquaponics system.
We conducted two more Self-Discovery Workshops on Wednesday and Friday with new automotive and electrical students this week. The students were a lot of fun and we shared so many laughs as they made up cheers and completed art projects together. Although some of the kids on my teams were somewhat shy, all of them became increasingly more open with each other throughout the day. I enjoyed watching them bond as new classmates and friends so much.
We also worked on a powerpoint presentation that we will present on Monday, June 23 to Father Rocky, the founder and president of the Tuloy Foundation, and the Management Committee. This powerpoint consists of all of our statistical analyses from the interview of OJT students and graduates that we conducted on June 1, 2014. Many of our findings were positive. We found that Tuloy's high school education system prepares its students for their job interviews, jobs, and relationships with their coworkers to a similar extent as other high school equivalents. We also found that Tuloy's living conditions were rated significantly more comfortable than living conditions outside of Tuloy. Based on concerns or suggestions made by our interviewees, we will formulate future workshops like the Self-Discovery Workshop to better prepare students for their lives after Tuloy. Currently, we are considering future workshops that will help with interview skills, professionalism in the workplace, interpersonal skills, money management, and sexual education/ethics. After our meeting on Monday, I'm sure we will have even more ideas for future workshops that could benefit these children. I'm excited to see Tuloy progressing in such a big way so that it can better prepare these kids for their future.
Dance was a lot of fun this week. Both Group 1 and Group 2 had their first contemporary classes this week. I introduced "lifts" in their classes where they worked together to lift one person into the air. This was somewhat difficult at first because they refused to cooperate and follow instruction. After discussing the importance of safety with them, however, they began to listen more. This activity turned into a great way to teach discipline and teamwork with the kids.
This week, I also ordered screen-printed T-shirts for the dance kids to wear for their performance on July 11. I am so excited to donate these shirts to these kids so that they can have something to remember their experience in this dance clinic. Some of these kids only have one or two shirts, so this shirt will provide them with another shirt to wear, too. I can't wait to see them all in these shirts!
This upcoming week I will begin teaching English to a few new Tuloy kids whose lives were affected by typhoon Yolanda. I am nervous and a bit insecure about my abilities to teach English to students whose language I do not speak, but I am beyond excited to be able to show compassion and love to these kids who have been through something so tragic. I know this will be a great experience, and God's definitely going to use this for His glory. Prayers for this new task ahead are greatly appreciated!
In other news:
We adopted an adorable Golden Retriever puppy named Mango.
My dad, brother, and I saw the amazing Broadway show "STOMP" at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
It's been another great week in the Philippines.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Week Three
Monday morning, Dylan and I began working in aquaponics. Tuloy has a huge aquaponics system on its campus that provides vegetables and fish for food. This system is self-sustaining because the fish produce nutrients for the plants and the plants produce nutrients for the fish. They also use composting, a breaking down of various biodegradable materials, to produce organic fertilizer for the plants. On Monday, we spent two hours planting onions, radishes, lettuce, and herbs in hanging pots. Many Tuloy kids also volunteer their time in aquaponics by planting, watering, painting, and so much more. It was amazing to see not only the amount of creative engineering that must have gone into building the aquaponics system here at Tuloy, but also the amount of handwork and dedication the people of Tuloy currently put into this system. After speaking with Father Rocky, we've learned that a lot of other organizations who have adopted aquaponics systems are simply in experimental phases. Because of the amount of volunteers that care so deeply about this organic system, Tuloy currently has one of the first fully developed and successful aquaponics systems. Here is just a glimpse of the aquaponics system at Tuloy:
I also began my dance clinic this week. I held auditions on Monday and Tuesday, which allowed me to choose twenty-five students for group one and twenty-four students for group two. Although both groups are fairly larger than I had intended them to be, I was super excited to accept all 49 of the students who auditioned. Each group will have four jazz classes and four contemporary classes throughout the clinic ending on July 11. At the end of the clinic, each group will perform one jazz piece and one contemporary piece in their final performance. I am super excited to be teaching these kids something I am so passionate about! They even left me a sweet message on the chalkboard:
This week we also held our first two workshops for incoming OJT students. Ms. Connie (our supervisor), Dylan, three other volunteers, and I acted as facilitators for the all-day workshops. We were each assigned a group of students in which we led different activities throughout the day. These activities helped them define who they were, what goals they had for their future, what values they want to live by, and how they can develop resilience when facing obstacles in their lives. I was amazed at how the kids in my group became increasingly more open throughout the day. Many of them were shy to share their thoughts at the beginning of the day, but were much more comfortable sharing their ideas at the end of the day.
One of the girls I spoke with truly touched my heart. She opened up to me about her fears of being alone because of the bad memories that came to her mind when she wasn't distracted by other people. I talked to her about some of my fears and how much God helped me during those times. We were able to talk to each other about the importance of prayer and seeking God when we are anxious or upset in quiet times. I was so proud of her for opening up to me and acknowledging her weaknesses. She left with a huge smile on her face and an eagerness to turn to the Lord. These kids have been through so much heartache and trouble that I cannot even begin to understand. Please pray that they will continue to seek the Lord, despite their fears and anxieties. They are all such special and inspirational kids!
During the workshop, the kids were asked to come up with a team name, team cheer, and group art project. The kids in my groups did not know each other before attending this workshop, so it was awesome to see how close they got by the end of the event through these activities. They were laughing and hugging like they had been friends for months as they said goodbye. Watching them work together as a team to create a team name, cheer, and art project was incredible, and I know they left with a new set of great friends. Here are some of the creative projects that my kids in team "Dream High" (culinary students) and team "YOLO" (dressmaking students) made during the workshops:
And completely separate from my internship, I began taking some amazing modern and ballet classes at Ballet Philippines...
I also began my dance clinic this week. I held auditions on Monday and Tuesday, which allowed me to choose twenty-five students for group one and twenty-four students for group two. Although both groups are fairly larger than I had intended them to be, I was super excited to accept all 49 of the students who auditioned. Each group will have four jazz classes and four contemporary classes throughout the clinic ending on July 11. At the end of the clinic, each group will perform one jazz piece and one contemporary piece in their final performance. I am super excited to be teaching these kids something I am so passionate about! They even left me a sweet message on the chalkboard:
I began my first jazz class for group one on Friday. I taught them a warm up and a few steps, but then gave them time to create their own dances in small groups. I was amazed at the talent these kids have in creating short dance pieces. At the end of class, I
had the students sit in a large circle. We went around the room and said our
name and one thing that we learned from class today. I told them that there
were no limits to what their answer could be. They could share one dance
technique, step, concept, value, or life lesson depending on what stood out to
them the most during class. They were all so open and fearless about their
responses, and almost all of them shared something that related to respect,
teamwork, or discipline. I was so proud of them for acknowledging these values
on their own, and I loved watching them intently listen to each other’s
responses. I led a prayer to close class, thanking God for the time we had to
dance and worship Him together. I'm so excited to see how God uses this dance clinic to not only teach them proper dance technique, but also teach them life lessons and values that they can hold onto for the rest of their lives.
This week we also held our first two workshops for incoming OJT students. Ms. Connie (our supervisor), Dylan, three other volunteers, and I acted as facilitators for the all-day workshops. We were each assigned a group of students in which we led different activities throughout the day. These activities helped them define who they were, what goals they had for their future, what values they want to live by, and how they can develop resilience when facing obstacles in their lives. I was amazed at how the kids in my group became increasingly more open throughout the day. Many of them were shy to share their thoughts at the beginning of the day, but were much more comfortable sharing their ideas at the end of the day.
One of the girls I spoke with truly touched my heart. She opened up to me about her fears of being alone because of the bad memories that came to her mind when she wasn't distracted by other people. I talked to her about some of my fears and how much God helped me during those times. We were able to talk to each other about the importance of prayer and seeking God when we are anxious or upset in quiet times. I was so proud of her for opening up to me and acknowledging her weaknesses. She left with a huge smile on her face and an eagerness to turn to the Lord. These kids have been through so much heartache and trouble that I cannot even begin to understand. Please pray that they will continue to seek the Lord, despite their fears and anxieties. They are all such special and inspirational kids!
During the workshop, the kids were asked to come up with a team name, team cheer, and group art project. The kids in my groups did not know each other before attending this workshop, so it was awesome to see how close they got by the end of the event through these activities. They were laughing and hugging like they had been friends for months as they said goodbye. Watching them work together as a team to create a team name, cheer, and art project was incredible, and I know they left with a new set of great friends. Here are some of the creative projects that my kids in team "Dream High" (culinary students) and team "YOLO" (dressmaking students) made during the workshops:
and I tried "halo-halo," a popular Filipino dessert, for the first time…
It was a great week!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Week Number Dalawa (Two)
This week was super busy, but a lot of fun. We finalized the guideline for future clinics and processed the interview results. We found that many people felt like the lacked patience and an ability to adjust to newer methods and techniques that they might not have been trained in before. We have not yet discussed workshops that we can develop from this data, but we will definitely be thinking about these things the next few weeks!
We've also been preparing a workshop titled "Self-Discovery" for incoming Voc-Tech students. We will facilitate this workshop for the next three weeks in six different groups for a total of 300 students. In this six hour workshop, we will be leading different activities for the students to look at how far they have come and how far they want to go. The students will be setting goals for themselves so that they can go into their Voc-Tech programs inspired and ready to grow. The workshop includes videos, discussions, art activities, and a "multiple-intelligences quiz" that helps them see their strengths. The first workshop will begin next week, so we had to organize the slideshow and logistics this week.
We were able to play with the kids during their free time for two hours each day again this week. During free time, the kids thought it would be fun to teach me so many different things in Tagalog. One of the things they like to say when something cool happens is "boom panes" which literally translates to "boom rotten"…I was very confused until I realized it was basically the same concept as when people say "that's sick" or "nasty" in English. We started yelling "BOOM PANES" every time someone made an impressive basketball shot. They think it's hilarious that some random American girl is yelling "boom panes" with them, and they laugh so much when I say it. I've also learned many other common sayings and words in Tagalog, and they love to quiz me to make sure that I am memorizing them. They also taught me the first part of a very popular Filipino song "Pusong Bato (Stone Heart)." They love singing it with me now that I know some of it.
In addition to learning some of the language, I've learned how to play some games that have been passed down in the Tuloy Foundation. They are all very complicated and creative, and I love watching them play so quickly. These kids are so smart! I see their intelligence in the way they describe things to me in English using their limited vocabulary, in the way they can so quickly play complicated games with each other, and in so many other areas. I also love how they find joy in so many little things. They have grown up with little to nothing…no video games, no TV, no computers. They find ways to have fun with each other in sports, games, dances, songs, and basically anything else. They are teaching me so much about finding joy in everything. I love it!
This week was a big week for soccer. Two brothers of the Philippines national team came to visit Tuloy on Thursday to support the kids and give them some encouragement. Phil and James Younghusband are super popular here, and the kids were so excited to have them. Tuloy has a soccer program that consists of about five boys' teams and one girls' team. Two of the boys' teams got to play with the Younghusband brothers and all of the other Tuloy kids got to watch. The brothers donated plaques to Tuloy, too! They are on the left and right sides, and Father Rocky, the founder and President of the Tuloy Foundation, is in the middle of the picture below.
All of the Tuloy teams also got to play in the "Havaianas Football Cup" at Alabang Country Club near Tuloy on Sunday, June 8 thanks to the benefactors that support soccer at Tuloy. It was a huge soccer tournament that lasted all day, and the kids played so well. I got to go cheer them on with my father and brother. Seeing them get to compete against these other teams was remarkable, and I know they were all so thankful to have this kind of opportunity. The girls' team even placed fourth in their division!
We've also been preparing a workshop titled "Self-Discovery" for incoming Voc-Tech students. We will facilitate this workshop for the next three weeks in six different groups for a total of 300 students. In this six hour workshop, we will be leading different activities for the students to look at how far they have come and how far they want to go. The students will be setting goals for themselves so that they can go into their Voc-Tech programs inspired and ready to grow. The workshop includes videos, discussions, art activities, and a "multiple-intelligences quiz" that helps them see their strengths. The first workshop will begin next week, so we had to organize the slideshow and logistics this week.
We were able to play with the kids during their free time for two hours each day again this week. During free time, the kids thought it would be fun to teach me so many different things in Tagalog. One of the things they like to say when something cool happens is "boom panes" which literally translates to "boom rotten"…I was very confused until I realized it was basically the same concept as when people say "that's sick" or "nasty" in English. We started yelling "BOOM PANES" every time someone made an impressive basketball shot. They think it's hilarious that some random American girl is yelling "boom panes" with them, and they laugh so much when I say it. I've also learned many other common sayings and words in Tagalog, and they love to quiz me to make sure that I am memorizing them. They also taught me the first part of a very popular Filipino song "Pusong Bato (Stone Heart)." They love singing it with me now that I know some of it.
In addition to learning some of the language, I've learned how to play some games that have been passed down in the Tuloy Foundation. They are all very complicated and creative, and I love watching them play so quickly. These kids are so smart! I see their intelligence in the way they describe things to me in English using their limited vocabulary, in the way they can so quickly play complicated games with each other, and in so many other areas. I also love how they find joy in so many little things. They have grown up with little to nothing…no video games, no TV, no computers. They find ways to have fun with each other in sports, games, dances, songs, and basically anything else. They are teaching me so much about finding joy in everything. I love it!
This week was a big week for soccer. Two brothers of the Philippines national team came to visit Tuloy on Thursday to support the kids and give them some encouragement. Phil and James Younghusband are super popular here, and the kids were so excited to have them. Tuloy has a soccer program that consists of about five boys' teams and one girls' team. Two of the boys' teams got to play with the Younghusband brothers and all of the other Tuloy kids got to watch. The brothers donated plaques to Tuloy, too! They are on the left and right sides, and Father Rocky, the founder and President of the Tuloy Foundation, is in the middle of the picture below.
All of the Tuloy teams also got to play in the "Havaianas Football Cup" at Alabang Country Club near Tuloy on Sunday, June 8 thanks to the benefactors that support soccer at Tuloy. It was a huge soccer tournament that lasted all day, and the kids played so well. I got to go cheer them on with my father and brother. Seeing them get to compete against these other teams was remarkable, and I know they were all so thankful to have this kind of opportunity. The girls' team even placed fourth in their division!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
My First Week at Tuloy
My first week at Tuloy was great! During our orientation on the first day, we met some of the volunteers and staff. We got a tour of the facility, which includes classrooms, a beautiful chapel where Catholic mass is held every morning, a gym with basketball courts and a stage, multiple gardens, an aquaponics system to generate organic lettuce and fish for food, a football field, and dormitories where the children sleep. They have plans to build a performing arts building on campus in the future where the children's dance, choir, and other performances can be held…how cool is that?!
We were also able to learn the details of Tuloy's education system. When students first enter Tuloy's school, they take a test that places them into one of five levels where they learn English, values, basic math and science skills, and some computer skills. After the students are ready, they begin Vocational Technical (Voc-Tech) training in either baking, culinary arts, computer science, air conditioning repair, automotive repair, or dressmaking. When students are ready to get hands-on experience in their particular field, they become OJT ("on the job training") students who interview for unpaid internships with different companies in the area. These OJT programs can sometimes become job opportunities for them later on. Regardless, they are great opportunities for them to gain experience.
I began working with Dylan, another intern from Duke University, on our first couple projects. Dylan and I worked on an interview form that OJT students and graduates could fill out. We wanted to see how Tuloy helped prepare them for their OJT experience, as well as how Tuloy could better prepare current Voc-Tech students. We developed questions that would give us details about the level of technical difficulty in their job-interviews, actual work, home life, and relationships with their coworkers. We then facilitated these interviews on Sunday, June 1 so that they could be processed and analyzed during our second week at Tuloy. From these interviews, we hope to develop workshops and programs that can better prepare current students for their future careers.
For our second project, we developed a guideline for future volunteers on constructing and implementing a sports or arts clinic. Dylan will be leading a five-week basketball clinic while I will be leading a five-week dance clinic beginning June 9. We developed a way to plan a daily and weekly schedule for a clinic and provided our own frameworks for dance and basketball as examples. This guideline will help future volunteers teach not only basic fundamentals in a particular sport/art form, but also values such as respect, teamwork, and perseverance that the children can apply to all areas of their life.
For the last two hours of each day, we played with the children during their free time. This first week was a chance for me to introduce myself to a lot of the kids. I am the worst with memorizing names, so I had the kids quiz me by running up to me each day and saying "What's my name???" Although I got many of them wrong the first few times, this definitely helped me. We all got a lot of laughs out of it, too! I was also able to play soccer, basketball, volleyball, and badminton with a lot of the kids. This was so much fun because even with the language barrier (although many of them can speak English fairly well), we could connect, laugh, and just have fun playing these sports.
What I found the most interesting about this first week was the level of respect these children give me. They are so well-behaved. They always address me as "Ate Kylie" which literally translates to "Big Sister Kylie," but is more like "Miss Kylie." They often grab my hand and place it on their forehead when they greet me, which is also a major sign of respect. Although I am so proud of them for being so polite, I worry that this level respect translates into something more. Unfortunately, Americans are seen as more wealthy, more fortunate, and just "better" overall in the eyes of most of these kids. Many of their first questions were, "Have you been to Hollywood?" and "Do you know any celebrities?" They also think that having light skin and blue/green eyes is miraculous. I know that in order to connect with them, I need to erase that stereotype from their minds and remind them that we are all children of God, defined by His love and grace…not by where we are from, the material things we own, the shade of our skin, or the color of our eyes.
We were also able to learn the details of Tuloy's education system. When students first enter Tuloy's school, they take a test that places them into one of five levels where they learn English, values, basic math and science skills, and some computer skills. After the students are ready, they begin Vocational Technical (Voc-Tech) training in either baking, culinary arts, computer science, air conditioning repair, automotive repair, or dressmaking. When students are ready to get hands-on experience in their particular field, they become OJT ("on the job training") students who interview for unpaid internships with different companies in the area. These OJT programs can sometimes become job opportunities for them later on. Regardless, they are great opportunities for them to gain experience.
I began working with Dylan, another intern from Duke University, on our first couple projects. Dylan and I worked on an interview form that OJT students and graduates could fill out. We wanted to see how Tuloy helped prepare them for their OJT experience, as well as how Tuloy could better prepare current Voc-Tech students. We developed questions that would give us details about the level of technical difficulty in their job-interviews, actual work, home life, and relationships with their coworkers. We then facilitated these interviews on Sunday, June 1 so that they could be processed and analyzed during our second week at Tuloy. From these interviews, we hope to develop workshops and programs that can better prepare current students for their future careers.
For our second project, we developed a guideline for future volunteers on constructing and implementing a sports or arts clinic. Dylan will be leading a five-week basketball clinic while I will be leading a five-week dance clinic beginning June 9. We developed a way to plan a daily and weekly schedule for a clinic and provided our own frameworks for dance and basketball as examples. This guideline will help future volunteers teach not only basic fundamentals in a particular sport/art form, but also values such as respect, teamwork, and perseverance that the children can apply to all areas of their life.
For the last two hours of each day, we played with the children during their free time. This first week was a chance for me to introduce myself to a lot of the kids. I am the worst with memorizing names, so I had the kids quiz me by running up to me each day and saying "What's my name???" Although I got many of them wrong the first few times, this definitely helped me. We all got a lot of laughs out of it, too! I was also able to play soccer, basketball, volleyball, and badminton with a lot of the kids. This was so much fun because even with the language barrier (although many of them can speak English fairly well), we could connect, laugh, and just have fun playing these sports.
What I found the most interesting about this first week was the level of respect these children give me. They are so well-behaved. They always address me as "Ate Kylie" which literally translates to "Big Sister Kylie," but is more like "Miss Kylie." They often grab my hand and place it on their forehead when they greet me, which is also a major sign of respect. Although I am so proud of them for being so polite, I worry that this level respect translates into something more. Unfortunately, Americans are seen as more wealthy, more fortunate, and just "better" overall in the eyes of most of these kids. Many of their first questions were, "Have you been to Hollywood?" and "Do you know any celebrities?" They also think that having light skin and blue/green eyes is miraculous. I know that in order to connect with them, I need to erase that stereotype from their minds and remind them that we are all children of God, defined by His love and grace…not by where we are from, the material things we own, the shade of our skin, or the color of our eyes.
"It's More Fun in the Philippines"
As most of you know, I am spending my summer break from school in the Philippines with my family. Right now I am living with my dad and brother, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my mom and sister later in June. I am completing a seven-week internship at the Tuloy Foundation, just ten minutes down the road from where we are living. The Tuloy Foundation is such a special home and school for homeless and/or orphaned children who want to set goals and aspirations for a better future. At Tuloy, I am working in the Special Projects Department, implementing a five-week dance program, and later teaching English classes. God is doing amazing things at this place! (Pictured below)
I apologize for the late start to this blog. I meant to start it two weeks ago when I began my internship, but…well…you know how those things are.
First of all, WOW. The Philippines is such a cool, exciting, and incredible country. Not even joking, "it's more fun in the Philippines" is basically their national motto. You can find it written on sides of airplanes, buildings, and basically anywhere else. Nine times out of ten, it's true! Filipinos have such fun and creative ways of celebrating holidays, which my family and I were able to experience this past Christmas and New Year's Eve. The beaches here are beautiful with crystal clear water and exciting things to do like zip-lining, tubing, jet skiing, karaoke, and so much more. Dancing and singing are super popular out here in the Philippines, too. My dad and I went to a restaurant that was literally called "Singing Chefs and Waiters" last weekend, and that's exactly what they did! The chefs and waiters all danced and sang around the tables as they served traditional Filipino food.
Speaking of the food… yum! So far my favorite dishes are pata (pork knuckles), chicken adobo, and gising gising (awake awake). All the different fruits here, especially the mangos, are also so good! To be completely honest, it took some time for my stomach to adjust to the food here, and I'm still not completely accustomed to all of it. I get to eat traditional Filipino food everyday for lunch at work, though, so I'm excited to try all of these new things! But don't worry, I'm still not adventurous enough to eat the street food (which is probably a good thing).
Although the Philippines has its perks, it has a couple downsides (just like any place would). The traffic can be so bad sometimes that it takes one hour to get somewhere that would normally take just twenty minutes. When you need something fixed in your house and the maintenance people say they'll be there within the next few days to fix it, don't expect them to come unless you call back five more times…and even then, they might not ever come. Sometimes the service at restaurants can be fairly slow, too (it took us three hours to eat dinner one night…and it was not because we ate slowly). Most Filipinos don't care about time. This shows that Filipinos can be extremely patient, unhurried, and relaxed-which are all great! On the other hand, it can also be frustrating when you are in a legitimate rush or need something done right away. Whenever someone in my family catches him or herself in this position of frustration, we say, "But hey, it's more fun in the Philippines!" (And honestly, most of the time these things we call "frustrating" aren't even really a big deal.)
The Philippines is also a third world country. Despite everevolving definitions, the concept of the third world serves to identify countries that suffer from high infant mortality, low economic development, high levels of poverty, low utilization of natural resources, and heavy dependence on industrialized nations. Unfortunately, poverty is the most obvious aspect of this in the Philippines. It's really painful to drive by huge, gorgeous houses, malls, and hotels one moment and then small, poor huts the next. Skinny, hungry, and possibly homeless/orphaned children play on the sides of the roads in many areas. Most of them have no shoes or proper clothing. Poverty is everywhere here. You can't ignore it.
There are many homeless shelters and orphanages in the Philippines, and praise God for each and every one of them. As I am working, I will obviously be focusing on Tuloy's specific impact on poverty in the Philippines throughout these next five-weeks. Tuloy's objectives are clearly implemented in the way it better prepares these children for their adult lives, and I am amazed at how far it has come and where it is headed. I can't wait to share my experiences with you all so that you can be just as excited about God's work in the Tuloy Foundation as I am! Thank you in advance for your prayers for the Philippines, the Tuloy Foundation, and specifically these wonderful kids that I've already come to love so much.
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