Microscopes Donated

Dorinda Rife is a special school for the blind principal in Tucson, Arizona (USA). Her daughter Alexis, a marine biologist, is an environment volunteer in the Philippines.

This February, Dorinda visited her daughter in San Agustin, Romblon as Alexis is wrapping up her six-month volunteer program.

But Dorinda is no ordinary mother out on a simple visit. In Romblon, she donated a brand-new microscope to Carmen National High School-Annex, another to San Agustin National High School in Long Beach as well as science books to both schools.

She also donated school charts Sugod Elementary School and baseball equipment and charts to Cabolutan Elementary School, all in San Agustin.

“This is what I prayed for. We really need this. Thank you.” Carmen principal Patricia M Marquez said.

San Agustin principal Rommel F Mallorca for his part said, “This is one thing we wanted but never had.”

Both Dorinda and Alexis were touched by the school’s effusive words of gratitude.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers said that the country’s educational system is suffering its worst crisis in terms of teacher, classroom, textbook and desk shortages. ACT estimates that the national textbook shortages to be around 3.5 million. Imagine what a huge help the microscopes, books, equipment and charts are to the thousand of students in San Agustin.

Alexis is due to end her volunteer program on the 23rd of the month. She hopes to publish a book on the local marine ecology based on her six-month stint in Romblon.

We know where she got her volunteering spirit from, of course.

Former Volunteer Wins a Movie-Making Contest

Malcolm Trevena - a two-times former volunteer - has won a movie-making contest for the work he did in Uganda!  Check out the video here.

You might also want to check out Malcolm's volunteer experiences in the Philippines here and here.

Malcolm is due to volunteer in the Philippines (again!) in August 2008.  He plans to stay for two years and we can't wait to have him back!

Books and Education Supplies

Former CERV volunteer Richard Kastenschmidt of Wisconsin, USA revisited his beneficiary schools to donate books and education supplies. In March 2007, he spent two weeks in the school building and repair program installing exhaust fans and building cabinets for multimedia equipment earlier donated by volunteer Tracy Pillay of Australia.

Richard visited the Gold and Pinadama Yakap day care centers in Quezon City last January 19 to personally hand over his donations. It was his first time to actually meet the kids as it was the summer break when he first volunteered.

Later in the day, Richard met some members of the Samahan ng Kabataan ng Sitio Veterans (SKSV or the Youth Association of Sitio Veterans) who are now using the computer he donated. He also gave the students reference software to help them with their school work.

SKSV is a pioneering group of elementary and high school students who, instead of joining gangs, formed study groups and cultural troupes for performances in the Philippines and abroad. Their songs and skits on the harshness of Philippine social realities helped them secure grants for the construction of a library, clinic and day care center for their impoverished community.

Since March last year, Richard has also donated a laptop computer for CERV’s administrative tasks.
Richard is a driving teacher and an avid biker, often touring the American Rockies with his wife who also rides motorcycles. Richard hopes to come back to the Philippines in three years with wife Renee

Leaving the Philippines

Getting to the Philippines can be hard.  There are those pesky visa forms, immunization shots, airfares and deciding just which woolen coat to take.  (Hint: Take neither).

But, leaving the Philippines is even harder!

One of volunteers had to leave early due to health reasons.  His volunteer buddy sent him the following letter to let him know what he missed.

Be sure to check out Alan's photos of the farewell ceremony.

(and, yes.  Both Alan and Peter are cool with us publishing this letter!)

Hi Peter,
I was sorry to hear about your early departure and hope that it's working out well for you.

Well, there certainly were some "Honours" to do…!

We started at Gold Day Care Centre at 10:00am with an eager class full of children and parents with an hour wait for dignitaries from City Hall to arrive. This in itself was quite an event as it's not often that officials from the Social Services Department (it's not the Education Dept that runs day care) come visiting. So the hour long wait was spent being entertained by the children dancing and otherwise showing amazing patience.

So this honoured guest sat around inside while poor Vincent finished off the last of the outside wall on his own

At 11:00 the VIPs arrived and we were presented with framed certificates from the school parents, and another certificate from the Social Services Department . I was also presented with a lovely leaving scroll signed by all of the Parents. Raymund accepted the certificates on your behalf. Then to my horror I was given the microphone – but it was for a few words, not Karaoke..! Then more dancing entertainment from the children until the VIPs had to leave to visit another school nearby.

A dancing free-for-all ensued with most parents and students, from which there was no escape. A slap-up feast followed – two shifts, first for the adults then children, followed by a walk to the Pinadama Day Care Centre.

Here we started with some time-filling dancing before the children each lined up at the door to bring in a large cardboard letter to be stuck onto the blackboard. They slowly spelled out "THANK YOU SIR PETER & ALAN" a lovely gesture.

Next we sat in the guest of honour seats under the blackboard and listened to a traditional Farewell Song followed by two lovely dances, the first in traditional style, the other more modern. Some speeches, then lunch again. The hospitality and heartfelt gratitude was almost overwhelming.

I waited a while before sending this to you so that I could first get some photos up on the web. They are at www.flickr.com/photos/alanfry/sets

I hope you enjoy them as I'm sure they'll bring back the same warm memories for you as they do for me.

With best wishes
Regards
Alan