Sholing Philippines Project 2010 – 2016

Wow…

The first week was amazing! Seeing the children’s faces when we met them is definitely something we will never forget! Everyone is so friendly+kind here! The accommodation is really nice too, minus the two plates we smashed, the toilet overflowing and a fishy valentines present found at our door this morning!

The last couple of days have been hard work! Climbing the Taal volcano was a definite mission(thankyou so much to Kennard for the moral support and her many motivational speeches which she both gave us!) The saying “blood, sweat and tears” definatley summed up the day but was amazing once we reached the top. Green,Moore and Fagan all purchased a swaggy taal volcano top, we tried to haggle/barter with the woman but got to embarrassed and gave up…typical. Today we unloaded many many many many many many extremely heavy boxes and i can tell we will all ache tomorrow however feeling like a body builder right now.

The food is fab here(even for fussy eaters like us). Favorite meal so far is when we ate at wendys and 4 of us purchased a baconater burger which consisted of about 3 layers burger, plenty of cheese and of course the bacon, we also paid an extra 50 paysos=80p for our own baconater t-shirts which was definatley worth it #wedeservethis. Poons is fab eaten so much rice over the past few days.

Missing everyone at home so much but thoroughly looking forward to next week and have so many stories to tell already!

p.s we definatley win the best singers award for the coach journeys!

LOVE

DAZZLER ‘N’ LIV

The following is an apology by Ainslie’s Anecdote, Joe’s Journal and McCarthy’s Mickeytake. In a recent post, a fatal error was made. We foolishly listed the great hit “Don’t You Want Me” as being sung by Depeche Mode. Clearly, this was a technical fault as the song is evidently by The Human League. We apologise for any offence caused and realise the severity of our error.

Yours apologetically,

Jacob, Joe and Harry.

It’s the moment you have all been waiting for …. Our first post aha

Today was our hardest working day yet , starting with the unloading of a container that we had previously packed in the uk. But before that the fish incident occurred , I’ll leave sombody else to explain that one !

So the container .. We’ll a combination of roll mats and folding chairs falling on our heads as the supporting pallets were removed cautiously by dale and his Filipino Freinds. Down to the military like set up organised by the big man “Bezza” (mr berry to you) we managed to complete task one of the day in a jiffy.

After taking on water and a light snack each the hardy work force resumed their duties in 2 groups. Kennard and her painters and dale and his lifters. The roll mats and disaster relief materials were air lifted to the top floor using Konys (PCF school caretaker ) ingenious pulley system. Then came the boxs ….

After a group sort of the boxs into target age box material we set about the huge task of movement. The boxs needed to be moved from the bottom to the top floors. Not easy on a 4 story building with over 250 boxes.

After the successful negotiation of the boxes, we hit the music in celebration. After a short lived party, a few basketball shots and dales + micks rendition of “worlds greatest” the hit R-Kelly tune. We headed back to the work. With big songs like “hypest hype” by Chase and Status and the big 80s tune that is “Don’t you want me” by Depeche Mode we finished the final stint of painting and movement of school materials. It was all over and the men and woman were treated to a Gatorade ! We are currently waiting to leave to get some good proper poon inside of us !

That’s all from us (Harry , Joe/Joel , Jacob)

Quote of the day – “right I can confirm that’s a school in a bag” Dave Berry

Matt…
We have reached the end of our first week in the Philippines, and it has been a great success so far. It’s been really good to come back and see how everything has changed and progressed after 2 years since returning from the last project. the highlight so far for me would be going to see the play ground that we built in 2012 in Paradise Heights. After rumours, from an unreliable source (Mr.Berry), that the playground had been removed myself, Harry and Mrs.Rumsey went to see for ourselves. However, the playground was all still there and was showing evidence that it had been used.

Today was a demanding day of manual work. After unloading the shipping container in just over an hour, full of Aid relief, School in a bag and shoe boxes for the kids we then had to sort through all of it and pack it away into classrooms. Every member of the team worked hard throughout the today and we managed to complete all the work, and a bit of work for tomorrow as well. I’m looking forward to next week though as we take all of the children from the school out trips around Manila.

Jenson…
The first week here has been very interesting and has brought a mixture of emotions for all of us. Visiting the dump site was a very different experience to what I expected. Monday we started the project at the school which was great. The kids are so welcoming and thankful for the work that PCF do. It really makes you feel good inside helping such a meaningful cause. The food everywhere has been delightful so far and I wasn’t expecting it to be this good.

Wednesday evening we visited the Brit school where we had the opportunity to go swimming. A personal highlight of that was Mr.Dale’s diving school of excellence. it was nice to have a break from the work and relax. Yesterday we climbed the Taal Volcano, which was a challenging experience but was such a relief to get to the top. When we visited the school today it seemed very strange without the kids there as they make such an impact on the place. i can’t wait to go on the trips with them next week and get to know more of them.

we’re now off for our dinner at the ;legendary Mr.Poons

What a great day off, I think our students will remember Valentines day 2014 for a long time. Up at around 6-30 leave at 7-15. Breakfast on route of a Burger King or KFC. Within 2 hours we start to see rolling green fields and endless palm trees and small picturesque communities, which is what makes up large part of the Philippines. We arrive at the Taal lagoon with volcanic islands in the middle. Extremely beautiful scenery as we cross the lagoons on motorised canoes in groups of 6, great fun. On the island we meet lots of locals trying to sell us anything they can. I brought what I think is a rather stylish straw hat for £1.20 only to see the boys buying similar hats at the bartered price of £1-05 or 80 pesos.

We walk up to the rim of the Volcano in around 32 degrees to spectacular scenery and a great sense of achievement. Back down to the boats and the journey back. We had an evening meal in the Mall with some roses and doughnuts exchanged as tokens of affection. Loads of singing on the bus, loads of dancing anywhere they could just a great fun day. Tomorrow back to work at 8-00.

2 posts in a day, clearly not working hard enough!

Today was our ‘day off’ from working at the PCF school, and as already mentioned, we headed to the Taal volcano, the smallest in the world (so Mr Wilkinson tells me). If this constitutes a ‘small’ volcano, I would hate to see what a big one is like, as it took us over an hours trekking to reach the top. It was pretty tiring, but all the students made it to the top to have a look out over the most beautiful scenery, showing us a different side to the islands than we had seen in the Tondo dumpsites. In order to reach the volcano we had spent approx. 3 hours on a coach, as well as a 20 minute journey across the water on some fishing boats. This was great fun, and one of my highlights of the week, sitting on the front of the boat pretending I was a Pirate captian (but undoubtably looking more like Kate Winslet in Titanic).

Once we reached the island that the volcano was situated on, we then hiked to the top, where we had our group photo’s taken, and some off us had a go at smashing some golf balls into the volcano itself.

Back across the water, off on the coach and then time for a quick shower before valentines dates at the mall. I was lucky enough to have 7 valentines dates, as the teachers treated ourselves to a TGI Fridays. Mick continues to be the most popular man in Manila, buying vaentines chocolates for all the staff at the hotel, I don’t doubt he will have achieved national hero status by the time we leave. One week gone already, and it has absolutely flown by. Unloading the last container tomorrow, and painting the metal work, as this will need to be done when there are no PCF students about.

Hope you have all ‘battened down the hatches’ at home and are surviving what seems to be apocalyptic weather if the internet is to be believed. Sleep time now, walking up volcano’s certainly takes it out of you!!!

Mr D

i am having a great time and i love seeing all the childrens smiley faces everywhere i go! the kids are all so lovely and happy considering where they come from! we have visited the dump site where most of them live and it is so horrible to know that thats where they go home after school- it is so unsafe and unhealthy! the children where playing in the ‘pool’ which if we were to go in it we would have to go to hospital to get checked out after and they play in it everyday! it is just the childrens faces that get me through the hard work!
the best bit of the trip so far for me is when the children sing ,it is so emotional to hear it as they are soooo good- the best song was ‘we want to see Jesus lifted high’!
the hardest bit of the trip was seeing the dump site and at the end of the school day saying good bye to the kids knowing that is what they call home!
cant wait to see them all again and get the work done to see their faces!

Michelle Dawkins XX

Currently sat on the bus to the taal volcano (with better signal than in the hotel) and thought I’d update y’all thanks to the wonders of mobile telephone technology. Almost everyone as asleep by this point, having had a lengthy (and loud) high school musical sing along.

Music room team-Holly, Portia, Fran, Millie, Georgia, Miss Wallace, Mr Freeman
The orange and blue room now has beautiful musical instrument murals adorning it’s walls, including a massive 10 foot keyboard and a huge saxaphone drawn by Millie. Not an awful lot left to do to finish this room, which will undoubtably inspire the students to pick up an instrument and make some noise. Sorry PCF teachers!

Painting team-Connor, Ryan, Caitlin, George, Helena, Michelle, Michiela, Daisy, Miss Kennard, Mrs Rumsey
2 floors totally done, one half done and the top floor prepped and ready to be painted on Saturday. What used to look like the inside of a Mexican women’s prison now looks more like a school. Hooray!

Stage team-Shakila, Jenson, Will, Harry, Tom
A new project, started and completed in the one day, these guys made a wooden stage to go into the music room. Only the top to nail on and paint, and then it is finished.

Playground team-Matt, Jacob, Joe, Danielle, Mick, Mr Wilkinson.
As most of the playground was completed yesterday, the team spent the day sanding and staining the wooden posts that are to be used for a playground in Cebu, an area devastated by the typhoon earlier in the year.

LSA team-Olivia, Amy, Chloe, Amber, Helena, Keia, me.
We spent the day chatting and playing games with the older students to improve their (already very good) English. They also taught us some of their songs and games, which no doubt will find their way into some of my drama lessons when we get back. The afternoon class were the loudest of the day, my Filipino word of the day was ‘listen’! Also learned Malachi Balaka which means large frog. Obviously a useful everyday phrase….

We finished the day by having one of the older students sing to us. She had a beautiful voice, and it was a lovely way to end the day.

A nice relaxed evening at the Mall (with lots of valentine gift buying-there were an awful lot of ‘be mine’ crispy creme boxes going back into the Shalom!) and then Mr Poons, this time chosen by Jacob and Joe.

Nearly at the volcano now, so Mr D, signing out.

What another amazing day achieving yet again above our expectations. Is there something special about Sholing youth or is it just when they are away from home? Do they normally get up at 6-30 get themselves breakfasted equipped for the day and ready to set off promptly at 7-55? Do they normally work all day approx. 8 hours in challenging conditions without moaning?

Today 5 groups arrived at the school at around 8-30. The painting group of 8 working ahead of schedule on completely repainting around about 500 metres of corridor, 3 coats of paint having scrubbed sanded and washed down. We said it would take 6 days we have done 2/3 of it in 3.

The teaching assistants must get the record for making the most noise and having the most fun with children in a library in the history of the Philippines. It was so buzzing in there I struggled to get in to take a picture.

The fine art work on the music room is starting to look amazing. Orange and blue walls with beautiful musical instruments painted up to 6 foot high on to the walls and a 14 foot long snaking key board mural across 1 wall, exquisitely painted.

As for the playground maintenance team covered in dust and grime working in 30 degree sunlight having loads of fun but grafting like worker ants, and having a good laugh with a hose pipe at the same time.

And today a small team were asked by the head Anita to build a stage. So they did, an 8 foot by 4 foot with a step 1 foot high and strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast. Brilliantly constructed working with Tom in just 6 hours. I have no doubt if my next visit is 30 years ahead this stage will still be standing.

Having worked with Sholing young people for the last 14 years or so I know how good they can be. I know how proud you parents are of them but they are truly excelling themselves.

They do all this and in their spare time they play and dance and sing with the Filipino children who appreciate them so much.

Tomorrow we have a day off to see a little of the rural Philippines country side on a visit to the Taal Volcano. Back to work on Saturday and Sunday. Everyone of the students I have spoken to is loving it but missing home. We are almost half way through our adventure. This time next week we will be starting our last day. I know that we have many more adventures to go through and many emotions to deal with. It is a privilege to be a part of this adventure and work with these special young people.

.

Lost track of the day we’re on!

Time is going far too quickly, however I am loving every minute, the early morning calls!! I am very happy now to have found all of the children I were both close with in 2012, So I am very happy about this!! I cannot wait to give them their presents before I leave, I remember walking up to the school, feeling nervous thinking about whether people would remember me. But walking through all I could hear was my name!!! I have now managed to give gifts that I had kept from 2012 to Pamela and Jandel who I was unfortunately not able to say good bye to, but i have now managed to give them their gifts!! I have been enjoying Mr Poons, and going to the mall!! It is safe to say I have missed this all and so sad about how fast it is all going! I’ve been painting, teaching assisting and even spent today building a stage for the music room!!