Sholing Philippines Project 2010 – 2016

What an amazing experience. The two weeks have flown by as i have had such a great time. I don’t really want to leave, but at the same time i think everybody is ready to go back home. I have been working really hard over the last few days. Taking children on field trips was not just fun for me but for the children, who were so exited. Thursday was a bit difficult as it decided to pour it down with rain in the afternoon. And considering the school doesn’t have a roof, it was a bit difficult to get back to work. Especially in the playground. It wasn’t just rain though. There was the loudest thunder i had ever herd and the odd flash of lighting. But It would be wrong to complain about the school after seeing the old one. Anyway, our last day is predicted to be very emotional, i don’t know how i’ll react. Also i have forgotten my facebook password so i may not be able to update any one. It doesn’t matter though, because no one can seem to get wi fi in the hotel anyway. Apart from this computer. Thank you every one for all your support. See you on Saturday. Gregory

Yesterday (Thursday) started with a 40 minute traffic jam on the way to school and ended with a Tropical storm which flooded the local streets to the point that little children were swimming down the road out side the school. It swelled the river by about 7 feet in a few hours and local children were diving in swimming out to forage for any decent rubbish that was washed down. We could not go on a planned visit the dump site, as Milly said it is inconceivable what the rain would have done to their homes and the mud outside them.

In true Filipino style they just got on with their lives as if the water did not exist and our students joined in with this spirit by sweeping up the flood water out of the school and playing a game of footie with the locals in rain like they have never seen or experienced before.

The Library decoration and mural is outstanding and it was a joy to see our students reading to the children after Lunch. The Wella room is installed decorated and cleaned, job done. The HE room is like a luxury bungalow with partitioned rooms, furniture a lovely decor of blue white and green, curtains to match and even cushions hand made by our students. When we arrived last week it was a shell of a room, no paint on the walls and no flooring, Job very well done.

The extension to the playground we put in last time is unbelievable. Mick was determined to make sure he used all his equipment and poles before he left. Even in the rain he led our students to their finest hour in monsoon type conditions, with a few of them staying to do over time. Job unbelievably well done.

The students continued to play with and teach the pupils for the rest of the day. You never saw anyone of our students without an armful of smiley Filipino children. What a team.

In half an hour I will wake them up for the last time and we will then begin our final day which will be very emotional as we say farewell. By the time you read this blog we will be having our last few hours in the mall and a final meal at the legend that is Mr Poons.

Finally from me it has been an honour to be part of this great team. The staff are remarkable, if I was still a head I would employ them all tomorrow (apart from Bezza of course who I never managed to get rid of). The students each and everyone of them are superb. thank you parents and others for your support and trusting us with your most precious possessions.

Hi this is my first blog there’s not much to do in the hotel so i thought this is the best time to write my first blog .Well today was our last working day and we finished painting the rainbow room which looks amazing we are very proud of what we’ve done the children were eager to come in the room and have a look. After that i tried to see as many children as i could and say my goodbye. I got alot of cards saying I love you and I will miss you ,found that very sweet and heartbreaking that we have to leave. I have become close to one little girl especially called maryan the same name as one of my closest friend and she better read this !!, the little girl is only 9 shes lovely adorable and is very clingy liturally the children like swinging on your arms but they love it so none minds 🙂 and so that was my day got back and got a drink called cobra its very addicting. I’m missing my friends from rowing and school and also my friends can’t wait to see everyone but also none of us want to leave this place we are needed here more than i am at home here even a smile can feel so great knowing that you made a little girl smile and that she can even when you know where they leave is heartbreaking and they can come to school and laugh have fun then go home then come back everyday. We take school for granted there school is there freedom from there home and maybe someday one day from the dumpsite every second counts here. It was raining and started flooding the school did the kids care.. no they play in the rain they do not care and to think what the rain do to there homes its hard to think about it il be back soon but i will and try to come back 🙂

Well I must start of by saying what an eventful week it has been, first of as i was entering the boat and my camera had fallen out so all my photos had gone!!!! 😦 however as a team they made me feel a lot better and Mick who I mention so much, is honestly one of the most unselfish blokes I have ever met and within an hour I had forgotten all about it. Moving on, monday was incredibly tough, some backbreaking stuff for me and Gregory to get our hands into, but it was well worth it looking at the playground now. Tuesday was for me a super day, the kids on the trip were so well behaved and the science museum was great for the kids. The park went down really well which in fact one of the games me and Zoe jointly made is being played in the school now, one thing which was just inspirational because, the meal at Jolibees was not all eaten by a couple of children because they wanted to save some for there families on the dump site. The Museum in the afternoon was energetic to say the least, once again though it was another success and I just feel sorry for the ones who had to clear the place up. Wednesday was in itself a repeat of tuesday : Science museum, park, then another museum, for me it went well but you could tell that the kids were al ot more emotional and it was sad to see people cry. Thursday was one very interesting day, it started looking great in the morning then all of a sudden you hear thunder and lightning and for about 45 minutes it continually rained, I even saw a couple of children who don’t go to the school swimming in it because there is no drainage system. Mick and some of the lads stayed being at the playground which is great, but if it wasn’t for the rain it would of been done by now. Tonight we are going to the mall for the last time but Wendy’s seems a great place for food tonight!

Liam

Feel free to comment

Thank you for your kind comments and your support for our project. We are getting towards the end with one day of work left and half a day of good byes before we start the long journey home. Tonight we had a very good meal at Mr Poons courtesy of Shakeila and Charlies choices. 15 students and 5 of our staff spent the day with the older pupils at the museums and came back buzzing with enthusiasm and excitement about the day. They according to Wilko had been great if a little tired, I think that is an understatement, of where we are at at this time in the project. We are at this point in time quite “Knackered”.

To understand why we are so tired you need to get a feel for what we are achieving and the circumstances in which these take place. The 3 field trips over the last 3 days have been amazing. each morning when we arrive at school around about 8-00, we are met by hundreds of excited children waiting to get on the coaches. Because they have never experienced anything like this before their enthusiasm and excitement continues throughout the day. The visit takes place in the center of one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world, with all its attendant problems of congestion and supervision. From just after 8-00 through to 4-00, your children, our students care and support these children in this environment. They do it with care, with support and with a passion for what they are doing. They arrive back at the hotel and without exception they say they loved it.

Meanwhile back in Tondo Mick the (deranged Irish man) is plotting to see how he can leave the last ounce of pleasure behind for these deserved kids. Wherever he can find a space he is determined to leave play equipment on it. We marvel at his work rate and we are praying for the time when there are no timbers, rope swings or slides left to install. But your sons and daughters keep up with him,no moans about blisters or fatigue just commitment. Digging holes pouring concrete shoveling sand, just sheer hard work.

In the library Helen and her team are working flat out to ensure that by the end of the day the mural which is about 60 foot long is complete, and by around 2-30 apart from finishing touches it is. The Wella Hair salon needed very heavy mirrors and posters fitted to the wall. It need extremely heavy hairdressing chairs fitted to the ground. Gemma, Tom, Charlie, Charlotte and Sam worked throughout the day to see that it happened and it did.

Mid morning break and we all go down to the 2nd playground to see the children playing on it for the first time. Now please remember that he brief was to install 1 ( I repeat 1 new playground) this morning we opened playground number two for business and they loved it. On the way back from this adventure Mick was approached by one of the local community leaders asking if he could do something for them. At this point we have to tie Mick to what remains of his timber to stop him heading off to do it. He is a legend, a human dynamo but your sons and daughters are right behind him.

We managed to make him settle on an extension to last years playground rather than a new one, and by 3-00 the holes were dug, the poles were in place and the concrete was poured.

Just to finish it all off those that had energy left had an impromptu game of volley ball with the locals for about half an hour before we set off for ‘home’ .

This whole experience is coming to a close, tomorrow night will be my last blog before we head for home. It has for me been “the trip of a lifetime part two” made so special mostly by your children.

Goodnight

Just to let you know there are more photos for you to see of what we have been up to – just go to the Photo section of this website, the latest ones are the Sat – Tue ones (photos of our weekend off and also of the Monday field trip that we took the Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students on). If you are wondering why there are photos of the boys teeing off it was a bizarre but unmissable opportunity to hit a golf ball into the enormous Taal volcano!

Prensa

very sorry mum, dad, and the rest of the family for not writing a blog for a week, as i have been very busy!

Last week i enjoyed spending the day in the new computer room helping and guiding the students on the computers. we helped them with there English on linguascope(a languages website). on Thursday it was manual work and helping on the first new playground. on Friday we cemented the playground in, which meant it was then completed by the end of the day !

on Saturday it was a mixture of emotions, the morning we had a nice lie in till nine o’clock then it was up and of to the old school on the dump site.It was horrible to see all the happy kids from the new school, dirty walking bare foot in the rubbish and mud scavenging to find valuable pieces of garbage. we had a tour of the old school and this is just simply indescribable. I cant put into words the conditions of it and how it could possibly ever of been a school. from the school it was then to Novortas which is the cemetery site, kids running around on crates and crates filled with dead bodies, people live in these crates along with the dead bodies. that morning i will never ever forget, i was simply shocked lost for words and astonished by there poor living conditions. it also made me feel lucky for what i have and appreciate were i live. in the afternoon we took a trip to Nomads and it was an after noon in the pool, from which i went from being emotional to happy within a matter of hours.

Sunday was a 6 o’clock wake and a trip to the volcano. the boat trip to the volcano was lush and very funny. the trip up the volcano was not to bad as it was quite cool.

Monday was the first field trip and it was absolutely brilliant! in the morning we visited the science museum, it was very impressive and the kids loved it, after the science center it was back to no mads for a full filled day of sports and swimming.

yesterday we started the second new playground which we started and finished by the end of the day. today was a fantastic day! it was back to the science museum and after that we went to to the park for jollibee lunch and played football and different games. then it was to a kids museum which was soooo good!! the most randomist thing ever! last couple days left:( dont want to leave!

No matter how many times you may visit The Philippines i don’t think you will get over how unbelievably welcome and friendly the people are here. Everywhere we go we are greeted with a warm reception; smiles, waves and ‘heys’. Even organizing a vollyball match with the locals resulted in a cheeky kiss on the cheek for Dan Buss…

Everyone’s been working really hard to complete the projects we’ve been involved in, we are now finishing off the final pieces and seem to always be ahead of schedule.

By far the most amazing part of this trip, for me, has to be my first meeting with a student of PCF that i made good friends with in 2010. Jingky is now 15 years old and taller than me (it’s not easy!). I was over the moon when she actually remembered my name and starting crying with happiness. It’s great to see how well she is getting on and how much The Philippines Community Fund Technical College has helped her. Being in her last year of the school her English is amazing, so its much easier to have a conversation. It makes all the hard work SO worth it when the children are so happy to see you all the time!

I am loving being back here and me and Mick have even considered hiding ourselves in the school somewhere and hoping no one will realise we haven’t returned on Saturday.

So proud to be part of The Sholing Philippines Project.

(miss you mummy xxxxx)

I’m not sure what today’s highlight was; –

We left on time at 7-30 with all pupils getting up on time ready to go. I have no doubt that this comes as no surprise to you parents that your offspring can get up at 6-00 am. shower, organize own breakfast and kit and refreshments for the day without any help and be in the right place at the right time by 7-00 in the morning.

After many group valentine hugs we got on the coach and had communal singing of love songs as we made our way through manila’s traffic.

The Library mural took shape and developed well in advance of where I thought it would be, Despite a 1.5 hour power cut. The outside mural was brought back to its former glory by lunch time. Mick reported by about lunch time that he was well on the way to completing the second play area. Matt and Sam shoveling concrete like navvies.

We decided to all go down and take a look. We spent half an hour of sheer delight with our students playing on the playground with the local children. Back to work in the afternoon and Louis ran in and said “Freeza you have just got to come and see this.” I suspected it involved Mick and I was not wrong. One of the big pieces of playground equipment we have shipped out is a slide. Now this is a full size playground steel slide weighing about half a tonne ( 6 big people needed to lift it at least). The task was to move this from the school to the playground site. Mick had decided to do this by “Bicycle” Not just any bike one of those locally constructed bicycles and “sidecar” designed to transport whole families shops or businesses.

It is difficult to describe the scene, you really do need to see the pictures of 6 crazy English people, and one deranged Irish man moving a half tonne slide on a bike through a crowded manila n slum.

The power cut slowed us down a bit but we painted in the dark and went beyond where I thought we would be by then end of the day.

The trip out was apparently brilliant almost 200 yr 4-5s moving off the dump site for possibly the first time and spending the day in the science museums with lunch in the park followed by games on grass. a really sunny day without any problem. Our students were described by Bezza as brilliant, a word he uses very sparingly.

Do not forget that they: with your support raised all the money to pay for this experience, a great day yet again’ give yourselves a pat on the back as you go to bed tonight for what you have done in helping your sons and daughters to get so far in such a short while.

Good night

The past two days here in Manila have been a truly wonderful experience as we have taken two groups of the PCF kids on field trips and been able to share in their joy and laughter as they experience things that the rest of us would simply take for granted such as swimming in a pool or playing on grass. These simple things just aren’t a part of these children’s every day lives and this in itself is a very humbling thought.

The projects back at the school are now close to completion and it really has been a priviledge to work with so many dedicated students and staff that we have as part of the team. The time here as gone in a flash, and in many ways it will be sad when its all over after a year of planning and preparation. On the other hand we will have so much to show for our short time here, and that after all is what really matters.

Jeffers