Sholing Philippines Project 2010 – 2016

Hey all,
So this is my first blog since arriving in Tacloban. After an initial bumpy start getting here (metaphorically and literally- we had to divert our initial landing to the island of Cebu and when we did eventually land here, it wasn’t the smoothest of landings!) I am pleased to say that out group have settled in well here. Tacloban in itself is beautiful- think palm trees and sea views from all over the island. It is difficult to imagine how this little slice of paradise was so badly devastated just over 2 years ago by Typhoon Haiyan. On our first day here, we had a tour around the island and saw a range of sites which really impacted on us how awful this tragedy was. At one of the mass graves, I spoke to a man who asked us what our group were doing and it was really sad to find out how he had lost family members from the typhoon. It was particularly emotional to find out that his wife, had died of cancer as she was unable to receive the medical treated that she needed due to a lack of money and resources as result of the typhoon. This really hit home to everyone, the amount of people who lost their lives both directly and indirectly as a result of the event and the resilience of the Filipino people for the way in which they have rebuilt the island after this tragedy. It is amazing that as we visited various villages, people would come to greet us with such warmth and friendliness- sometimes as we saw dozens of smiling faces, it was easy to forget how much pain these people have gone through.
Since arriving in Tacloban, we have based ourselves both at the Tolosa School and the Lighthouse, a centre reaching out to the local community. I have spent the last 2 days at the Lighthouse and have found it very enjoyable. Yesterday morning and this afternoon, I got involved with a feeding programme in the local area. This afternoon’s programme was particularly busy as we had over 100 children from a local school come to get their meal for either themselves or their family. After we had finished dishing out the food, we got stuck into a range of games and songs with the children which was really good fun. When at the Lighthouse, I have also spent time painting the mural with Freezer and some of our students and helping out with various jobs around the site. Yesterday, myself and Michelle also sat in with the women during their Bible study. It was lovely to see these women from the community use the Lighthouse as a space where they can meet and support each other in whatever is going on in their lives. This was followed by an activity which we all really enjoyed- zumba! Most of us, whether we could dance or not, got involved with the class and it was a fantastic way to end the day!

That’s all from me for tonight!

Miss Lespierre 🙂

Hi All

A great day today lots of exciting projects to do. We set of at 7-00 ish in our air conditioned limo (jeepney) and got quickly into work loading playground equipment for the 2 nd play ground, putting the finishing touches to the 1 st playground. A group went out of the feeding programme morning and afternoon and had the most amazing experience seeing the real need for many families in the remote communities who have very little but welcome you with so much warmth and genuine affection. The group made an absolutely belting start on the mural reaching my target for the day by lunch time, but boy was it hot. The students loved the feeding programme and they made good progress on the 2nd playground. We finished the day by joining in with a Zumba class. There is video evidence of this and I do apologise in advance for my performance if any of you have the misfortune to see it.

It is hard to describe the impact of the typhoon yolanda on this community probably close to 23000 people killed in this area with a population of approx. 150000. 10 metres of tidal surge in areas where people were living in wooden shacks just 1 metre above sea level. Yesterday we climbed up on a ship that had been dumped in the centre of a small community 100s of metres from the sea. What is great about these people is that they are looking to the future in such a positive way. They appreciate every bit of help they are given. The number of times people shout to you in the street thank you for coming to our town to help of similar comments. The adults all want to shake your hand and the kids want to hold your hands it is a sheer joy to work in such a community.

For me the highlight is watching your sons and daughters coping and contributing so well. Every one I have spoken to already want to come back. The primary objective of a project like this is to offer them a life changing experience and without exception they will say that is what they are getting.

7-00 start tomorrow similar programme to today but with the students rotating so they all get a varied experience. Looking forward to another lovely day.

Good night

Magandang Gabi! Today was a long one with a 7am start for some of us. We’ve only got the one minibus to ferry us back and forth to the school, so can only take 20 at a time. The first half of us got to the lighthouse just before 8, for some egg on toast and pineapple slices, yum! We then set about putting the finishing touches to the playground the advance team had build and prepping the stuff to take to the second site in Talosa. In the meantime the bus had returned with the remaining 20 passengers who had some brekkie themselves before joining us. We would have a number of things going on today, Miss Lespierre and Mrs Jeffery along with about 20 students (in 2 lots of 10) were going to help with one of the feeding program’s the lighthouse runs, while Wilko and Freezer had a team preparing and starting a second mural. Myself and the 2 Micks took a team to the second site at about 11 and commenced digging. Within a few hours the small field which we were working on looked like a scene from the movie Holes, with about 15 holes (some upto a meter deep) dug into the ground. Particular credit to Holly, who was the only girl, and Will/Ben/Neill who worked hard to keep up with the older boys (and old men). The playground was lovely to dig in by comparison to PCF and The lighthouse, being essentially beach sand, so very easy the get through. The main problem we had though was the holes collapsing due to the sand. Aside from stopping for lunch (which bizarrely included sweet corn panacotta) we took many breaks because the sun was blister only hot, and there is limited shade at the school. To be honest, there is limited everything, as the school is still being rebuilt, so is mostly just a shell with students learning in temporary classrooms out the back.

We left the site at about 4 and returned to pick up some of the team at the lighthouse, only to find the entire group (including Miss Lespierre as Freeza) joining in with a Zumba session!

Back to the hotel and a quick trip to the shop and laundrette (which we can pick up bucas harpon – tomorrow afternoon) before dinner, a buffet at the hotel. Time for a quick swim on the rooftop pool for some of the students after dinner before bed at 10. Another early start and busy day tomorrow, but looking forward to turning some of the holes into the makings of a playground.

Here’s some of my pics of the brilliant playground at The Lighthouse that the advance party built last week, and some of the group put the finishing touches to today. A group have worked with Mick and Daleo down at Tolosa building the second playground, and another group have worked with Freeza painting a new mural by the basketball court at the Lighthouse. Most students went out on a feeding programme today providing food to some of the most needy. Some worked in the pre-school, and I think that’s it! The day finished with Zumba – one of the programmes the Lighthouse runs for the local community.

Today we had our first day of work in Tacloban, and it was really hot. However we all enjoyed it because we all got to do different things. Today was one of the hottest days whilst we have been here, most of us now have funny looking tan lines. In the morning we helped load play equipment on a lorry and clean up everywhere also we cleaned and painted the mural. In the afternoon we went with the charity to feed the families in small unfortunate communities and it showed us how desperate people were for food. Whilst we were there we sand and danced with the kids. Driving away, all the children ran after the bus screaming and waving. This was amazing to see as it showed how much our little visit changed their day.
Speak soon

A thought provoking day visiting many of the remaining places in Tacloban where evidence of Typhoon Haiyan are still visible – from ruined buildings to mass graves and ships washed ashore. We also visited the site of General MacArthur’s second landing in Tacloban.

Hi all

It is very late on Sunday evening I have just managed to get a reasonable access to the internet it is not good here in Tacloban. We had an eventful journey here with a short diversion to Cebu due to a tropical storm. We eventually arrived well after 12-00 so to bed as quickly as possible in this lovely hotel

Up at 6-30 for a 7-30 departure to the lighthouse centre for a breakfast of Eggy bread and scrambled egg most welcome after a day of airport snacks yesterday. This area is lovely very green and fertile but very heavy rain this morning. We have had a great day today with a tour of the area showing the typhoon Yolanda and its after effects. 23,000 local people died in a 4 hour storm and its aftermath. We have visited mass graves and seen the buildings still totally wrecked almost 3 years on. We climbed all over an ocean going ship which was one of 11 carried some distance in land by the 10 metre tidal wave that followed the typhoon

The transformation has been amazing but there is still so much to do. Tomorrow our students will go into small villages and help with the feeding programme which will be emotional. We will start the 2nd playground as the advance party has almost finished the first one. We will start a mural to show how the area has become transformed and some of our students will be working with the pre school and mothers groups here at the clinic. We visited some local communities today and as ever hey greeted us with friendship and warmth. I think this 2nd week is going to be every much as good as the first. Time for bed can’t wait to see our week develop.

Good night

After the fun and games of yesterday, I didn’t quite manage to get a blog up last night, another double bumper edition tonight. We started yesterday with a nice leisurely 10am get up, with rooms needing to be cleared by 12. We managed to cram in everything, plus the extra sports equipment, and somehow keep all bags below 15kg. Onto the mall for a few hours (and learning my daily Tagalog from the waitress at ‘Creole Louie’s’ restaurant-today Paki sue yu nang sprite, meaning can I please have a sprite). We then headed to the airport for what was about to become the start of a 10 hour commute. At the airport we found our flight delayed, initially by 2 hours, then 4, then 6. We went through to the departure lounge only to find there was not much there, and what did exist was either closed or virtually empty. We eventually boarded at about 7.30, 2 hours earlier than the delayed eta. However what we hadn’t banked on was the weather, which was sufficiently bad that we were unable to land at Tacloban airport. Instead we made the 15 minute extra journey to Cebu international for refuelling. We then made another attempt and this time was successful, landing at just before midnight. We then picked up out luggage and headed to the Alejandro. The hotel is lovely (Wilko and I have somehow manage to get the best room in the building) and we were all in rooms and tucked up in bed by 1.

Just as well as we had an early start today, leaving at 7 for a tour of tacloban. The tour took us via the lighthouse where the advanced team have been building a playground this week, and we met some of the people involved in the Project. We then went to a number of important places in Taclobans history, including the site of Douglas MacArthur’s landing (Jeffers and me got all history geeky about this) a Korean War memorial, and several mass graves following the typhoon Hayan in 2013. I remember when it happened seeing all the footage on the news, but the sheer scale of the distraction is incredible. It seems the whole island was virtually destroyed by the largest storm to ever be recorded on land. We visited 2 huge boats that had been washed miles inland and since been made into memorials, as well as various other sights of destruction and rebuild.

To split up the Hayan related sightseeing, we also climbed a huge hill which gave us an amazing panoramic view of most of the island. We also stopped for lunch at the most idyllic mountaintop restaurant, complete with masses of Italian food and a pool to paddle in. I pity the poor couples who had gone up their looking for a quiet valentines day, only to be met by a 40 strong English school group!

After seeing a few more memorials and mass graves, which further gave poignance to just why we are here, we headed to Robinsons mall for a spot of shopping. Unsurprisingly, it is much smaller than it’s Manila based counterpart and an hour was plenty enough time to get all the necessities (and some Dunkin doughnuts). Evening meeting and choosing of tasks for tomorrow, with students either out building the second playground in Tolosa, helping with the feeding project at the Lighthouse, or painting a second mural, also at the lighthouse. I shall leave you all with today’s Tagalog, Arow nang malla puso (Happy Valentines day).

Pleased to say that we’ve finally arrived and installed ourselves in Tacloban – the journey was long, and involved an unexpected stop in Cebu due to bad weather in Tacloban, but we finally made it. It’s now 1am, and the group need to be up and out at 7:15 so hopefully everyone will get some sleep now!

Philippines Project 2016.

There are no words to explain the build up to this project, even after being apart of the project back in 2012 and again in 2014. I woke up ready to go at 7am, and anxiously ran through my hand luggage double checking I had everything I needed before I needed to leave, I got ready and was ready to leave at 8:20 (little did I know that I was meant to be at school ready at 7:45) when I got a phone call from Holly saying that I needed to hurry….. As I eventually arrived at 8:25 with everyone cheering me on to get on the coach…

Coach trip done and we’ve now arrived at Heathrow expecting the arrival of Mick Mick, Ginger Mick and Bezza! Now we are on our way through customs before waiting to start our long flight to Abu Dhabi where myself and Fagan decided it was time to make a McDonalds pitstop and get ourselves a Chicken Big Mac as you can’t get these in England!! We then made our way onto the plane!

Finally after another 8 hour plane journey full of discomfort and lack of sleep we then made it to the Philippines and collected our bags before making our way to the coach and then onto the shalom!

We started off on Sunday arriving at the school where they had their weekly church service! We were welcomed by everyone to join in on the service and even sing for them all. I also made a small speech to explain why we were there.

As soon as I walked in i heard ‘ate shakila’ and I turned around and it was a group of child who I have met previously in 2012 and in 2014. There are no words to explain how happy it makes you feel to understand that children who have so much going on in there life and so many new visitors in there school and so many different people that they meet for them to then remember you after not seeing or speaking to you for 2 years. It is a feeling that I cannot even begin to describe but a feeling that makes me return each time the project is run.

Monday was the field trip for grades 1,2 and 3 but I was working at the school starting the groundwork for the muriel.

Tuesday was the field trip for grades 4, 5 and 6 which is where I met my sponsor child who approached me and said ‘Hello Ate Shakila you are my sponsor and thank you so much for your kindness’.

Wednesday was field trip again to the Mind Museum and Art in Island but with grades 7, 8 and 9 which is where I met again with Mary Blessie, Mary Grace and Genalyn and I spent the whole day with them which was lovely as it was just like it was again 2 years ago in 2014!!

Thursday was a busy day back at school where myself Fagan, Jeffers, Wilko and Switz got started on painting the new and improved ‘Care Center’ blue and yellow which is where the children will go to for one to one and normal counselling sessions.

Friday was the final day, which never gets easier even after you’ve left 2 times previously! They threw an absolutely beautiful send off show which brought myself to tears. Saying goodbye to these children never gets easier! They all wrote beautiful letters which said never forget me and I miss you! One girl – Princess burst into tears and wouldn’t let go as she really didn’t want me to leave! Saying goodbye to Mary Blessie and Mary Grace and Pamela and Romina was just as hard with all of us crying!

This Project and the visit and the interaction with these kids and the general experience is one I have done now three times and I still wouldn’t even need to think about re applying if given another opportunity! It is an experience I personally will never forget and easily gets better every single year, and I cannot thank everyone who organises this project enough for the way it has changed me as a person and to create relationships with the children that I have which are full of memories I will cherish forever…it’s an emotional experience but like I said to the children ‘don’t cry because it’s over smile because it’s happened’💘

Now that’s week one done at a fast pace and I can honestly say I’m excited to make my way over to Tacloban and start a whole new experience that none of us done before!