January/February Newsletter

Meaningful Volunteer welcomes Meran Chang to the team

Meaningful Volunteer is delighted to announce the appointment of Meran Chang as the new Volunteer Coordinator for Meaningful Volunteer.

We were overwhelmed at the number of responses we got for this position!  So many wonderful and capable people applied for this job.  It was a tough task choosing the best applicant, but Meran's positive attitude, her experience in Africa and Asia, and her professionalism saw her rise to the top.

Meran will guide people from their hesitant first steps ("I want to volunteer, but don't know how."), to empowered volunteers making a meaningful difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

Here's a quick word form Meran herself:

Hello to all Meaningful Volunteer supporters!

Since Meaningful Volunteer first formed in 2008, I have been closely followed the organization and the great work the staff and volunteers have accomplished.  Since then, I been amazed over and over again by the real change MV brings to the communities it serves.  I am very excited to serve as the new Volunteer Coordinator and am happy to help grow Meaningful Volunteer.

Training Days II

Meaningful Volunteer recently conducted training on Natural Family Planning at the San Augustin Training Center. Ms. Mitos Rivera of International Reproductive Health (IRH) was invited to conduct the said event.

The event was part of Meaningful Volunteer's Project Lifecycle program which aims to put cheap and affordable contraceptives in the hands of rural Filipinas.  

The objective of this seminar is to educate the Barangay Health Workers (BHW) on the SDM (Standard Days Method) Beads as a natural method of family planning to a level where they feel confident to help educate others.  Each BHW will receive certification and access to further support services.

A total of forty one (41) BHWs were trained. They came from the barangays of Poblacion, Dona Juana, Binongaan, Lusong, and Cagboaya. Alicia Grant, a volunteer from Australia did the preparation and realization of the activity.

Photos from the event can be found here.

This is the second such training event that Meaningful Volunteer has conducted.  See here for the details of the first training.

Sexual Health Survey Results Released

A Sexual Health Survey was recently completed by Meaningful Volunteer as part of its Project Lifecycle initiative.  The results can be downloaded here.

The survey focused on family planning trends and contraception awareness of the local woman of various barangays (villages) on the island of Tablas in the Romblon province.  The barangays targeted were: Dona Juana, Binongaan, Lusong, Cagboaya, and Dubduban .

The local health care workers were trained for the distribution of the surveys to ensure an accurate accumulation of data without too many outside variables. Each Health Care Worker performed a mock interview with Eden Navia the district manager of Meaningful Volunteer to ensure the questions were asked correctly and that all relevant information would be gathered.

The surveys were conducted randomly throughout several villages to a wide range of women; ensuring accurate statistics could be produced.

The surveys were gathered, the results helping to determine efficient distribution and effectiveness of the SDM beads natural family planning method.

The follow-up interviews were made with the previously trained Health Care Workers, to test them regarding their knowledge of the SDM beads, offer revised information and answer any questions they may have come across during their implementation of the family planning method in their own villages.

Full training in the use of the SDM method was given to the healthcare workers at a late date.

Meaningful Volunteer (www.meaningfulvolunteer.org) is a 100% non-profit volunteer placement organization.  It has successfully set up in the Philippines and has recently expanded into the parish of Buyaya in the Sironko district in eastern Uganda. 

Various projects have been implemented in the Philippines such as the RYE School, School Building, Project Mangrove, the Meaningful Shop, and Project Lifecycle. 

Project Lifecycle aims to provide couples of the island of Tablas in the Romblon Province of the Philippines with a cheap contraceptive method that works within the region's religious norms.

Many female Filipinas are denied basic family planning services due to financial difficulties, lack of education and religious choices.  Meaningful Volunteer started Project Lifecycle to give Filipinas access to a 100% natural, cheap contraceptive method.

The Cycle Beads are based on the SDM (Standard Days Method) of birth control.  It was developed by Georgetown University based in Washington D.C.  Click here for more information.

Cycle Beads help to reduce the average family size.  The smaller family size you have, the more money you have for things such as food and education.  Poverty goes down as family size goes down. The Cycle Beads are 95% effective if used correctly.

The necklace has a small rubber ring that is moved around the necklace one day at a time.  The rubber ring starts on the first day of the women's menstrual cycle.  If the woman has sex on the "brown bead" days, then she will almost certainly not get pregnant. 

Grassroots Uganda representing in Korea

The Wild Women’s Performing Arts Festival is a regular event in Korea to raise more money for the Korean Women’s Association United! This year the event took place on Saturday February 27th as part of the run-up to International Women’s Day on March 8th. The night will featured a fresh list of performers, poets and dancers, as well as a silent photography auction, raffle and much more! 

Grassroots Uganda - part of the Meaningful Shop initiative - had a booth at this years event raise about $US900 for our wonderful ladies in Uganda!

Malcolm Trevena also gave a talk about the Project Lifecycle - Meaningful Volunteer's fertility program on the island of Romblon in the Philippines.  Project Lifecycle focuses on getting a 100% natural family planning method in the hands of local people who are denied modern contraception due to religious norms and financial reasons.

Project Lifecyle Featured on IRH Home Page

The Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH) is based at Georgetown University and is the create of the SDM method - the natural family planing method used by Meaningful Volunteer as part of its Project Lifecycle program.

The recent sexual health survey that Meaningful Volunteer released and the work that has been done has been featured on the IRH homepage.  Check it out here.

Meaningful Volunteers Representing on International Women's Day

March the 8th marks (the 99th!) International Women's day.  Meaningful Volunteer has always been a strong supporter of women's rights through initiatives such as hundred or so ladies who earn money through the Meaningful Shop, and the dozens of female health volunteers who have been trained through the Project Lifecycle program (see here and here).

On International Women's Day, Meaningful Volunteer has three wonderful female volunteers representing on the island of Romblon in the Philippines.  One is working with the Payawpao Orchids to expand the Meaningful Shop program, one is expanding the Project Lifecycle to another six or so villages, and another is working hard on environmental issues through Project Mangrove.

And let's also take this opportunity to acknowledge our wonderful staff: Eden Navia who runs things in the Philippines, Scarlet Nabwire who runs things in Uganda, and Meran Chang our volunteer coordinator.