Rolling out Project Lifecycle

Now that the training days have been finished, Project Lifecycle is all set to go!  To celebrate and acknowledge the wonderful work of the BHWs (Barangay [village] Health Workers), they were all presented with a certficate of attendance and an ID badge.  They were all very excited to be acknowleged.

The ID badge will formaly identify the BHW as being trained in the SDM (Standard Days Method) method.

The BHWs are now fully equiped to go out into the community and commence selling the necklace.  Each necklace will sell for 100 pesos (~ $US 2.08) with 20 pesos (~ $US 0.42) going to the BHW who sold the necklace.

More Computers Donated

Meaningful Volunteer is a 100% non-profit organization. We rely on the fees of generous volunteers to fund our projects. 

We also receive help from corporate sponsors and individuals. One such individual is Bob Bozsa.  Bob has already donated a projector for use in our computer classes.

Bob also recently sent a large amount of money to help fund Meaningful Volunteer projects.  Most of the money went to purchase three additional computers.  The computers will initially be used in the RYE School in the Philippines.  They will then be transported to Uganda for use in the Heart of Uganda program.

The remainder of the money was used to fund the training of local health-care workers in the use of the Project Lifecycle necklaces.

Thanks Bob!  You're a wonderful help and inspiration to all the volunteers who toil night and day to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

30 Jul 2009 

Alternate Learning System Computer Class Added

AMeaningful Volunteer has a philosophy of teaching anyone that wants to learn.  If you don't want to learn and you don't want to study, then that's fine.  But you'll have no part of our programs.

With this idea in mind, Meaningful Volunteer has added a new ALS computer class.  What is ALS?  ALS stands for Alternate Learning System.  These type of programs used to be called OOSY (Out Of School Youth) but the name was changed to reflect the interest by adults in such programs.  Our particular class has a fifty-fifty mix of adults and youth.

The new computers that Bob Bozsa donated are being used in this program

First Payment to the Payawpao Orchids

After much measuring, cutting, rolling, and varnishing, the Payawpao Orchids have produced their very first craft item!

Now that they have the process sorted out, they are producing many beads and necklaces.

Not only have they produced many craft items, but they have also sold their first items to Meaningful Volunteer James Willet from the U.S.A.  The other volunteers on the island were equally excited and purchased their own items which led to the very first payment to the craft group. 

Each lady received approx. 1,000 pesos (~ $US 20.83).  This will be the first of many and the amount should increase overtime.  The Meaningful Shop retained 10% of the money from the items sold.  This will go toward the hosting of the website as well as the purchase of plastic beads, paper, varnish, and so on.

Get to the Heart of Uganda

Meaningful Volunteer is delighted to announce its new program: The Heart of Uganda.

The Heart of Uganda is a trail blazing project.  By being part of this program, you'll help Meaningful Volunteer to:

• Set up a RYE School
   
• Check out if the SDM (Single Days Method) is viable in Uganda
  It may or may not be appropriate depending on HIV prevalence and other factors
   
• Help with a mosquito program that is based on an Avon Lady type model
  We'll be traveling to nearby Rwanda to check out a program there.
   
• Help to expand the Grassroots Uganda initiative
  Grassroots Uganda is a craft group of women making jewelry from recycled poster paper.  Check out the Youtube video here.

We're looking for motivated individuals who are keen to have meaningful and lasting impact on Uganda.

Two New Classes Added

As more and more volunteers join in on the RYE School iniative, it allows us to add more and more classes.

Our most recent addition is two new English Land One classes in the baranagay (village) of Sugod. 

We also conducting educational surverys in the barangays of Cawayan and Carmen.  Once the surveys have been marke and the students collated, we will be able to add six more RYE School classes!

We have also just started computer classes with some of the local teachers.  More on this later!

RYE School Overdrive

The RYE School initiative in Romblon has taken it up another couple of notches with the addition of eighty new students in the villages of Carmen and Cawayan.  The students are studying the English Land One and English Land Three series of books. 

Camilla - a Meaningful Volunteer - bravely travels by motorcycle everyday up the side of a mountain to teach the children in Cawayan.  Classes are canceled when it rains - it is just too dangerous to travel on the roads.  The children themselves face an arduous journey just to get to school.  They must navigate the treacherous paths up and down the mountain. Once again, when it rains the path becomes treacherous and too dangerous for the kids to get to school safely.

The kids are very excited to attend the RYE School program.  Joshua - for example - attended his first RYE School classdespite being sick and having to walk an hour to school.

Cawayan was chosen by Meaningful Volunteer because its pretty much ignored by everyone else.  It's ignored because its hard to get to.  The school buildings are run down; the roads pot-holed at best and downright dangerous at worst; the houses are generally nepia huts; the health care center operates from the same building as the daycare center and lacks many basic health supplies; and the kids are malnourished and lack a local high school.

We try to emphasize a quality over quantity with our programs and our class sizes are capped at ten.  The need for Cawayan is still great though as is shown by the numerous kids who peer into the class.

Brave souls like Camilla - teamed up with Meaningful Volunteer programs - are starting to make a difference.

Stay tuned to see the progress of the new classes and life in Cawayan

Mangrove Species Now Available Online

A critical step in any mangrove reforestation is an in depth knowledge of the mangrove species.  This was a critical step identified in our Project Plan.

With this in mind, Meaningful Volunteer is delighted to announce that all mangrove species on Tablas island have been documented and are now available online.

Each mangrove species documented has:

• Detailed morphology
   
• Links to other mangrove species that it commonly grows with
   
• Information and pictures of the leaves, flowers, fruit and propagules. 
   
• Certain species also contain in depth academic articles in their documentation.

A special thanks to SIKAT for their assistance with this information.

Project Lifecycle Training Days

After many months of training, research and hard work, Meaningful Volunteer and the Project Lifecycle team are delighted to announce that thirty-six local health care workers have been successfully trained in the SDM (Standard Days Method) method.

Mitos Rivera - a family planning expert who works with the IRH (Institute of Reproductive Health) - was flown in from Manila for the training.  The training was carried out in the small barangay (village) of Sugod,

Being a poor province in a developing country, there were some technical issues to overcome that you wouldn't get in a developed country.  Just getting the health workers to the venue was a challenge!  Several tricycles has to be hired to get the workers there.

Due to some maintenance on some power lines, there was no power at the training venue.  Our sound technician bravely put together a very long power extension cord that ran down the length of a street.  Once the power was sorted out, Mitos was able to launch into her presentation (using the projector kindly donated by Bob Bosza).

Mitos did an excellent job with the training.  The health workers learned about the SDM method, studied the SDM support materials, worked through some case studies, and had some fun as well.

A special thanks goes out to our sponsors for their financial help in making this training happen.  They are (in no particular order): 

• Elizabeth Ebrey
   
• The Lytle Family
   
• Christina Smith
   
• Carmi Louw
   
• Sunita D.
   
• Claire Hazelton
   
• Ana Jones
   
• Amanda Vercoe
   
• L and Z Potgieter
   
• Bob Bosza
   

Thanks guys.  You are all awesome!

Check out all the pictures from the event here.

The next stage for Project Lifecycle is to distribute the SDM products and support materials to the health workers and to run some information days in the villages.

We then plan to work closely with the Catholic Church to get SDM introduced as part of their standard family planning methods

Payawpao Orchids Logo Designed

Branding is an important part of any organization and the Payawpao Orchids craft group is no exception.

The Filipino people are wonderfully talented and are capable of many great things. 

With these is mind, the Meaningful Shop sought out a local person to design the logo for the Payawpao Orchids. 

The logo was designed by Willie Fesarit - husband of Flor (a Payawpao Orchid) and pastor the Four Square Gospel Church.

Willie hand-painted the logo which was then scanned into the computer.  The logo contains a picture of the Mt. Payawpao -  a local mountain that dominates the landscape.  The mountain is surrounded by orchids that symbolize the beautiful Filipinas in the craft group