Bulletin Board Makeover!

Our educational makeover continued this last weekend with a multi-pronged bulletin board makeover courtesy of the education students from the University of Saint La Salle (USLS).  Morning and afternoon groups quickly transformed our faded and outdated boards into colorful, engaging and informative displays.

Brothers Mark, Cliff (seen above) and Edgar joined their collegiate classmates in implementing these whirlwind improvements.  

While all of this was going on Br. Mark and volunteer students involved the residents with activities that included discussion, music, signing (for the hearing impaired) and dance!  This is what Lasallian collaboration looks like!

Educational Makeover at BPYC!

On Saturday, two big groups of education students from the University of Saint La Salle arrived at Bahay Pag-asa to do an "educational makeover" - fixing up our computer room, math/science classroom, and music room. And after all that work, they still had energy to dance! The staff and residents send a big "Salamat god!" to all our friends who helped make this day possible. We look forward to more events like this - building Lasallian community for the purpose of making education accessible to all!

Agricultural Science at Bahay Pag-asa

Gardening turns into agricultural science at Bahay Pag-asa. BPYC residents measure off square meter plots in their ICA (Institute of Culinary Arts) garden and measure the soil pH. This data will help us determine what to plant and where. We have already located certain areas of the garden that have more acidic soil. We're starting with about 500 plots and later expanding to 1000. Mr. Dan Garcia of the USLS Ecopark is directing our efforts to implement a Natural Farming System using organic and environmentally sound methods of weed and pest control. This is one way in which Bahay Pag-asa incorporates academics (in this case, science and math) into its livelihood skills programs.

An Educational Field Trip to USLS for Bahay Pag-asa Boys

The engineering students at the University of Saint La Salle (USLS) invited the Bahay Pag-asa residents to visit their campus during University Week.  Classrooms were set up as stages, museums, zoos, and laboratories for young visitors to explore the worlds of science and culture.

Activities included a math contest (see photos above), dramatic presentations about mythology in the Philippines, interactive science displays, a museum of human anatomy (see below), and a zoo full of exotic animals including a young salt-water crocodile.

The boys really enjoyed the trip and, judging by their questions afterwards, they learned a great deal. This year we hope to have more opportunities like this so that learning for these kids can be as interesting as it can be.

Future Police Officers Visit Bahay Pag-asa

A big batch of criminology students from the Central Philippines State University at Kabankalan visited Bahay Pag-asa to learn more about programs for children in conflict with the law.  They were an attentive, polite and friendly bunch of future law enforcement officers and we were delighted to have them visit us.  The residents toured them around the center and told them a little about their experiences of being at BPYC.  Programs like this are very important because these young people will be the first contact that many CICLs (children in conflict with the law) have with the law.  If these criminology students see CICLs not so much as criminals but as future responsible citizens, then they will work with us to provide the opportunities to steer kids away from crime and into safe, happy and productive lives.

Cutting edge work - very low tech!

Here's the challenge - a field full of waist-high weeds that must become a vegetable garden to produce fresh and nutritious food for the table at Bahay Pag-asa.  Resources available:  shovels, hoes, wheelbarrows, bolos, and the dedication of staff and residents.  We have three days to get this project largely underway.

First, using a hoe ("sadol"), shovel, or your bare hands, you dig out or pull up the weeds.  This is more painful than you might think - a plant called "shy-shy" (because of its tendency to fold its leaves when touched) has vicious thorns and is mixed in with the other weeds.

Then you pack the weeds in old rice sacks so they can be transported across the property to holes prepared for their disposal.

Then you carry the weeds to their final resting place.  This bag is very heavy, but our tough resident wants us to see that he can manage this with no hands.

If all the rice bags are being used, you use a wheelbarrow.

As a last resort, or if you are an older American Brother not likely able to carry an entire rice-bag full of weeds and soil, that you can try this weed transporting method.

Finally, when the weeds are gone you begin to prepare the rows for the crops.  This row will have to be checked over the next week to continue to break up the soil and to remove any remaining weeds or weed seedlings.  Our next photos will show you the delivery of seeds and the planting of the restored garden.

Traffic Report

How's the traffic in the Philippines?  Well, like anywhere else, it depends on where you are and the time of day.  Here's a photographic report.

First, here's traffic in Manila...

Next, here's traffic in Bacolod on the island of Negros...

Now, here's traffic in the town of Granada (1 km from Bahay Pag-asa)...

And finally, here's rush hour at Bahay Pag-asa Youth Center...

So, as you can see, there are lots of options here...pick your traffic jam.