In May 2014, a group of 21 bright eyed enthusiastic VSO ICS volunteers, 11 from the UK and 10 from the Philippines, landed on the tropical island of Bohol.
We are working with VSO Bahaginan and a partner NGO, the Carood Watershed Model Forest Management Council (CWMFMC), on environmental sustainability and educational sustainable livelihoods. The purpose of the council and our work is to educate and empower the youth and realize their potential as stakeholders and advocates of environmental sustainability. This work is important as the watershed suffers from 7 environmental risks highlighted by CWMFMC and has 45-57% incidents of poverty rate. Exacerbated by economic pressure to harvest forest resource, population growth and climate change.
PLACEMENTS
Our work is spread across 6 municipalities within the watershed. We get up to a variety and creative activities, mostly working with youth but not always. Last week, the 2 UKV’s and 2 ICVs based in Guindulman attended a women association meeting and Farmers Federation to present the IEC and help plant seeds. On the other side of the watershed in Alicia, Denmark, Vincent, Sofia, Sussie, Felvs and Kaynat participated in the parish youth day attended by 240 people. Community outreach is vital to raising awareness of issues affecting Carood. This past week nearly all placements took part in the Bayani Challenge a national volunteering event. This involved a lot of dancing and was a fun away to get our local communities involved and aware.
HOST HOMES
One of the key aspects to being an ICS volunteer is living in your host home and immersing yourself in a new culture. New food, customs and insects will bring it out the best and worst of times. Even for the ICVs there are differences which take getting used to; intermittent electricity, and overabundance of rice, etc. However, all volunteers encounter generous Filipino hospitality wherever they are. “Our host family are very accommodating and hospitable. They cook food to our requirements and always translate to their conversations and Filipino TV soaps to us. They teach us their language and their customs and appreciate ours, they really make us feel home.”
SOCIALS
A time to let your hair down after the hard work of setting up youth organizations all planning CADs is always appreciated. As a group we use our days off to take in the sights and sounds that Bohol can offer. So far the highlights have been a trip to Canawa Cold Springs, A must in a hot climate and celebrating a fellow UKV’s 22nd birthday on a white sand beach. –21V
share the experience with us with the tribal communities of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
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