Last week, Goducate project leaders from 6 Asian countries gathered in Singapore for the first Goducate Project Leaders Training. Most of these are men and women who lead teams of Goducate volunteers in the countries where they serve.
For some it was the first time to hold a passport and leave their country. These were dear men who had been so busy serving in their Goducate projects and have never had the opportunity to leave their country. For many it was their first time to get to meet other Goducate project leaders and Headquarters Coordinating staff.
But for all it was the first time that we could spend time learning from each other and be challenged by others to dream BIG! For most project leaders, it was often a struggle just to get enough funds to support themselves and their projects. Survival rather than expansion was the priority.
But we were reminded constantly throughout the training that we have to dream BIG because Asia has a big population and the majority are poor in need of help to help themselves. The project leaders who had dreamt big and expanded their ministries shared their stories and encouraged the others.
Many Goducate supporters and volunteers joined the project leaders for the training sessions.
Goducate is a non-profit organization that needs many more volunteers to help!
Please volunteer!
Our new Goducate Learning Center in Mabakan, Laguna, Philippines, is now teaching soap-making as a means of livellihood. This part of Laguna is famous for its hot-spring resorts. Many people from Manila visit these resorts, especially on the weekends. One of the largest resorts has agreed to buy our hand-made soap for its guests. The soap will also be sold in its gift-store.
Goducate has been offered the free use of a camp-site in a “prime” location near one of the busiest towns in Batam, Indonesia. This brand new facility is not the typical youth camp-site but is ideal for “urban” camping. It consists of 6 terrace-houses (connected houses), an internal covered courtyard and a community hall. The whole complex was donated by generous Koreans as a community-center for this part of Indonesia… Continue reading
Last week Goducate opened another literacy center in a swamp in Sabah for poor kids who cannot go to school. Because of the dampness of the swampy soil, the school-house had to be built on stilits.
Goducate provided 500 Malaysian Ringgit (about US$150) for some building material and the community chipped in to build their very own school-house.
The pride of the village
Yup, dream BIG—big being the operative word. Implies aiming high and working towards it. Unlike dream ON, which implies aimlessness.