The music program in Laguna Province in The Phillipines has been very successful in getting kids off the street, in helping some get back to or continue school or college on music scholarships, in helping them earn pocket money by playing at functions or by teaching music, and in training in the students in discipline, teamwork, leadership, endurance and many other qualities.
There are about 250 students in the program now. However, musical instruments are expensive. But everybody has vocal cords. So Goducate intends to teach singing.
The first step was to send one of our music teachers, Abegael, for voice training. Abegael teaches the violin and is also a kindergarten teacher at a Goducate Learning Center. She has just completed a summer course at the University of the Philippines. Her course closed with a concert, at which she performed very well. She said, “It’s my first time to perform in a concert hall, and it is very exciting”. Her teacher has invited her back to take part in a concert in January.
Abegael during a practice
Abegael performing at the concert
I visited the Goducate Children’s Home in Cambodia again recently to see what new strategies could be applied to significantly improve food sufficiency for the children and staff at the Home. One of these focuses on rice production at two separate lowland parcels with an aggregate area of 0.8 hectare.
The past attempts in growing rice at the Home led to yields that were dismally low because of poor… Continue reading
Earlier this month, Goducate Children’s Home, Cambodia, welcomed 5 new children into the “family”. These children, Nat, Lynn, Kanya, Mon and Nia, come from Battambang, a 12-hour drive away from the Home. They come from very poor homes and have received little education. They came to the Home in hope of a better education and a better life in the future.
The new children were taken for medical check-ups… Continue reading
Since Goducate aims to help needy Asians help themselves, Bangladesh is a country that has attracted its attention.
Recently, Bangladesh was in the news because of a horrific factory collapse that killed over 1100 garment workers. I was in the country when that accident took place.
Bangladesh is the most densely populated large country. It has about 160 million people (half of US population) squeezed into a land… Continue reading
Wonderful. I look forward to joining in the ranks as being a voice teacher in Laguna bay. Look forward to meeting you all in a little over a month:).