For the Goducate violinists from Laguna, The Philippines, who were in Singapore for a short spell of intensive training in the violin at Wolfgang Music Studio, the trip was such an eye opener. They saw for themselves and experienced the pace of a modern, fast-growing city, life in a multiracial society, and at close quarters the warmth and friendship of the many Goducate supporters who have been sponsoring the music and other projects in Laguna and elsewhere.
Goducate would like to thank its supporters who so kindly housed and pampered the violinists in 6-star luxury, took them round to all corners of Singapore, fed them (“there is SO MUCH food here, I put on 2 kg” said one), and piled on them gifts of clothing, musical instruments, and sports equipment for themselves and their people back home.
Practising the violin at their home away from home
At the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music with a Goducate supporter
One of the highlights of their trip was the opportunity to learn to play the gamelan, an instrument they had not heard of before. They had been brought to the Lasalle College of The Arts by a Goducate supporter to watch a rehearsal by the students there, and were pleasantly surprised when the teacher offered to teach them to play a piece on the gamelan.
playing the gamelan
Goducate, with its mission of helping young adults in China to help themselves, has opened a second Lifepegs student activity center in southern China. The new center is located in one of the city’s major campus districts with a student population of 60,000 to 70,000 from 8 universities.
The core team of 3 native workers trained by Goducate worked hard to renovate and get the center started within 28… Continue reading
Five of the first batch of trainees who completed the Goducate training program for basketball officials did not have to wait long to get their first jobs. And the jobs were not for matches at village level (where they had done their training), but at inter-university level. This job opportunity for out-of-school youth arose with the 10-day visit of the Indonesian Youth Team from West Java to play against eight… Continue reading
Goducate believes in encouraging the students at the literacy centers to read. However, it has not been easy to set up a library, or somewhere to store books securely. For one thing the centers are scattered over a wide area. For another, many centers are the living rooms of the locals into which the students squeeze for their lessons, while others are very basic structures consisting just of a roof… Continue reading
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