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Reneal IEO in the Philippines [2013-03-21]

The annual Reneal IEO trip to the Philippines is underway!  Neal and I (Rene), the co-founders of Reneal IEO, arrived late Friday night.  It was almost exactly 24 hours door-to-door from our home in America to our home in Compostela, Cebu.  We are again renting an apartment in the same complex where we lived as U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers, so it seems very familiar.  The Saturday morning wake-up call of church bells, roosters, the sounds of laundry being done by hand, and loud music made us feel at home right away.

There was a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) board meeting at Compostela National High School (CNHS) Saturday morning, so we headed over there to see the school principal, a few of the teachers, and the dedicated parents, many of whom have served faithfully for years.  It was a happy reunion!

After lunch, the group opened four balikbayan boxes containing items donated to Reneal IEO by several individuals.  This included a large amount of fabric, pinking shears, books, nine used desktop computers, several keyboards and mice, and office supplies and printer paper. 

Reneal IEO has had two faithful donors of fabric and sewing tools.  We got to hear more from the PTA board and teachers about what a difference these donations have made in the school.  The curriculum in the Philippines offers a wide range of vocational education classes, but in most cases it is only theoretical learning without the valuable hands-on activities to really cement the knowledge.  The Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers told us how the students can now actually put their learning into practice with the scissors and fabric that they have received from Reneal IEO donors.  The students work in pairs to measure, cut, and sew clothing using the donated fabric and scissors.  We were able to see some of the handiwork that was hanging in the open air TLE room, and we were especially thrilled to hear that one of the CNHS students won the Cebu Province Division children’s dress-making competition.  We are looking forward to handing over later today 60 donated seam gauges that we carried with us!

It is really hard for Americans to imagine how limited the resources are in schools here in the Philippines and other developing countries.  To see first-hand these challenges and to see what a difference some scissors and fabric can make to open doors for students is truly exciting.  Few students are able to go to college, so having some hands-on skills coming out of high school positions them well for future employment.  We send a big “THANKS” from here in Compostela to the dedicated donors of Reneal IEO!