The Turn-over ceremony of Capinahan Primary School.

The Turn-over ceremony of Capinahan Primary School.

After several months of hard work refurbishing the two classrooms at Capinahan Primary School, we are pleased to announce that the work is complete. 

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Amy Leverson-Gower who is on the Board of Directors at GSF, flew out from the UK to officially hand over the school, and joined DR Sanico, a representative from the Division office of Department of Education and the Barangay chairman-elect of Capinahan. 

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There are 82 children from the village enrolled in the Capinahan School from Kindergarten up to year 4 which is 10 years old, and they all attended the ceremony where school bags and supplies were handed out to them after the speeches. 

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In the short time that Amy had in the village she certainly packed a lot into one day!  Having left Iloilo City at 6am she drove to the the GSF Village and started off by visiting the Talipapa market for a much needed cup of native coffee. From there she had a little wander around the village and was amazed at how much everything had grown in six months; runner beans, tomatoes, aubergine and papaya were all looking fantastic. 

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She then had a quick cuddle with baby Greg who was born in February, a lesson on Moringa planting, learnt how to do hydroponics and mushroom cultivation,  and then on to the school! 

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Amy did mention that the one thing she really noticed was that there was a real sense of community and happiness in the village. It is great to hear that our beneficiaries are doing well. 

After a long day, the GSF team then returned back to Iloilo with Amy, where they all treated to  a “Happy Birthday DR” and “Team Building” dinner. Well done to the GSF team for all your hard work. 

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Mushroom Farming in the village.

Mushroom Farming in the village.

Thirty five beneficiaries from the village attended a training seminar on Mushroom production, that was held at the Integrated Research Centre Regional Office of the Department of Agriculture in Iloilo. 

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The seminar taught the beneficiaries how to produce mushrooms using the materials and land that they have available at home in the village. Part of the lecture included propagation and the process on how to do it from start to finish, each taking it in turns to have a hands on go!

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After a break for lunch it was back to the afternoon session where they were taught how to make “Mushroom Ice-cream”. They all got a taste and it was delicious – something new to make back at home. 

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Before leaving, every beneficiary was given a starter kit for mushroom production so once they are back they can start straight away.  They were told to expect to be able to harvest mushrooms after 3 months.  Another great source of food and income for those that sell their produce. 

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The Department of Agriculture will do a site visit after 4 months to check the progress of the mushroom growing and then the beneficiaries hope to attend a second seminar in November about mushroom packaging, marketing and other strategies on mushroom products. 

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We are so pleased that another means of farming has been introduced into the village and over a short time can be sold at market too!

 

 

The hugest spring onions!

The hugest spring onions!

We had to share this photograph with you, of one of our beneficiaries, with her home grown “spring onions!”  Nanay Nelia Adrigado, who lives in the village with her two children is a keen gardener … and it shows.   Nelia was walking past the GSF office – off to market to sell her onions when Alya our social worker spotted her and her produce! Neila has been growing vegetables and taking them to the market regularly now, to earn extra income for her and her two children.  Alya told us that she also sells “Puto Cheese” which is a rice cake and she is a great dress maker too. 

Just fantastic – well done Nelia, its a shame we are so far away in the UK. We would have loved to have tried them. heart

Our very own GSF Village ‘Flower show’.

Our very own GSF Village ‘Flower show’.

With the famous Chelsea Flower show happening in London this week, we wanted to keep the emphasis on flowers and other plants too.  Alya our social worker, took a little walk around the GSF village and has sent over the most amazing pictures of the village in full bloom – our very own “GSF Flower show.”

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It is nearly 6 months since the beneficiaries moved into the village and already they have so many different varieties of vegetables; long beans, eggplant, tomato, lady finger, papaya and leafy green vegetables, all of which are part of their daily diet.  Nothing goes to waste when growing their vegetables either – all the pots are recycled bottles, cans and car tyres which are all used as planters!

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Not only do they grow vegetables but also herbal plants such as the Moringa plant which can be used as a vitamin supplement and is amazing for cuts and burns too.

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The beneficiaries have really looked after their gardens and it really shows – the produce looks fantastic.  We mustn’t forget that they are in the middle of summer too, so all the watering must be hard work to maintain such healthy crops.

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The provincial government have a program in place called “Laswa sa lamesa” which means every table must have vegetables during meal times and every household must plant vegetables for their own consumption.  It is a great way to encourage the children to eat healthily. Every family that plants vegetables receives a certificate from the Chief Captain of Barangay as an incentive to grow their own produce. 

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The village has come a long way in six months. To go from jungle, to bare land, to a building site, and now a thriving village.  A lot of hard work but look at the rewards.  Well done to all our families, we are so proud of you. heart

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Weddings and Christenings in the GSF Village.

Weddings and Christenings in the GSF Village.

We are thrilled that the village is being held as a location for Weddings and Christenings.  It is a special place, hidden away in the jungle, and once in the village, if you make your way to the top, you have breathtaking scenery all around you. 

Our first wedding held in the village, was between one of our beneficiaries daughters, Ana Mae who is from the Diocales family, and the groom, Wilmer from the Arante family.   The couple met in the village, when Wilmer was working on the construction of the houses. heart
 
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The ceremony was officiated by the priest, and was witnessed by god mothers and god fathers who were chosen by the couple. 
 
The beneficiaries are so proud to live here and love inviting family and friends to the village to celebrate with them. Many of the mothers in the village helped with the decorations and cooking dishes for the happy couples day.  The Bayanihan spirit is very much seen on occasions like these. 
 
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The newly wed couple will now set up home in another Barangay close to the GSF village.
 
We wish you all the love and happiness in the future.
 
Also happening in the village was the christening of two of our babies, Greg Niel Aurecencia who was born on 1 February 2018, and Lilian Grace Panaligan who was born on March 3rd 2018. Both babies were baptised by the priest, with family and friends witnessing.  It was a fantastic weekend of celebrations and parties. 
 
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God Bless you both. 
 
 
The Children’s Day Camp was a huge success

The Children’s Day Camp was a huge success

The day was finally here, the day that many of the older children had been waiting for…. it was Camp Day. 

The day camp was held on the land adjacent to the village, on a plot of land owned by a teacher called Norma and her husband. They kindly took the children out for the day, to experience some fun activities in the jungle.

The children, aged between 8-12 years old all assembled outside the GSF office bright and early. After a brief talk from Norma about the rules – the do’s and the don’ts, they excitedly marched off to the camp. 

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The children were split up into four groups for the day; Yellow Team, Red Team, White Team and Blue Team. Then each group began their activities for the day. 

The first activity was, how to cook an egg in the jungle using the vegetation around you. They were shown how banana leaves can be used for this as they are big enough to hold an egg and will withstand the heat long enough to cook the egg but not burn the leaf too much.  

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The children all took turns in cooking their eggs and then eating them. What a great way to have breakfast!

The next activity was a bit trickier. The children had to put a barbecue stick through the egg, piercing the shell. There were a few mishaps but they finally cracked it… or not! (excuse the pun). They then held it over the fire until it was cooked. Delicious – one that we may have to try here next time the barbecue is lit! 

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Before lunch, the children had a team activity, putting together a puzzle in the fastest time. The pictures were of Greg so it didn’t take long too long to work out which way around it should be.  The children all adore him and proudly held their finished pictures up for a photo. 

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It was time for lunch, and whilst the fires were still hot, everyone was given hotdogs to grill. This was the first time many of the children had experienced anything like this and they were just loving it.  What I love is that every child was asked to bring their own lunch – just look at the pictures – not a fizzy drink or bag of crisps in site.  A much healthier packed lunch than many I have seen here!

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After lunch it was time for the Scavenger hunt – every team had to find the following items and whoever returned to base first with them all … won.

Items to find:

5 round stones, 2 earthworms, 1 feather, 3 spoons, 1 pair slippers, 1 hanky, 1 t-shirt, 1 headband, 1 backpack and 5 live ants.

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It didn’t take long for the Yellow Team to arrive back at base … the winners. Well done Yellows. 

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Next on the agenda was …. “Find your Footwear”.  What a great game – all the children were asked to take off their shoes and mix them up into one area. They then all took it in turns to find their own shoes – a lot of laughter as they grabbed each others shoes.

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Camp day was a hot day so what better excuse than to have a snack and a juice followed by….. the finale of the day – being soaked by ice cold water. The land that the camp is based has the main source of water on it, so what better way to cool down.  We have been told that before Norma and her husband owned the land, the site was sometimes used as a picnic area for locals. When the weather was hot, families came and spent the weekends here – camping and relaxing in this beautiful spot. 

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One thing is for sure, the children absolutely loved it.  Once they were cooled off and refreshed it was now time for the children to return back to the village. They were tired, but a very happy tired. 

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Thank you to Norma and her husband for allowing the children to spend the day with you, and treating them to such a wonderful experience.  heart

 

The GSF Village Sports Olympics has begun ….

The GSF Village Sports Olympics has begun ….

On Saturday 14th April, Barangay Captain Reynaldo Sanico officially opened the start of the GSF Village Sports Olympics.  We have 7 teams of Women’s Volleyball and 6 teams of Men’s Basketball who will all play against each other throughout the month.  And, for those that would rather not do a ball sport, there is also a Chess Tournament happening too!

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The ceremony began with a foot parade around the village with some of the children on the drums and others following behind in a dance display.  They marched up to the top of the village, around the boundary and back down to the social hall where the games were officially started by the Captain. 

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It was great to see all the different team colours and team names – Team Spikers in yellow, Team Fighters in blue, Hot Warriors in blue, Team Striker in red, (sounds serious!) Sky Lovers in green and Team Ball Baller’s in pink. 

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To keep the children entertained whilst the parents were getting ready to play, there was a logo and poster making competition.  There are some great designs to choose from – it is going to be hard to pick a winner!

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The chess tournament is underway ….

The Volleyball games have already begun with the women getting very competitive! And today, Monday, the men will begin the Basketball games. We can’t wait to hear the results of the games, as they happen during the week. 

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The GSF Olympics is another activity that will now be found in the annual calendar of events. The village is just thriving on the energy of the games and bringing everyone together developing their camaraderie in sports and leadership. 

Stay tuned to hear which teams end up in the big finals ……

 

Graduation time for three students …..

Graduation time for three students …..

Three of our GSF College students have now graduated and are ready to step into the next stage of their lives. We are extremely proud of them, as are their parents. Well done to you all – we look forward to hearing how you get on in your chosen career.

Jaimes Rexel R. Costoy, son of Mr and Mrs Lea Jaimes Costoy attended College in Iloilo City and has graduated in Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation. He hopes to work for a big shipping company.

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John Jenesis Lozare pictured here with his father, graduated in Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management at Northern Polytechnic State College in Lemery.  He would like to work in Hotels. 

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His mother pins an award to her son for “Player Of The Year” in softball and “Knight of Columbus Award” (religious award).

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And lastly, John Kenneth Valencia graduated with flying colours with Cum Laude (Distinction which is the third highest award in college) in Bachelor of Arts Major in Economics at Northern Polytechnic State College Estancia Campus.  Here he is pictured with his mother who is a local Barangay official and also works as a farmer. 

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Huge Congratulations from us all at GSF. heart

Saturday Class moves to a weekday …….

Saturday Class moves to a weekday …….

The children were up early when they heard that their Saturday classes were returning. Because of the school holidays, Central Philippine University have moved their lessons to the weekday.  Student teachers from the college make the journey every week from Iloilo to spend the day with the children and teach them a variety of subjects. 

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The children love their lessons where they get to learn Maths, English, Philippine History and Physical Education.  It’s fantastic that the children get this opportunity to learn in the holidays so when they go back to school in June they are up to speed.

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We love the t-shirt that one of the student teachers is wearing…..

WE GIVE YOU WINGS SO YOU CAN FLY

Thank you to CPU for helping our children achieve this. heart

Our GSF children graduate from elementary school.

Our GSF children graduate from elementary school.

Some of our GSF Children have now graduated from Jose Alminana Memorial Elementary School and will now attend Lemery National Junior High School.

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Their graduation day from Elementary to Junior High was held on 3 April with the students starting their new school in June when the school year starts. 

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It is not only a proud moment for the parents to see their children moving on to big school but a very special day for the children as they start the next chapter in their life. 

Our future leaders of GSF……..