What’s Happening Now
Posted by admin on 22 Jun 2009 | Tagged as: What's Happening Now
Twenty-four (24) young people graduated from IDEA’s Bohol Deaf Academy this year. Their aspirations include becoming cooks, teachers, carpenters, fly-tiers, beauticians, graphic design-ers, bakers, upholsterers, and waitresses.
During the graduation ceremony these kids truly expressed their gratitude. They don’t take this opportunity or achievement for granted. All these students had sponsors who made their education possible. Now it is time for them to make the most of what they have been given.
IDEA will be there to help them take the next step. Our new “Interface Office” is set up to help them access interpreter services for job interviews and even after they have jobs. It will lobby local businesses to encourage them to hire the Deaf plus provide guidance to those Deaf who want to establish their own businesses. It will assist them in settling into living independent of their parents.
The management of IDEA wishes to express its profound thanks to those sponsors of these graduates for making this step in their lives possible. Remember we have many young deaf children just starting out who need a sponsor. Please consider helping another child through school.
Leyte Expansion
Using What We’ve Learned In Bohol
The time has arrived for IDEA to make a bold move and take its ministry to the next level in the Philippines. Our target is to reach 200 more deaf children in the southern parts of the island of Leyte (shaded in yellow on the map). This area is a neighbor to Bohol. Most of these deaf kids are without any schooling opportunities altogether. They are still looked on by their communities as if they are mentally retarded. It is not an exaggeration to say that some are even locked away in their homes because parents are afraid they will be hurt if allowed to wander around. Others are physically abused by parents and siblings out of communication frustration. We can change this just like we have done in Bohol for hundreds of deaf children.
IDEA Philippines Leyte coordinator is already busy finding kids and recruiting teachers for training. We already have our first school and base established in Ormoc, Leyte with 75 deaf students there. Three new classes of deaf children are expected to be opened within 6 months in Southern Leyte. IDEA will continue to serve the deaf children and blind children on Bohol so Southern Leyte will just become a natural extension of this work.
The Girl Who Should
Not Have Graduated
Arlene- elementary School Arlene at High School Graduation
On the day of IDEA’s Bohol Deaf Academy’s graduation, Arlene had a subtle smile of knowing that she had made it despite the odds. She glowed with health and youth but it was a miracle that she was even in the class of 2009.
Ten years earlier, Arlene had been a very sick little deaf girl, diagnosed with having badly damaged heart valves. Her life expectancy was only a few years. Her family was extremely poor and could never have gotten her treatment. Through the efforts of IDEA, some very generous donors, and the Swedish Hospital in Seattle, she was given a life saving operation.
Arlene recalls her flight on the huge jet, being met at the Seattle airport by her host family, the TV news crew, the hospital, and the long road to recovery. Now she has finished high school and has a full time job as a fly tier.
ORMOC DEAF HIGH-SCHOOLERS
GET NEW CLASSROOMS
This two-classroom building was the most amazing gift. Dennis Drake requested funding from the Angelo King Foundation based in Manila, Philippines who then partnered with the FFCCC, Federation of Filipino/Chinese Chamber of Commerce to construct it. The amazing part was that it was built in only 15 days. The deaf students had been meeting in a one-room thatched-roof building for the past 5 years which was in such dilapidated condition that the rain could no longer be kept out. The construction-crew of the FFCCC has put up more than 2000 of this type of building so they have it down to a science. The bottom line is that there are a lot of happy deaf kids who now have a nice place to go to school. Thank you Mr. Angelo King and FCCC.
June 22, 2009
Joshua and Lindie Freed have been bringing over teams of Seattle young people and people just young at heart to Bohol for many years. Their objectives are to share the good news of God’s saving love and to learn a little about Philippine culture. The enthusiasm and energy of this group is amazing. Regardless of the effects of the inevitable jet lag, everyone began making the rounds to IDEA supported schools the day after they got off the plane. The deaf kids love these American’s. IDEA wishes to thank Joshua and Lindie for again organizing this years team visit.
THE REALITY OF WORK
Livelihood Center, Tagbilaran City, Bohol
The truth is that it’s hard for anyone to find employment in the Philippines. There just aren’t enough jobs to go around. You can imagine that if this is true for the average hearing person, how much more for deaf kids coming out of school. IDEA’s new Livelihood Center in Tagbilaran City, Bohol is providing part of the solution. It is a beautiful facility that provides space at the lower level for up to 50 people to work in fly tying. There are currently 22 people working in this business. At the upper level there is work space that is used for production of folding banquet tables, lamps, wall décor, upholstery, and more.
The Center is located on the campus of BDA so that students do their vocational and on-the-job training here, learning to make products that are actually being sold. At the Center we are also developing products that the Deaf youth and adults will be able to make back in their villages and bring to us for marketing. It’s all about helping them become self-supporting.
Funded by: Capital Group of Companies, William J. Shaw Foundation, and Consuelo Foundation
Mr. Alfredo M. Velayo - President & Founder of the William J. Shaw Foundation
RIBBON CUTTING AT LIVELIHOOD CENTER, JUNE 19, 2009
Mr. Jose luis U. Yulo -Board Member Shaw Foundation
Mr Alfredo M. Velayo - President and Founder of the William J. Shaw Foundaton
Mr. Buddy Velayo - Board Member of Shaw Foundaton
Mr. Dennis Drake - Founder of IDEA
Background - Deaf students and workers
NEW FLY TYING ROOM AT THE LIVELIHOOD CENTER
SAILING FOR A CAUSE
ABOARD THE MUD SKIPPER
Lee is IDEA’s Special Projects director. He had a simple plywood sail boat built on the island of Bohol by a local fishing boat builder. Although Lee knew nothing about sailing, he was confident the boat would teach him everything he needed to know. He taught himself over a 4 month period through trial and error aboard his 33 foot catamaran name Tambasakan which means Mud Skipper.
It was Lee’s idea to sail from the island of Bohol in the Philippines to the nation of Brunei and to make it a Sail-A-Thon event. It was his goal to raise $10,000 through pledges from the event with the proceeds going toward the expansion of the overcrowded dormitory for the Deaf in the city of Ormoc.
Lee and his buddy Scott Graham headed out on February 1st across 1000 miles of ocean for their destination. Neither had any real sailing experience and only a map and a compass to guide them. After encounters with 15 foot waves, machine gun toting pearl farm guards, and exhaustion, they finally made it to their destination. Did I mention that they sailed right through pirate infested waters where foreigners are often taken hostage? When the bedraggled, water logged duo pulled into the docks at the Brunei Yacht Club, they were given a hero’s welcome and made honorary members with club services “on the house”. They said that the hot showers and the 2 days straight sleep in real beds was like heaven. The guys met their goal of $10,000 with a combination of pledges and the sale of the Tambasakan to a man from Brunei. These two guys had a great adventure but for the deaf kids of Ormoc, it means that they will soon have more bedrooms and bathrooms. Thanks Lee and Scott and to all those who sent in their pledges.
MANGO PIE
We’ve come up with a new product at the Deaf run Garden Café that seems to be a hit. It looks like we will also be adding other tropical fruit pies to the menu and hopefully set up a few outlets in some malls in Tagbilaran City to maximize sales. We are training a couple more deaf bakers to make these wonderful pies
Moms and Dads of little deaf children are frightened. . . afraid for the future of their son or daughter. Our staff work with these parents so they can begin teaching their child at one, two, or three years old. The sooner the better. IDEA’s staff provide sign language training for the parents so by the time the child is ready to enter school, they already have a language base
OUTSIDE THE BOX
IDEA Supported Blind Program in Loon and Only able to crawl, he just got his first wheelchair from IDEA.
IDEA’s name would suggest that we only work with the Deaf but that’s not the case. We have a program for the Blind and occasionally help out other disabled.
The Pacific Ocean is separating this couple for now but they will be wed this summer. Francis is already at work in Leyte setting up new classroom situations for deaf children. Laura will join him in this work. Laura has been a volunteer with IDEA Philippines and met Francis, a seminary student at the time, on one of her trips to Bohol. The couple now has the task of raising their support. They have our prayers.
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