SANTA’S SLEIGH

IDEA Philippines office staff were all Santa’s helpers last week.  Using our big red school bus, they delivered Christmas gifts to the more than 340 IDEA deaf children we care for in our IDEA dormitories.  For sure in the Philippines there are no chimneys to climb down.  The temperature was  near 90 degrees on delivery day.

At each of IDEA’s dormitories around the island of Bohol, the kids came out to greet the Christmas bus.

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Everyone had to wait to have their name called to get the gift that was specially purchased just for them.

One by one the children accepted their gifts with big smiles on their faces.

Patiently, everyone waited for the go signal.

Ok, ready . . .  set . . . go!

It was so much fun to see the looks on their faces.

Many of the kids got shoes.  Just what they had been hoping for.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

On an island such as Bohol that has no pine trees, the students up at Bohol Deaf Academy have to be creative when coming up with a Christmas tree.  This year they have used water bottles painted white strung together.  They also hand made the paper and bamboo stars that decorate the foreground.

Mixing Work and Play

Rob Johnson, is a pastor at Faith Evangelical Church in Billings, Montana.  For years he had been hearing about the work of IDEA in the Philippines from his friend Mike Hoiness of Yellowstone Fly Goods.  He was surely interested to come to the tropical location and taking a break from Winter but only if he could help out with the IDEA ministry.  Rob has over 20 years experience as a commercial artist and web site designer.  When Dennis heard of Rob’s offer to lend his skills to IDEA, he jumped at the opportunity so Rob came over to Bohol for 10 days in December.

Along with designing billboard signs for IDEA’s Dao Diamond Hotel and Bohol Deaf Academy, Rob also put together a new brochure the hotel.  He was also able to get some time visiting IDEA’s deaf schools, hanging out at the beach, doing a little snorkeling, and riding a motor bike on the rural roads lined by lush vegetation and lots of surprises.  We sure did appreciate his visit and his Christmas gift of assistance to IDEA.  Thanks Rob!!!

New Name

In 2002, IDEA Philippines began training a few deaf adults in the skill of fly tying.  Slowly this small business has been taking shape.   This year there is a group of 30 deaf ladies who are able to tie some of the best flies in the world.  The new name for this business is Sure Catch Fishing Products and is producing flies for Yellowstone Fly Goods in Billings, Montana and MEPPS in Wisconsi

Every year Mike Hoiness, the owner for Yellowstone Fly Goods comes to Bohol to provide additional training for the workers and teach them new patterns.  Mike has done so much to help these deaf women have jobs and live independent lives.

Dr. Bob Mobley’s Visit

It was good to have Dr. Bob Mobley come to Bohol once again this past November 10th.  Everyone affectionately refers to him as Dr. Bob.  After more than 30 years of service, Bob is retired from his position with Galluadet University in Washington, D.C. as the head of the International Studies Department.  He is now a consultant and lectures with the Link Foundation in Manila Philippines, often conducting teacher training workshops and seminars.   The kids and teachers up at Bohol Deaf Academy look forward to having Dr. Bob conduct a February workshop at the school on “Expressive Signing”.  He is one of the most expressive signers we have ever met and a real joy to talk to.  Dr. Bob will be also headed to the Baltics to do some teacher training this coming year.  He is a excellent trainer.  If you have a need in this area contact us and we can put you in touch with him.

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Nice Article About IDEA in Billings Gazette

To read the article just click on this link

BILLINGS GAZETTE ARTICLE

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Just Horsing Around

Several years ago we had a wooden horse carved for the garden patio in front of the Garden Cafe in Tagbilaran City.  Unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind to it and it developed a bad case of wood rot.  IDEA Philippine’s carpenters were able to repair it but we decided to make a fiberglass copy of it and put that in the open air garden, knowing it would better withstand the rain.

It was decided to repaint the original wooden horse and then place it upstairs at the Garden Cafe in the Montana Room.  It will be fitted with a bridle and saddle so customers can actually climb up on it and take photos to remember their visit to our very unique restaurant.

Dennis Drake was happy to have had the help of his son Aaron in the painting of the horse.  With the aid of some canned spray paint, they gave the horse a little character.

Career Exposure at BDA

Students at BDA are getting ready to join the workforce.  Two years ago, we decided to make vocational training an integral part of BDA’s curriculum.  At the same time, we scheduled year-end business tours and career counseling to make sure that our graduating seniors were ready to get jobs.  The tours gave the businesses and students a chance to meet, ask questions, and consider working together.  But it wasn’t enough—most of our graduates were still hesitant to leap into the hearing world of work.

This year Lee Duncan, IDEA’s Special Projects Coordinator, stepped up the program and dramatically improved it.

Lee organized his team made up of teacher Geraldine, Principal Lewi, and Social Worker Argen and together began a new systematic approach.

1. The team began career counseling the first week of school, encouraging students to develop two post-graduate plans. (ex. Work, Study, or Assist in the home)
2.  They conducted business tours that aligned with the students’ vocational training.
3.  They invited all parents to join their children for a Parent-Student-Teacher conference on the plans of the student, the parent, and then drafted a unified plan.

And the big one…

4. They initiated On-the-Job Training . . .  OJT’s (On-The-Job-Trainees).
The concept of job-training is not new to the Philippines. It is common at the college level.  But most of our deaf students will not attend college, and they need connections before they graduate.  As OJT’s they make those connections—networking with potential employers–and they are proving to the hearing world and themselves that they have the right stuff.

All BDA students have vocational training two days per week, but for the seniors, Tuesdays are for OJT experience, and at 8:30 am they are currently going to the following private and government places: a furniture factory, public library, bake shop, auto-repair shop, newspaper office, machine shop, restaurant, hotel, and hospital.  To streamline orientation and communication, teachers have been assigned to be interpret between our student and the hearing workers.   The interpreting teachers step out of the work place once communication methods have been established.

We believe that the employability of our graduates depends on healthy relationships and mutual understanding with potential employers.   Our OJT’s are fostering such relationships for their success and the success of future graduates of Bohol Deaf Academy.  We are very proud of them!

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DAO DIAMOND ROOM CONVERSIONS

IDEA Philippine’s Dao Diamond Bed and Breakfast has only 14 private guest rooms.  It also has quite a few dormitory style rooms on the second floor that were originally built to house deaf high school students.  Now that the students have all been transferred to Bohol Deaf Academy, there are more dorm rooms than needed.  Although we do accept quite a few group bookings, we feel that we could better use additional private rooms so some of the dorm rooms are now being converted.

Our deaf construction crew are adding private restrooms and showers to each room using our own unique Styrofoam and concrete board construction.  It really shortens the construction time and cost.  We are targeting to complete three room conversions in 22 days.

Consuelo Foundation Board Tour

It was IDEA Philippine’s honor to be able to show some of the Consuelo Foundation’s board of directors around to the various projects on Bohol last November 25th.  They made a quick tour to;

1. Loon Central Elementary School were we support 39 deaf children and 7 blind children,

2. Dao Diamond Bed and Breakfast, which is IDEA Philippine’s income generating project and training center.  Consuelo funded the purchase of the land and construction of this project about 10 years ago.  The majority or it’s clients are Philippine NGO’s and Local Government Units that conduct small trainings and workshops.

3. IDEA Philippines Offices

4. Bohol Deaf Academy.  Again, Consuelo provided the funds to purchase this school property about 8 years ago.

5. and lastly, the Garden Cafe.

The Consuelo Foundation has played such a major role in the success of IDEA Philippines.

ANOTHER KIND OF PIE

Ashley Drake introduced the Garden Cafe staff to a new kind of pie.  In America it would simply be known as pumpkin pie but there are no pumpkins on Bohol.  Ashley just used a local squash known as Kalabasa and named it “Sweet Kalabasa Pie”.  It is now sold side by side with Garden Cafe’s original mango pies for only seventy-five cents.

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