A New Openness

It is very tough in the Philippines to get private businesses and government agencies to hire deaf workers.  For the past two years, Lee Duncan has been focusing on this problem and has been visiting business owners and government officials to change their minds.  This semester, a number of companies and several government agencies did accept some of the 4th year Bohol Deaf Academy students for OJT (On the Job Training).  The deaf students had already had exposure and training in school for the kind of work they were going to be required to do.
As you would expect, the biggest challenge has been communication between worker and employer.  Even though interpreters were sent with the students for the first few weeks of the OJT, when the workers  began to shift more to written communication, problems did crop up in some cases.  The program is being adjusted to better address these situations.
The good news is that a number of the students who will graduate in March, have been asked by their OJT businesses and agencies to join as full time employees.  This a huge step forward for our employment program.
For the past two years, 60 to 70 % of the Bohol Deaf Academy students either have jobs or have gone on the college within a year after they have graduated.  That’s a pretty good average for any high school in the world.  We will have to continue to lobby to sustain these results but this is part of our goal for the deaf kids.
Below are pictured some of the deaf students in their OJT jobs.  Furniture Company, Motor Pool, Jojie’s Bake Shop, Hotel Laundry, Machine Shop.  They also worked in the provincial library and a local hospital.

Tapestry Project

The art department up at Bohol Deaf Academy is headed by Ashley Drake.  She has come up with a unique project using local, translucent sea shells and hand woven grass cloth to make tapestries.  Our students come up with the designs and Ashley and teacher Leone help them refine them.  These tapestries will decorate the walls of IDEA’s Dao Diamond Bed and Breakfast.

An Island Nation of Non-swimmers

The Philippines is made up of over 7000 islands but a huge percentage of its population don’t know how to swim.  This is true with our students up at Bohol Deaf Academy as well so Lee Duncan conducts swimming training classes as part of their P.E. .  Not only is this a very important skill for the kids to have ,. . . the students also love this class because the temperatures in March are usually running around 95 degrees Fahrenheit and about 80% humidity.  A dip in the Dao Diamond pool feels pretty good.

Lee Duncan Soon to Leave

Lee has been working with IDEA  as the Special Projects Director.  It is amazing how fast the time has gone.  From the beginning when decided to come to Bohol with his wife and three children, he committed to stay for a period of four (4) years so now this chapter of his life comes to a close.  In just a matter of days he will be moving his family back to the Duncan ancestral land in Virginia.
Lee has made so many valuable contributions to the progress of IDEA’s work with the Deaf in the Philippines.  He has opened up avenues into local business where students are now accepted as intern (OJT) trainees.  He has worked with the teachers in helping them improve their skills and improving their teaching resources.  Lee has worked hand in hand with our social worker in solving some extremely difficult student behavior problems.  He has set up sports programs for the students up at BDA.  And there are hundreds of other examples of how Lee has made a dramatic difference in IDEA.
Everyone in IDEA will really miss Lee and Deborah as well as their children Harrison, Jordan, and William.  Our prayers go with them as they open the next chapter in their lives.
Duncans, thank you for all the sacrifices you made to help the Deaf here in the Philippines.

Function Hall at Dao Diamond

Our IDEA Philippines construction crew is making good progress on the new function hall.  We have a deadline to have the floors tiled, bathrooms complete, and ceilings in by April 3.  With the guys working over-time everyday, we will meet the deadline.  Initially it will be an open air facility but eventually it will be enclosed and air conditioned.

Soft Opening – BDA Canteen

On March 1st, the new student canteen known as the Hill Top Cafe and Bakery had its Soft Opening, giving all the campus residents a glimpse and a taste of things to come.  Both of the vocational classes of restaurant operations and entrepreneurship joined forces to prepare  and serve the food.

Every seat in the little cafe was full and everyone enjoyed some local snack foods like fruit soup (bagnig-nit), papaya salad, bread rolls, and chocolate shakes.  Now the team will focus on developing a menu that will fit the pocketbooks of the deaf students and the workers at the Livelihood Center.  Most snacks will cost between 10 to 20 cents (U.S.)

The deaf vocational kids get a chance to practice skills in cooking, serving, cashiering, bookkeeping, marketing, food presentation, customer service, restaurant equipment maintenance, personnel management, and more.  Aaron Drake put this cafe together and is helping the teachers and students maximize the learning potential.
At the end of the day though, this is supposed to be a place where the students can go and get some great food, relax, and have fun.  From the results of the Soft Opening, it looks like the cafe is right on target.

Aaron Drake working with some of the vocational students

Learning the New Silent Language

Twice each year, IDEA Philippines conducts free community sign language training in various towns.  On February 26th, we conducted a graduation ceremony for about 50 local community members in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.  What was very nice about this group was that we had representatives from hospitals, the police department, department of justice, and other government offices enrolled.  These various organizations and government agencies have realized the importance of being able to communicate with the growing deaf community that is in need of their services.  This a great assistance for the Deaf in Tagbilaran.

Community Sign Language Graduates February 2010

Community Sign Language Graduates February 2010

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