Teacher Ruby Jane

We were all fortunate when Sarah became involved with our endeavors. A woman with much heart, experience and dedication to helping the less fortunate.
She welcomed Crysle and brother Agustin to a week long workshop to learn basic sign language. It gave them the chance to see how others live as well to make new friends with whom they could communicate with only by using sign. Crysle has been studying with Ruby Jane, a teacher at Sarah's foundation.
After being out of school for some time, it will take some hard work on Crysle's part to catch up to the level of her age group, but she has promised to study hard.

Crysle practices her new Sign Language with Sarah

Crysle and Agustin graduate from Sign Language workshop

Sarah's mother, teacher Cristine and children

Boys cook in their own kitchen

Sarah needs our support

This is a photo of the boys dorm at the facility. Very basic shelter, but when it rains the boys get wet. Notice the dry fields?
The facility was able to feed the students by growing fruit and veges but since the water table has dropped to such a low level and the old water pump stopped working the staff and students sometimes go hungry for a day or more especially in the summer ( now ) when rainfall seldom comes. They desperatly need to drill a deeper well and buy a new water pump to irrigate the dry fields. Cost is close to $700.00 for water pump and drilling. If anybody feels they would like to contribute to a very worthy cause can contact me directly at: palawanproject@yahoo.com
Once water is flowing to the fields again they will be able to provide enough food for all staff and students.

Sarah's school for the hearing impaired

Sarah and her good work

Here is a story of a truly wonderful woman and her husband's efforts to bring a connection to the hearing world for some hearing impaired students.
This photo was taken in El Nido, an incredibly beautiful location on Palawan. Sarah is the Director of a facility an hour outside of Puerto Princesa dedicated to teaching sign language and basic schooling to students aged from 12 to 45. Sarah is in the center of her group of students on an outing sponsored by the mayor of El Nido. A large percentage of the hearing impaired in the Philippines never learn to communicate using sign language and so are sentenced to a life in not only a silent world but a world in which they have no way at all to communicate with the hearing other than basic gestures.

Children snack on tamarind pods

My project's target is helping children get an education who otherwise would continue on the poverty path. The only way I can directly help is to provide some conditions so a few can study, then with that helping hand they can hopefully look to a brighter future. Constructing a facility for the children is my ultimate goal but while I raise the necessary funds I am providing some assistance to the family of Crysle. Merly and Agustin have agreed to send their children to school. I will at this time thank my supporters for providing some needed financial assistance. It is from their generosity that Crysle and her brothers and sisters will re-enter school. As it is said, " one small step..". So much more is needed doing but it is a start.

Merly shyly accepts food pack

Before the visit we stopped in town to stock up on some basic foodstuffs, toothbrushes, oil etc.

Blogger Robert with Kristine Joy and Jhonas in background

Family History

I've learned from the mother ( Merly ) that they came all the way from Negros Oriental. (Negros Island, Philippines ) more than 10 years ago. Merly and her husband ( Agustin ) with 3 of the children were living in a very poor community in Negros and money was always the biggest issue for survival. Merly's father who first came to Puerto Princesa asked them to come and farm some land he said he bought for them but only to find out later that he never had any land of his own. They eventually decided to stay in Puerto Prinsesa because of lack of  money to return to Negros.
Agustin knows farming and farming other people's land (being a tenant) is the only way they have to live. If the father gets lucky sometimes to find a nice landlord during planting season, they have no worry during harvest  and get a little for food for the whole family. But life here has been very difficult just being a tenant farmer as a high percentage of any crop goes to the land owner.
When it comes to education, the father didn't have real education. He only went to Grade 3. He learned farming from his father. Merly finished her elementary school and reached 2nd year in high school.   Merly always has the dream to send her children to school. She knows that the only thing she can give to her children is a good education. She sent them to school but had to stop because of  lack of school supplies and financial difficulty eventhough tuition fees are free in public schools in the nearby town.

Crysle's Family

Mother:    Merly Marinas
Father:    Agustin Marinas
 
Children:            Age            Birthday
 
1. Renante:        18 y/o         January 25, 1989
2. Kristina          16 y/o        July 9, 1991  -      daughter: Mary Jane : 4 months
3. Christopher     14 y/o        July 9,1992
4. Crysle              12 y/o        July 9, 1994
5. Agustin Jr        10 y/o        Oct. 28, 1996
6. Ronald             6 y/o          December 7, 2001
7. Jhonas              3 y/o        June 8, 2003
8. Kristine Joy       1 y/o        July 30, 2005
 

Luzviminda ( area name of family's home )

Now back in Japan, Tokyo seems a million miles away from the jungles of Palawan. It was difficult to update the blog when there is no electricity, let alone internet acces. Actually some areas that I was in electricity is provided for a few hours a day by generator but as you can imagine having a computer is a luxury few can afford although in one village I was escorted to one house with a computer but as the village was without elec., it was merely a showpiece.
Upon arriving in Palawan in early March I set off to the property to see how Crysle and her family were doing.
We had helped to relocate them to a better area with a new nipa and rattan hut. Nipa is thatched material made from the dried branches of a member of the palm tree family. The family gathered the nipa and rattan for free from the jungle. Rattan is the same cane material used in making furniture that is popular for gardens in the west. Crysle, her mother, all the girls and youngest children sleep in the nipa hut while the father and older boys sleep in the older hut across the road. It should be noted that nipa and rattan huts are great beach shelters to escape the hot sun and they are the main building materials for families living in the jungle without much resourses. They are cheap and easy to build but are not typhoon proof, rain or wind proof and earthquake proof and on top of that they easily catch fire as the cooking is done alongside the huts.

Crysle and her family have a new nipa hut