We successfully launched the project on March 2 with an initial all-day workshop with our partners and stakeholders among the Department of Health Region 4B leadership, The Palawan Provincial Health Office, the Puerto Princesa City Health Office, the Population Commission, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Palawan Provincial Hospital, the Northern Palawan and Southern Palawan Provincial Hospitals and PCPD. It was wonderful to have all these leaders for health in one room, and we were particularly honored that Dr. Faith Alberto, Assistant Regional Director for DOH Region 4B, Dr. Mary Ann Navarro, Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Teresa Wycoco, MNCHN and FP Coordinator for the City of Puerto Princesa, Mr. Fernando Macabuag from the Population Commission and Dr. Peter Curameng from the Provincial DOH spent the day planning with us. The group successfully clarified roles, tasks and expectations from each partner for the projects, and came up with a 6-month action plan to achieve the project objectives by August 2017. The project has a target of meeting the contraceptive needs of at least 4,000 women in Palawan.

Roots of Health is so excited to be strengthening our partnerships with our government counterparts while providing services to the women who need them most.

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Our team of four ladies managed to hold our own with the pros at the busy bar, learning how to shake cocktails and mix drinks, resulting in HK$1500 in the tip jar as an appreciation of their skills! Roots were proud to take second place, winning HK$12,000 in donations from Play. A total of HK$50,000 was donated to charity at the end of the day.

The event was part of Play’s ethos of using their platform to work with charities being to be an active part of the community and city. Special thanks go to the Play organisers Xuan Mu and Chi Ip.

You can check out all the photos here.

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The unflagging enthusiasm of Mun Ching Yap, persistence of Jamie Choi and regular inputs from class fellows and Ami, ensured that a plan took shape. The dates May 24-27, 2012 were set aside for a visit to the RoH facility in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Fellows charted a plan for optimal use of skill-sets to fulfill the PSAs larger aims – not just a felicitation and a cash award for the organisation in question but how best to use the collective expertise of the fellows group to give the award value. The challenge was to translate the know-how, networks and resources of the fellows group into developing training and strategic-planning agendas for RoH.

Fellows Jamie Choi (campaign director Avaaz.org), Adam Gilmore (division chief engineer Space Shuttle Program NASA), Mun Ching Yap (founder Broadsheet Communications), Rabi Karmacharya (executive director Open Learning Exchange Network), Arief Koesoemawiria (founder and director Suar Intermuda),  Martin Tan (founder RiverLife Community Services and Halogen Foundation), Dr Bryan Lim (research Associate University of the Philippines and house Physician San Pablo Doctors’ Hospital) and Vinita A Shetty (journalist and documentary producer), committed to the visit. Mike Kulma of Asia Society joined in as well. This was a first of sorts for Asia 21 – never before had such a large group of fellows embarked on a visit to meet a PSA winner in their home country, and aid them through a hands-on resource and capacities sharing exercise.

On May 24, a sunny Puerto Princesa Thursday, fellows came in from as far as the US, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and as near as Manila. Daphne, Martin Tan’s wife accompanied him on the trip. Ami, Susan and Marcus Swanepoel (media and program director of Roots of Health and Ami’s husband), met the group at the Oro Bonito Place Hotel, where they had checked in. The plan for the next two days – the 25th and 26th of May – was set and included visits to community sites, meetings with locals who were beneficiaries of RoH initiatives, interactions with staff and daily sessions set aside for strategic planning and training etc. The 2011 fellows’ group moniker is Namastasians – an amalgam of Namaste-Asia (Welcome Asia), and from the time the group met for the very first time at the Fellows Summit in Siem Reap Cambodia, the mission to better each trip in every way, has been a tough one. In true Namastasia style, we signed off on day one with lots of laughs, memories of our last trip to Dharamshala to meet the Dalai Lama and for some of us, our very first taste of Sisig.

RoH provides holistic community services to three communities in Puerto Princesa: Pulang Lupa, Unang Lahi, and Little Tondo. Friday began early with a visit to the RoH office on the North Highway, San Jose, where we met staffers Lyn-Lyn Paliza, Joyce Yacas, Daisy Ellorquez, May Arzaga, Mariefe Portuguesa, Belle Cortezano and Wayne Socrates. Staffer Shirene Saban was on maternity leave. About an hour’s drive away from the RoH office, the first stop was Unang Lahi, one of the two communities we visited that day. At Unang Lahi, the RoH team conducted activities, which included monitoring of infant growth and nutrition, providing counseling to new and expectant mothers, distributing nutrient-rich food to children and parents and discussing reproductive health with mothers. For the fellows, it was a chance to interact with the rural community, discuss problem areas with RoH staffers and ways to improve education services.

At Pulang Lupa – Red Earth, so called as it is an area near the Puerto Princesa landfill, which is former mercury mine, more women and children were waiting patiently for RoH. There are multiple health hazards in the area – soil and air are still contaminated with mercury, and homes are in close proximity to the landfill. Here, staffers conducted modules on health and nutrition for women, young mothers, and discussed matters pertaining to female reproductive health. For children, art and playtime activities ensured no one was ignored. Fellows sat in on training modules, discussed the efficacy of outreach programs and discussed issues including income generation, the Reproductive Health Bill, infant mortality rates and whether men in the community were cooperative. Here too, as part of the RoH nutritional support initiative, mothers and children were given a wholesome meal, something they say, they are not used to having often. Marcus took the fellows on a visit to a flourishing Vertical Garden, which is considered a model for the community. For a minimal fee, RoH leases vertical gardens to families so they can grow vegetables for their own consumption a big bonus was playing with the children and hearing anecdotes from Susan about people’s initial reactions to RoH years ago. In addition to comprehensive reproductive health-aid community programs families in their community sites, RoH also works with young people currently at Palawan State University, Santa Lourdes High School and Santa Monica Elementary School. After a hearty local lunch, it was time for Martin’s session on leadership, at Marcus and Ami’s lovely home.

Saturday saw the day begin at the Swanepoel home with fellows and the RoH staff tuned in to Adam’s session on Strategic planning, Rabi and Mun Ching’s session on Marketing and Fundraising, Bryan’s session on Monitoring and Evaluation and end with Arief’s session on Programming. The sessions were at their interactive best; staffers asking questions, giving suggestions and talking about difficulties they faced in the field. Many were thrilled that the fellows had made time for them and put aside their busy schedules to visit RoH. While there are plans for expanding into other communities and strengthening the RoH network, the biggest challenge they face is the sheer number of communities that need their services. Ami said, “We are a relatively small organization and do not currently have the capacity to work in a bigger number of communities and schools simultaneously. Being a non-profit, we have to work hard to find funds for our work. Reproductive Health can be a controversial topic for some, and this has somewhat limited our capacity to do local fundraising in the Philippines. She added that she was extremely honoured to have been chosen for the Asia 21 Public Service Award and was particularly excited about being able to tap into the expertise of the Fellows. “It was amazing to have the Fellows here with us in Palawan to help us think through our strategic planning, marketing and fundraising plans. The Fellows all have such varied skills and experiences and it was great to get so many different perspectives and more information to help strengthen our programming and our organization.” Once the training was over, it was time to unwind with Joyce teaching fellows a few steps of a not-so-easy Palawan dance and then for goodbyes. Our hosts ended the day on a high note with a sumptuous dinner at Ka Lui and a fabulous night of local music at Katabom with a not-so-eager Jamie being forced to sing with the band.

For most fellows, this was their first visit to Puerto Princesa – that meant time-out spent together, savouring local food, enjoying balmy fun-filled evenings and catching up. It also meant the group trying out their talents at Karaoke – with superstars Martin, Adam, Jamie and Mike – shopping at local markets, being in awe of Rabi, Adam and Mun Ching’s dance moves and getting Arief and Bryan to sing solos. On Sunday, the fellows group packed into tricycles and headed to Microtel in San Jose Palawan for discussions related to Asia 21 and the upcoming summit for the year. Being Mike’s “annibirthary”, deliberations were brief and to the point and then it was time to head to the resort’s Emerald beach with its white sands and azure blue waters. A few days later, back in our respective countries we had memories of a lifetime to cherish.
Salamat Po RoH!

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[slickr-flickr tag=”storytelling” photos_per_row=”6″ align=”left” items=”12″ thumbnail_scale=”110″ direction=”descending” align=”center”]
Photos of Storytellling Workshop at Museo Pambata with Gcina Mhlophe-Becker
Gcina outlined that she would focus on stories about family, animals, and the contemporary events. Then she related a family story of her own. She was unpredictable and mesmerizing. At first I thought she was just narrating a story, but suddenly, she added actions and facial expressions to her story, which really brought her mother to life! It was incredible! She showed us what storytelling is all about – performance. After a while, she let the members of the audience perform their own stories. From different perspectives, from different performances, I realized that being a storyteller is not as difficult as you might think. You already have what it takes to be an effective and extraordinary storyteller. You don’t need to wish you were another person to tell your story.

It was not just the storytelling performance that inspired me, but also the desire of Gcina to bring out and wake up stories within other people. There is something about her that makes you like her instantly – the way she smiles, the way she talks, and the way she listens intently to every word you say.

When I came back to Palawan, I knew I had another kind of story to tell to the children of Pulang Lupa and Little Tondo. Before I needed a book before I could even think about telling a story. I now have on-the-spot, natural storytelling skills. Now, when I sit with children, without any book at hand, I use my voice, my body, and enthusiasm to draw the children to the story. I am ready to tell stories even when I’m not really prepared. Even when I have no books with me.

I have also been able to share the skills I learned with other students. I held a storytelling seminar-workshop at Western Palawan University here in Puerto Princesa. At first, I wasn’t really sure how I was going to start the workshop. But then I remembered what Gcina had done to make everyone feel comfortable and confident. I made sure that like her, the students didn’t feel like they were at a workshop, but there to express a part of themselves. And it really worked. When it was the turn of the students, I was amazed by stories they had to tell.

I now see that storytelling is not just about books, but about the stories themselves. Indeed, stories are all around us just waiting to be told. All we have to do is have courage and confidence to tell them.

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Last Thursday after setting up two vertical gardens in Pulang Lupa, I made my way down to the kubo (house) where the mothers meet with our staff every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Lyn-Lyn promptly informed me that one of the mothers had made jello and macaroni salad for us. I confess that I only ate the salad as I’m not a jello fan, but it was great. Especially as I’d worked up an appetite while hauling soil for the gardens. Thinking about how our roles were reversed makes me smile. We are usually the ones that prepare and take food to Pulang Lupa, not the other way round. Yet, here was a mother who had taken the time, effort and financial sacrifice to show her appreciation for us. All I could say at the time was, “Masarap!” (“Delicious!”) Looking back, I am more appreciative.

[slickr-flickr tag=”international women’s day” photos_per_row=”6″ align=”left” items=”12″ thumbnail_scale=”110″ direction=”descending” align=”center”]

International Women’s Day Photos

We work hard for our clients. We put a lot of time and effort into making our curriculums for the women, teenagers and children interesting, informative and engaging. We prepare food that is nutritious and tasty. We provide reproductive health services to all the women and ensure that they stay healthy, especially during pregnancies. We set up gardens to allow families to grow more nutritious food more easily, with less water. We strategize to make sure that we will be there for our communities in many years to come. So yes, it’s nice to be appreciated and to be reminded that the women we serve are happy to have these services.

So yesterday we showed our appreciation of them and the huge sacrifices they make to care for their families and community. We gifted each woman with a flower and a card and spent time telling each woman individual reasons why we appreciate her. Check out the photos.

We appreciate you too. Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. If you’d like to show your appreciation, please click here. We hope that this Women’s Week we can all spend some time appreciating the women in our lives and letting them know.

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