A quick update as November comes to an end. I'm starting to get more comfortable here in Sorsogon, with both the culture and my work. It's still all incredibly challenging but there are plenty of little things that make it worth it. My coworkers and I started a new project this week that involves teaching life skills to college students who are part of the ESGPPA. This is basically just alphabet soup for students who receive financial benefits from the 4 P's program of the Filipino government. These students are usually around 17-19 years of age and are often the first of their family to attend college. The adjustment to college life requires a lot of them in addition to the responsibility of helping to support their family. The local Sorsogon State College had identified a need for life skills training with these scholars, so it seemed like a great opportunity for my coworkers and I to try something that they had been brainstorming on for a while.
So far, the sessions have been a learning process for all of us. Language continues to be a challenge, even though most of the students are familiar with English. Because I am an American foreigner, the students are considerably intimidated and nervous to share about themselves. I've been able to break the ice more effectively with each session, though. Using as much Tagalog as I can really makes a difference. My co-facilitators have been amazingly helpful as well and I've noticed that their presence has made a difference in the level of trust among the students. It will be really interesting to see what becomes of what now is simply a pilot program. After the school year ends in March we will see if there is interest in continuing and expanding the project.
My host family stay continues to be a really positive experience. I currently live with a host mother who works as a forester in Sorsogon and a host brother who attends the local high school. My host father is an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Qatar and comes home every couple of months. They have two other children who go to college a couple of provinces away. The family has been great in that they really take it upon themselves to help me learn as much as I can about the language and the culture. I don't think I would be nearly as adjusted to life here if it weren't for them.
I'm lucky enough to share my site with a few other really cool volunteers, too, so my support network is pretty solid. We should be getting together with big group of volunteers over the holidays and that is sure to be fun. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone! Peace.
