The curriculum covered various essential aspects, including the concept of a CV, resume, authentic job portals, and cover letters. Participants gained a comprehensive understanding of the significance of these documents in employment, their specific requirements, and the common errors to avoid.

GFF Helps Nepal want to thank Shree Janakalyan Higher Secondary School and Mr. KB Adhikari for their exceptional cooperation and flexibility in hosting this event. Their support has been instrumental in ensuring its success Furthermore, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the facilitators, Mr. Anish Regmi and Mr. Sujan Ramdam, for their tireless efforts and enlightening presentations. Their expertise and insightful guidance have empowered the students with valuable knowledge and skills to create impactful CVs.

By equipping students with the ability to create compelling curriculum vitae, we are confident that they will be well-prepared to navigate the competitive job market and present themselves effectively. We look forward to witnessing their future success and accomplishments.

On July 10th, we visited Shrijanshil School to help autistic children understand their environment through art. We used uncolored drawings of fruits, vegetables, trees, and more. After showing them a picture, like a mango, we asked questions and then let them color the picture based on their preferences. Some children finished coloring in 10 minutes, while others took 45 minutes. Each child expressed their own interests and preferences through their coloring choices.

After our project, we engaged in additional activities with the children. One of the activities involved teaching them the Nepali alphabet, called “Barnamala.” We used puzzle cards to make the learning process fun and interactive. For example, we showed them a picture of an umbrella and taught them how to spell the word “umbrella” in Nepali, which is called “chata.” We pointed to the letters “cha” and “ta” in the puzzle card, and they followed along. Overall, the project aimed to provide an opportunity for autistic children to engage with their environment through art and to express themselves creatively.

On the 20th of July, GFF Helps Nepal Team had the privilege of visiting Ward 12 municipality to address pressing social issues affecting the residents within their homes and the broader community. Our initial discussion was with Miss Kamala, the esteemed counselor of Ward 12, who provided valuable insights into the challenges the community members face. Following our fruitful conversation with Miss Kamala, we were introduced to the remarkable Ward Chief, Shambhu Bhattarai. He passionately shared with us information about 35 female groups that are actively working within the ward. These dedicated groups form a powerful network that we can collaborate with to create a significant impact.

Through this collaborative effort, we have identified key areas of focus, including Gender-based Violence, Domestic Violence, and other related issues. These sensitive topics demand urgent attention and require a multifaceted approach to bring about lasting change and empower the affected individuals.

Additionally, we aim to raise awareness about these problems throughout the community, promoting education and empathy to combat misconceptions and harmful behaviors. By working hand-in-hand with the female groups within Ward 12, we are confident that we can implement effective programs, support systems, and resources tailored to meet the specific needs of the individuals affected. Through counseling, workshops, and community outreach initiatives, we strive to empower survivors, promote gender equality, and encourage respectful relationships. Our collective efforts will not only address immediate crises but also lay the groundwork for a sustainable and inclusive future. By nurturing empathy, understanding, and cooperation within the community, we hope to create a ripple effect of positive change.

The GFF HELPS Philippines Team has been conducting activities in schools most of the time, and we seldom visit the group of kids in different villages. We made sure that this month, we can visit them at least once. We chose the dates of the holidays because we are sure that the kids are in their houses. The team was divided into two: LP in Laserna Village and Stef and Intern Erica in Ugsod Village. These two villages were located in different towns and were far away from each other. LP conducted activities about waste segregation because most of the kids were in primary school. Stef and Erica distributed worksheets in English subjects because most of the kids were in Elementary School. Every time we visit them, we can see in their eyes how much they miss us. They are always looking forward to the day that we can visit them.

Teaching geography is essential because it equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand the world, appreciate its diversity, make informed decisions, and contribute to a more sustainable and interconnected global community. The workshop in geography focuses not just on its meaning but also on exploring, locating, and naming places on the map of the Philippines. They participated in guessing the names of tourist attractions in the country, shared their thoughts about it, and where they wanted to visit in the future. Maps are given to each of the participants. They learned about the different regions of the Philippines and memorized some of them for a short period of time. They answered the given activity where they have to write the names of the different provinces located in each region. They had fun locating places on the map.

Teaching poem writing is important because it nurtures creativity, improves language skills, fosters emotional intelligence, encourages critical thinking, and allows students to connect with others through meaningful expression. It enriches their personal and academic lives, providing lifelong tools for effective communication and self-discovery. Participants learned what poem writing is all about, the things to consider in writing, and the essence of creating their piece. Most of them said that they have written poems in school without knowing the rules or the guidelines for writing. We let them read and understand some examples of poems, and they wrote their pieces after. Each of them has their themes to which they wanted to dedicate their poems. Most of them expressed gratitude towards their beloved parents, their family, favorite teacher, and friends. Some of them dedicated their piece to their crush, special someone, or their inspiration. No matter what’s their theme in writing poems it’s limitless just like their various thoughts about poetry.

This Science Experiment in Muguing Village presents volcanoes through the making of volcano models. This was taught because of the ongoing eruption of one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, the Mayo Volcano. Together with the 20 children, we had successfully reached the goal of this day which was to learn about volcanoes by making a volcano model.The children will also be fascinated with the eruption aspect of volcanoes wherein, they will be able to observe how the eruption changes the original form of their volcano model.

Why is it important for children to learn this? It is important for children to learn through this activity because most of them have not seen a volcano first hand. Many children may be unfamiliar with what volcanoes are.

What will they take away from this? They will take away the learnings from these experiments as some of them will be learning the experiments in their later years at school. They will get familiar on why and how the volcanoes erupt.

Teaching elements of a story to students is crucial for several reasons as it lays the foundation for their understanding and appreciation of literature and communication. It is easy to forget these elements and one may lose appreciation of stories if this happens. We included the Elements of a Story in the Mid-Year Workshop for Teenagers. We first conducted this activity in Muguing Village. The 14 teenagers learned about the three main Elements of a Story, identified the elements in a story, and make their own story with the three elements. They already learned this topic in high school, so they have prior knowledge. They made good stories and read them aloud. We also conducted this activity in GFF HELPS Philippines Office for selected ten teenagers from the town of Banga and Kalibo. Most of them already know the elements and easily identified them in the given stories. The parents of the teenagers send messages to thank us for the learnings.

The Philippine Teams achieved the goal of this workshop which was to make the teenagers aware of the language used by our special friends like the deaf-mute individuals. Learning sign language is a bit hard but it could be a great way for the participants to build up connection with the deaf kids/adults whenever they found one.

Lady Peace taught more than 100 basic words in American Sign Language, including self introduction, family, emotions, greetings, and many more. This would help the children expand their social life as they learn how to communicate with the deaf.

Meanwhile, Miss Pia, an invited newswriter, shared her knowledge on newswriting and newspaper labeling to teenagers. They were inspired to become a news writers in the future.

Every Thursday, we have our free coaching to participants for them to pass the national exam and get a stable job in the government in the future. What we always do is to study every area of the exam, divide it between Stef and I and sometimes hire a Guest Coach especially connected to a particular area, like Miss Pia, she is a Biology Graduate and she explains well the Environmental Protection and Issues in the Philippines that is one of the parts of the examination.

In order for a middle-schooler to be accepted in the university, they have to pass the interview with random questions. The Team conducted an orientation via ZOOM, with 5 students one-on-one, and we throw them a lot of questions that is commonly asked during a school entrance interview. We taught them the proper behavior, proper arranging of thoughts, and techniques in answering interview questions. The 5 participants have passed and the university interview. They surpassed the other 68 aspiring students.

Students in Lapnag Primary School show great progress in playing Scrabble. Every Tuesday, during school days, we regularly visit the school and conduct sports project. We alternately play Chess and Scrabble every week. In the early weeks of the project, students can only make short and basic words. They still don’t know how to make use of bonus tiles and how to get high scores. Now, they can already make longer words, make use of bonus tiles, and think of how to make their scores higher. They always get excited to get bonus points and double their scores.

We also introduced Chess in Sigcay Elementary School before the school closed for vacation. They learned about the Chess pieces and the different moves. In Lapnag Primary School, they always play in groups with four to five members. They help each other to make different moves. Some of them still forget the movement of each piece, but we are always there to assist them. These children are becoming quick-witted not only in playing chess but for having tactics on how to move the chess pieces rightly for their advantage and to win the game.

Remedial Classes are ongoing in the two schools: Sigcay Elementary School and Lapnag Primary School. These two schools remained because the other schools were busy and do not have classes during our schedule. The villages where these schools are located are also adjacent to each other. We can easily monito progress of students from school to school. Teacher Ronnie in Sigcay Elementary School noticed the progress of the students in Grade 1 that he talked to us to include some of his students too. He selected the non-readers and slow-learners. What’s interesting is that they are all boys. It is a challenge to us to teach this group because they are competent and always argue with each other. During the first meeting, we assessed their needs and brought worksheets that will target their weakness. During sessions, we encouraged them to spell and read the words. They also have to identify the pictures from their worksheets. They are always excited to see us every Monday. Progress of these students will be recorded for their teacher’s record.

The Civil Service Examination is a test to determine those qualified to work in public service. Having Civil Service Eligibility means one can apply for permanent jobs in the government, and be entitled to a number of benefits such as competitive salaries, career growth, and insurance among many others.

The GFF HELPS Philippines initiated a Free Review for the test takers of the Civil Service Examination. The First Phase of the project started last February 9^th and ended on March 16^th. It was a fruitful 7-week review. We had a Guest Coach that helped them to solve Math equations. It was a special day and the reviewees learned a lot.

The reviewees took the exam on March 26^th. We are very excited for them during the exam. Some of them sent selfies before and after the examination. We are now waiting for the results that will come out on June.

The second examination for this year of the Civil Service Commission will be in August 13^th. We prepared a Phase 2 of the Free Review that will start this June 1^st up to August 3, 2023. It will be a 10-week review every Thursdays. We are now gathering interested reviewees. Preparation is ongoing: invited speakers, materials, and etc.

These months were full of holidays. Schools are also busy with different activities so they have to postpone their classes. The school year is fast approaching so teachers are seizing the remaining school days. During these times, we can’t go to school, so we conduct a house-to-house visit to the students. We have the students of Capitan Tazan Memorial Primary School that lives in the same neighborhood. During the peak of the pandemic, we regularly visit them because they are only in their houses. Now that schools are open, we seldom visit them. We always contact their parents during holidays if they are available and we make sure that we can have an enjoyable time together. The kids missed us a lot. Their parents keep on saying that they always look forward to the day that we can visit them. We promised that we will visit them during holidays or when school year ends.

We also have another group of kids in Laserna Village in Kalibo Town. Reading alone wouldn’t be fun, especially for children. That’s why, we as their mentors need to be flexible enough to teach them not only in reading but with a twist to make it exciting and memorable. To test their skills in art making, we prepared art materials such as coupon bonds, scissors, pre-cut colored paper, and glue. We let them write their names first on the coupon bond. Then, they select the color of the pre-cut colored paper they wanted to use. They need to fill the coupon bond like a mosaic or assemble the pieces to create larger and more beautiful letters. While doing this activity, they enjoy cutting the pre-cut colored paper based on their chosen shapes and then pasting it on the coupon bond. This activity teaches them not only how to follow directions carefully but it allows them to showcase their talents in art making.

Summary of Chess Session with Sigcay and Lapnag Kids

Chess game knows no age. It could be played by children, teenagers, adults and even senior. Some of them see it as pasttime, but for many it is educational. It helps somebody to be creative, strategic, logical, wise and sport, thus, the goal of GFF Philippine Team why we teach this sport to two schools in Banga. We are hoping that their logic and strategic thinking will be improved as well as showing participation and sportsmanship throughout the 10 weeks time in this project. The team also prepares powerpoint presentation for Chess so that the children could learn the basics. The are also thankful to the teachers especially in Sigcay School, the Principal, Mr. Norman Remaneses said, “This is a great help for our students to learn about Chess that the curriculum doesn’t teach.”

Summary of Scrabble Session with Lapnag Kids

Scrabble makes the children in Lapnag Elementary School learn English words and their meanings. The game is interactive and informative. We made sure that everyone was included and received fair attention from us. As the Philippine Team introduced what it is all about, we can sense their excitement and eagerness to play and learn. Even though it is quite new to play this kind of game, they’re very active and cooperative. Scrabble doesn’t only give them time and a chance to cooperate and play with each other, it also enhances their capability to think, create, and form a series of words in Scrabble. Moreover, because of this game, the children learned to value teamwork, fairness, and sportsmanship as key elements in winning.

Earlier this year, we have been in partnership with the Muguing Village and the Agricultural and Health sector in Banga Town. This is to make our goal a reality by providing seminars in the villages. Recently, we had our Rabies, and African Swine Fever Awareness conducted by the Agricultural Office and this upcoming June we are in collaboration with the Health Department to conduct a seminar on “Dengue Awareness” (the original topic that we wanted was on “Heat Stroke and Nose Bleeding Awareness but the doctor advised another helpful topic to be discussed.”). We have been making letters of intent, meeting the doctors and other authorities that we will be needing in the said seminar. The Town Doctor said, “Your programs are very helpful but I would advise you that Dengue Awareness is more important to discuss with but we can also talk a few minutes about Heat Stroke.” With this being said, we are grateful for the doctor since this topic is relevant to the weather here in the Province of Aklan. Right now, more on processing the letters so that we could be approved to handle such seminar in Muguing Village. We are looking forward to have this seminar with the teachers, parents and other concern individuals in Muguing Vilage as soon as possible.