Philippine Elementary School Launches Vorfeld Toy & Book Library!
Far away from the United States is an amazing island in the Philippines: Mindanao. Tucked away in the mountains is a tiny community known as Pacuhan.
It is in the Pacuhan Elementary School that you will find the Vorfeld Toy/Book Library, a room that I had built to honor the memory of five of the most incredible men I’ve ever known: my husband, Jack Vorfeld, his brother Bob Vorfeld, Jack’s sons, Peter Vorfeld and Ted Vorfeld, and Peter’s son, John C. Vorfeld.
When it was time, I contacted the co-founder of “I Can Make A Difference, Inc.,” Meryl Grace Agudelo. At that time, Grace was employed as a nurse by the Philippine Air Force, and an enthusiastic volunteer for her own NGO and others, including The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation. She has since moved to London, England to continue in her profession, but she still volunteers with I Can Make a Difference and endorses and encourages others.
With the encouragement of her grandmother, Cresencia Nantes Pabatao, Grace envisioned a special way for us to honor memories of the five Vorfeld men: A Toy & Book Library in the somewhat isolated but special elementary school in the barangay of Pacuhan. Pictures to follow. Grace will be adding more toys and books (as of February 2019).
Pacuhan is a barangay in the municipality of Salug, in the province of Zamboange Del Norte, with a population of less than 1,000. The elevation is about 377 feet above mean sea level. I have included a photo of some of the Pacuhan school children.
Salug falls within the third type of climate wherein the seasons are not very pronounced. Rain is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Because of its tropical location the municipality does not experience cold weather. Neither does it experience strong weather disturbances due to its geographical location (being outside the typhoon belt) and also because of the mountains that are surrounding the Municipality.
All of the Vorfelds are strong believers in the value of education, and it seemed like a good idea to honor these five men by doing something to encourage school children to read and play in a colorful, specially designed library.
Mission of I Can Make a Difference
Raise awareness of and help solve the problematic situations involving children, women, indigenous people and other marginalized members of a community, especially problems concerning health, education, and the environment; and address these problems through the mobilization of people, social institutions, and social entities of the community.
I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, Inc
June 16, 2018Happy Anniversary I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Seven years and counting! What started an initiative to create a solar reflector for water disinfection has become a movement to develop young innovators to make a difference in their communities. Almost a decade ago, we envisioned a generation of youth who do not only have the power to mobilise resources & communities through social media, but also possess the power to create innovations to transform the socioeconomic landscape of their communities.
In the advent of the challenge possessed by artificial Intelligence, the vision of I CAN is ever more relevant, as it endeavours to make small but passionate contributions to make the Philippines a center of the sciences. One thing that time or technology can never replace is the heart and soul of a creative. Imagine a Filipino youth with the knowledge of innovation and the enabling experience to make their innovation happen. We will become a country of creatives, a vision so wonderful! To more years of innovations.
You may want to visit these websites:
https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Salug,_Zamboanga_del_Norte
https://schools.trokis.com/pacuhan-elementary-school.html
https://www.facebook.com/icanteam/
Special thanks to Meryl Grace Agudelo
Here’s what the foundation said (and posted on Facebook), “Our first three Yellow Boat Adventures boats for Sta. Cruz Yellow Boat. community is named in honor of 3 special people who helped YBH at very crucial points and until now are still very active HOPE PADDLERS! The board of YBHF unanimously approved to give them the honor. Our chief rainmaker Josiah Go, our chief connector Rick Passo and our Chief inspiration Judy Simpson Vorfeld! Thank you!”
One of many blessings given us is technology, so we can not only have worthy goals, but often the means to fulfill them. Social media, particularly Facebook, has been an unsurpassed tool for communication within and outside of the Philippines. It is bringing together many people who love to give with others who love to give, and the results are not just amazing, but sometimes wildly creative. People are finding methods for helping the disadvantaged in ways that encourage education, sustainability, and self-respect. 
