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Philippine Elementary School Launches Vorfeld Toy & Book Library!

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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

Return to Waikiki

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w1What a privilege to visit Hawaii recently and connect with the place where my kids and I roamed many years ago. Back when we were all younger, Waikiki was THE place to be for sunshine, the ocean, cooing Rock Doves/Domestic Pigeons, the everywhere scents of sun tan lotion and plumeria, the soothing “feel” of warm white sand, and a sparkling blue-green ocean dotted with surfers, swimmers, and boats.

On this visit we drove into a busy Waikiki where I later hunkered down on the 19th floor of an amazing hotel. I loved my time on the patio watching the ever-hopeful surfers and surf paddlers waiting (from dawn to dusk) for the next wave  . . . the sweet sound of traffic carrying people to work and to play and to sightsee . . . sunrises and sunsets rich with streaming colors . . . the rich fragrance of plumeria . . . and the ever-present trade winds.

I spent a good part of my visit adventuring around Oahu with my amazing friend and relative, Mary Anne Vorfeld. And other times I was off on mini-adventures, like riding the Waikiki Trolley. What fun feeling the warm wind in my hair and having a savvy driver who maneuvered the trolley through traffic and near curbs like a pro. She narrated the entire time so people could feel history come alive. Refreshing. Fun!

Not so many photos, as I was busy absorbing sights and sounds and experiences. I did manage to get a few shots, including fish & chips from a restaurant in my hotel. The fish was the catch of the day, and the presentation, servers, and the food itself were breathtaking. I’m sure I didn’t gain an ounce!

One evening during the middle of my trip, I had just returned to my room when I heard (and saw) fireworks. Oh, right: this was the night Hawaii 50 was premiering for 2016, and the cast/crew/honored guests were celebrating on the beach near the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Thrilling fireworks for what seemed like a half hour, but who knows?

Some people say, “Well, I never go to Waikiki because they say it’s not like it used to be.” True. But I spent a lot of time wandering around Waikiki, and loved every minute of it. Many people from different countries, different cultures, enjoying themselves. Weddings everywhere! Long white limos everywhere with VIPs and wedding parties. Hotel employees were magnificent. Busy, busy traffic, but not frantic. Courteous drivers. From people wandering around wearing swimsuits to people in formal wedding parties: there was no one “uniform.” Everyone fits in – in Waikiki. Sure, it’s busy, and not the place to visit if one is looking for long periods of serenity. But it’s simply in a class by itself.

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School kids need footbridge

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Looks to me like a group of school children could use a footbridge to help them attend school every day, even in the rainy season.
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This is another project by the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.
This video explains it:

Wikipedia says this: “Sarangani is a province of the Philippines located in the SOCCSKSARGEN region. Its capital is Alabel. With a 230 kilometres (140 mi) coastline along the Sarangani Bay and Celebes Sea, the province is at the southernmost tip of Mindanao Island, and borders South Cotabato and Davao del Sur to the north, and Davao Occidental to the east.”

Here are some statistics from the Dept. of Education:

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