DONATIONS FROM SCOTLAND

Sorry for the delay in updating my blog as we are currently in the UK where we attended our son Michaels wedding. Yes they don’t remain children forever and now he and his new wife Jessica will experience what his mother and I had to endure to get him to where he is now, along with all the expense of doing so ha!ha!ha

In my last entry I mentioned our good friend Meriam who visited us in Talakag from East Kilbride in Scotland. I also wrote that she had promised to help with soliciting used football (soccer) kit from her friends in Scotland involved in running a youth Football Team. Meriam is not one for making a promise and not keeping it. When she attended our son’s wedding recently in Newcastle upon Tyne she brought with her a large quantity of football kit consisting of shirts, pants and socks as well as an assortment of used football boots. When she last organised to obtain football kit the children at Bethany as well as Talakag town all benefitted and this started an enthusiasm for the sport amongst boys and girls. In addition to the football kit Meriam also brought with her a large quantity of dental care kits for the children consisting of tooth brushes and toothpaste. A large selection of baby clothes was also included as well as a monitory donation.

Marilou hands over the dental hygene packs and baby clothes

 I always like to say a big thank you to our donors and on this occasion especially to Paul & Debbie Kinghorn for the used youth team strips, this is the second batch Paul & Debbie have donated. Also I’d like to thank Elaine McClymont for her donation of used football tops and boots. Thank you Loraine Houlden and friends for the dental care kits and baby clothes and also I’d like to mention Sheila Murdoch and the others who donated a monitory sum for Bethany.

 

                          Some members of the football team with their new stips 

The box with all the items is already on its way to Bethany and should arrive in Talakag by Mid-August all going well. When the box arrives I will be sure to include photographs of the handover of the donations to the  Bethany staff. Once again a big thank you to all of you for giving so generously to a worthy cause.   

Meriam visits Bethany

Meriam in Talakag native costume.

Meriam Quilang-Galuna Hunter long time best friend and supporter of Bethany finally fulfilled her promise to visit BCHC here in Talakag last month. Meriam has supported Bethany for many years now and has vowed to visit Bethany when next in the Philippines. Never one to break a promise Meriam during her recent visit to Cagayan de Oro to visit her family and friends following the Typhoon Sendong disaster in December 2011 called on Bethany to hand over gifts brought all the way from East Kilbride in Scotland my homeland.



Meriam in the Nursery with our most recent addition.

During her visit to Bethany Meriam had the opportunity to meet the children first hand and had it been possible, I’m sure she would have taken them back to Scotland with her. Since returning to Scotland Meriam has informed me that she has been working hard to raise funding for Bethany amongst friends and work colleagues so all we can say is a very big thank you to all in East Kilbride who wish to help us here and your donations will be put to a worthy cause.

Meriam with Marilou and myself.

Once again thank you Meriam for taking the time to visit us here in Talakag and seeing first-hand the valuable work done by Bethany on behalf of their children.

Sustainable Rubber Plantation Project.

The Rubber Plantation

The rubber plantation project that a group of my friends, former work colleagues, Marilou and I started back in 2009 is now approaching its fourth (4th) year of growth.

The young trees are now gaining height and girth and should be ready for tapping sometime towards the end of 2013 or early 2014. Once tapping commences Bethany will have 25 years of monthly income and with the just over 4 hectares plantation that will give a financial yield of 30,000 pesos monthly net income.

         The trees are maturing

Our dream was to plant a further 11 hectares which would then on maturity give Bethany Home a monthly income of 125/150,000 pesos, depending on world market prices and demand. This would truly make Bethany self-sufficient in terms of financing the existing facilities and allow the future donations from well-wishers to be used to maintain and update its infrastructure ensuring its long term survival.

Marilou and myself would like to appeal to all former Bethany children their supporters and Bethany well-wishers to collectively donate a little to ensure that this dream of being self-sufficient is realised in the not too distant future as remember it takes five years (5) from planting the rubber tree seedlings to tapping the latex. By planting trees we are also helping the environment and natural rubber is much better as a raw material than oil based plastics.



The Miller Family Visit CDO

Dusty, Hazel & Michaella at KL CdeO.

Very recently Adrian (Dusty) as he prefers to be called his wife Hazel and daughter Michella visited Cagayan de Oro following the tragedy of typhoon Sendong to visit Hazel’s family who live in the city.

Dusty hails from Australia and was a one time resident of Cagayan de Oro before returning with his wife and daughter to live there once more.

True to form Dusty though, “What can we as a family do to help those less fortunate when we return for our holiday to CdeO”. The Miller’s brought with them 50 sets of School Supplies and donated them to the children of Bethany, knowing that School Supplies is always an appreciated gift for any child attending school.

50 Sets of School Supplies

As always the Bethany staff was delighted with the gift to the children and once all the school age children have been catered for the balance of the School Supplies will be given to the less well-off elementary students who attend Bethany Christian School for which I’m sure they and their parents will be truly grateful.

It’s worth adding that Dusty when in CdeO always attends the Kingston Lodge Expat Group (KLEG) meeting held every Wednesday at the Lodge and gives generously to the weekly Charity Raffle, the proceeds of which go to various local needy causes. KLEG was able to donate 175,000 pesos in food aid with the donation coming from the proceeds of the Raffle as well as private donations from members and well-wishers in the aftermath of typhoon Sendong.

Once again a big thank you to the Miller family for their generous gift to Bethany and we all hope to see you again in the future when you may have an opportunity to visit Bethany Home here in Talakag.  

 

The Typhoon That Devastated Northern Mindanao.

On Friday the 16th December at approximately 10pm local time the Northern Tip of Mindanao between the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro and their surrounding districts was hit by the typhoon Sendang. The typhoon brought very heavy rains which by the time they ran down into the rivers which reach the sea along the northern coast it was around 4.30am Saturday morning. Most of the local inhabitants were asleep when the rivers burst their banks and the torrents of water swept through their homes. Many people were literally swept away in the swell of the torrents and subsequently drowned those fortunate enough headed for higher ground or even their rooftops or anything higher than the water level which included trees.

The aftermath of this dreadful event was to leave in excess of 500 dead and countless missing presumed drowned or buried in the devastation.

Both cities and particularly Cagayan de Oro which is closest to Bethany have been devastated with still large parts without power or running water. Aid agencies are working flat out to help those affected by the devastation and the resulting trauma.

Talakag where Bethany is located is still cut off from Cagayan de Oro due to the road being blocked by several landslides still to be cleared. There is also no power in Talakag area due to lines being down so there is no direct communications with them. There is also no water due to the power outage. I know the people of Talakag will make do as will the staff of Bethany till things can be put right that is the nature of the Filipino.

My concern is for the future when the mess is sorted and the children affected by this disaster need to be placed as will surely happen. Children will have lost parents and siblings, some parents will not be able to cope after loosing all in the storm resulting in children requiring care.

With Bethany not being funded by anyone other than individual donations they are going to require your help and urgently.

Please if you can spare a little let me know by direct mail to me and I will get back with instructions of how to send your donation to reach Bethany.

I don’t wish to post pictures of the disaster here as the situation has already been widely publicised and would only cause more distress to those who have been affected.

God bless all those who have survived this ordeal and give them the strength to continue.

FESTIVE GREETINGS TO ALL MY READERS

Well it’s that time of the year again when we recall the events past and look forward to those still to come.

Christmas is not just about receiving and giving presents but also to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who from such humble beginnings is now known and remembered in all countries of the world we live in.

I would like to think that our founder Miss Lynip’s work at Bethany would also not be forgotten or that of the many people past and present who continued in her footsteps.

Bethany is a wonderful place for children who need love and care that due to often tragic circumstances makes it necessary. For those fortunate to have visited Bethany and witnessed first hand the dedicated work by its staff and seen the smiles on the faces of the children I’m sure you will agree with me.

My challenge since my promise to Miss Lynip in 2005 has been to try my very best to help ensure the continuity of Bethany and the great work it does.

I ask those of you who can possibly afford to do so please help us maintain the wonderful tradition of keeping Bethany alive and serving the needs of Filipino children. Whatever you give in the year to come big or small will be cherished and used for the benefit of all. I promise I will keep those of you wishing to know informed of the happenings at Bethany by way of this blog on a regular basis.

I wish you all a wonderful festive season and a happy and prosperous New Year and may your God go with you and care for you always, where ever you are.

UP DATE ON RICKY LOPEZ

Ricky Lopez whom I wrote about previously is coming along in leaps and bounds as the saying goes due to his therapy treatment for his autism being funded by Erin and Rodger Kadey from the USA.

My wife Marilou keeps the Kadeys informed on a regular basis as to Ricky’s progress which has been truly amazing since it began in late 2009.

Ricky has gone from being a disruptive and difficult child to someone who is now willing to communicate with others as well as show a willingness to learn new things.

I have often read and heard of a child’s hidden talent and its all about finding a key to release that talent.

Ricky with his Jigsaw.

Ricky has a talent for completing jigsaw puzzles and the more he does the advance and complex his undertakings become. To watch his face when he is doing these puzzles is a sight to behold and the concentration he puts in is something I never thought I would ever witness from him.

The above is an example of how a child if given a chance can develop despite their handicap. I do appreciate that in today’s world climate finances are tight and giving is extremely difficult however every little counts as Bethany’s needs never go away.

If the burden of care can be shared it becomes less heavy for the individual when spread amongst the many, its better to give $2, £2 or €2 than give nothing at all as when all the donations are counted a Bethany child will truly benefit.