Besides our STEPS program in Panglao, we have one in Catigbian, where Manny manages Mr. Chan’s farm, and 4 in Samar. Since one month, some friends of ours started a STEPS program in a community with many poor people. As you can see, it doesn’t take much to teach children!

Some of our monthly food donation were going, as every month, to an orphanage for infants and some older children, who are in the institution because of negligence and abuse. Another 5 sacks of rice went to a poor neighborhood of Panglao, where around 50 families were happy recipients, and some canned food, pampers and rice were brought to a neighbor of Ellen, our teacher.

Whenever we visit the women prisoners, we feel we get back so much more than what we give. It’s such a joy to see the ladies happily participating in our activities, Bible reading and reflection. Whenever we can, we buy some of the handicrafts they produce. This time, courtesy of Nicole and Patricia, our volunteers from Switzerland, we were able to bring rice and a bag of toiletries for each of the women. One of the women was so overjoyed, she kept opening the bag, closing it again, to open it again after a moment.

Early in the morning on Sep.21, most of our STEPS kids and their parents met up with some of us at the Bellevue Resort beach to help clean up the coast of all kinds of non-biodegradable rubbish such as plastic wrappers, Styrofoam, etc. About 1000 or more volunteers from schools, colleges etc. helped out.                    

Manny and the Bellevue team had planned a mangrove planting as a thank you for the scholarship he and his classmates had received. He and about 20 others are on a course to become teachers and assessors in their profession. In Manny's case, he is studying to become a certified agricultural teacher, which will allow him to help farmers learn organic farming and even get a certificate to work abroad. Mangroves may only be the coastal cousins of inland forests, but these rich ecosystems support the planet and people in unique ways, from providing breeding grounds for fish to storing carbon and protecting against flooding.