GSE Team - Philippines, Adventures & Challenges
Group Study Exchange - Philippines "The Power of Rotary"
The Rotary Group Study Exchange program is a unique cultural & vocational opportunity for business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 & 40 who are in the early years of their profession. The program provides travel grants for 4 to 6 weeks for team members to exchange visits between districts of different countries. It provides World Community service opportunities to establish humanitarian projects between the hosting and sending countries to address specific needs. Teams are 1 Rotarian and 4 or 5 non-Rotarians. What follows is the result of District 5050's latest team visit to the Philippines with District 3800 (dates travelled were Feb. 22 - March 29, 2008).
Our GSE Team recently returned home from spending 5 weeks in the Philippines (within Metro Manila - check out our Team Blogbelow). Our experience was amazing and definitely, a once in a lifetime opportunity! We still can't believe just how fortunate we were to have been two of the five lucky Team members chosen by Rotary International as part of District 5050 to be a Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Member.
Our Team visited many Rotary Projects experiencing first hand the poverty of that country. It was great to witness children and families benefiting from the various Rotary Projects implemented in many of the public elementary schools in Metro Manila (eg. feeding, literacy, drinking water, library projects). At every Project visited, I would get this overwhelming need to help but then the next Project needed just as much help as the last; so where do you start!
Well, my Team mate Carrie and I become especially connected to the children at
Shortly after arriving back home; three wishes I'd made on that memorable day started to come true. First was to start a Pen Pal Program and I'm pleased to share that three grade 6 classes from Maple Green Elementary School in Surrey, BC finished writing their letters and 64 of them were personally picked up by Carrie and I on May 13th! The second wish was to provide the school with more dictionaries (one for every classroom if possible) and that wish also came true with the collection of 24 new dictionaries. The final wish was to raise money to provide the school with needed supplies & materials.
So you ask; how can I help??
Well, Carrie and I are hoping that you will get as excited about this project as we are by helping us do the following:
1) Parents and/or Teachers; get your kids involved!!! We need more elementary school kids to participate in the Pen Pal Program!
2) Donate money to our fundraising efforts - goal is to raise $5,000.00 (200,000 pesos).
I know we can exceed this goal!
-kids are already returning their pop bottles & having Kool-Aid stands and donating;
-hold a 50/50 draw at any of your get-togethers with friends;
-roll up your pennies from your penny jars; or
-simply donate what you can - cheques should be made payable to MEADOW RIDGE ROTARY FOUNDATION.
The official kick-off to our Fundraising efforts took place on Sunday, May 4th at a Clothing Party hosted at my place where donations to a 50/50 draw raised $220!
It is yet to be determined what these funds will be used for - depends on the greatest needs of the school and the total funds raised by June 15, 2008. With the assistance and co-operation from Charter President, Manny Reyes and his Rotary Club of Rizal Centro in District 3800; you can be assured that every dollar will be spent to provide for those children.
To date, we have already raised $3,000.92
Sincerely.............
GSE Team Philippines 2008
(604) 603-3631
Email: heidi@nwproperities.ca
Team Blog: www.gseteamphilippines2008.blogspot.com