A Special Season

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be

 and you help them to become what they are capable of being." 

-Goethe

Vilma Bravo and Lilia Tuason

Earlier this year a new, bi-monthly magazine was launched in Dumaguete. It is a beautifully assembled magazine and it's name is DAYON,  the brain-child of Edilberto 'Burt' Bravo whose desire was to share his appreciation of the unique qualities inherent in the people and environment of Dumaguete and Siquijor Island.  Wisely, he chose his sister, Vilma, and her equally talented friend, Lilia, to give substance and shape to his vision...and luckily for us at the two Bright Lights Community Learning Centers, our supportive friend at GuavaTel, Fred Dael, immediately put Velma in touch with us!  

What makes DAYON stand out from other glossy magazines is not just the photography, but the humanistic quality of writing:  there is never any doubt that these two women are genuinely interested in, and stimulated by, everyone they meet.  In September they visited the two BLCLC's and, appreciative of our need for support, the November /December's Christmas issue featured us along with other worthy causes during this Season of Giving.  

In addition, Vilma has not only generously promised to send a PDF copy of the article so we can post it to our blogs, but in parting donated a stack of educational materials and her own digital camera to the students! Lilia, bless her soul, taking copious notes about our land needs before returning to Manila, was equally generous in offering her expertise to us, for writing grant proposals.

We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful circle of friends who are 
helping us to become all that we are capable of being.

(Please select 'FULL SCREEN' icon above, to read the article)

Halelujah!

 Many of us think we are different. 

But few believe they can make a difference.  

 --Suhasini Paul

Every year since the first Christmas was celebrated by One Candle Schoolhouse students, Patricia and Alan Lucas have sent gifts for the children, gifts selected over the previous months as Patricia came upon items she felt were right for each of the students she'd come to know through emails and this blog. When OCS evolved into the two Bright Lights Community Learning Centers, and the enrollment grew beyond those children she knew, other ways of supporting us were found.  Last year their financial donation made possible a feast for the student's Christmas Party.  This year, learning of the Livelihood Program of Hand-Painted T-shirts that had begun (2TKTees), Patricia ordered fifteen, individually designed, Philippine Flora and Fauna shirts for every member of her family: 

Oh Diane,
We arrived in Point Clare late yesterday and Kevin appeared almost straight away with your/our parcel! It was a wild moment to open the glory box and exclaim as I took each one out! They are beautiful each and every one, she (and you) have excelled in producing such gifts for all our family. I can't praise you enough I am so excited and can't wait to hear how they are received. I will try and include a photo I took of the quote from your email with a photo of Shane Mae which I will include with the shirts when I wrap them.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
My love overflows,
Patricia

2 sent to Italy

7 of the 15 in Australia

Support on Facebook

Tata Stack is an imp; a mischievous, spot-on observer of humanity, sparklingly intellectual conversationalist, and a passionately loyal advocate for anyone who has a cause. Annabelle Lee-Adriano introduced Tata & Simon to the work of Bright Lights Community Learning Centers and immediately Tata began organizing a fund-raising campaign.  Tata and Simon are truly special friends.  Here is the link to her generous project: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tatas-Designer-Bags-and-Shoes-Sale/181847211896531

...and here is a quick link to a post for Simon, on the Learning Center's blog:  http://wp.me/plKNg-7I

...plus only a few photos of his numerous projects in his weekly help as a Guest Teacher:

Mozzarella!

Guest Teachers, Simon Stack & Joanna Bulova

Tata Stack

"Hi Diane, Just want to share with you about Joanna being featured at the New England  cheese maker's magazine  - about her trip and cheese making lesson with the kids at the Learning Center."

http://www.cheesemaking.com

Making Mozzarella in the Philippines

Note:  We did a blog article in June about Joanne Bulova who makes cheese in Jamaica (and sells it in Kingston at a shop called "Uncorked."  She sent us this update:

... At the moment I am in the Philippines for 3 weeks visiting my son and daughter-in-law, who live here.  I'm attaching some pictures of teaching cheese making to a group of Filipino kids at a Saturday program for rural children called the Bright Lights Community Learning Center.  And the cheese we're making is Ricki's 30 minute mozzarella!  We're using whey to stretch the cheese since microwaves are not available.  The milk is fresh raw cow's milk.

The learning center is a voluntary Saturday program set up by an adventurous American woman (Diane Pool) who arrived here on her boat and decided to stay.  It's run on the principles of the open classroom school: the children choose their activities, the older ones help the younger ones, and  there are two staff members to provide guidance.

She (Diane) is hopeful that the children may be able to do the cheese making and actually market their product.
Joanna Bulova

FURTHER GOOD NEWS FROM TATA:  

"...An acquaintance from NYC who owns a restaurant and wrote culinary books about the Philippines food, is creating a pilot project in Dumaguete geared  towards creating community kitchens to make healthy, nutritious and hygienec food accessible and affordable to poor communities.  Her other mission is to provide jobs and livelihoods through the community kitchens by creating a market for artisanal products so that culinary treasures here in the Philippines don't die out. ....your program has major potential for participating in this project ...definitely a perfect collaboration that will meet your mission and theirs....."

The Bill Pool Sailing School

     judge a man, then, by that

     against which he must strive

     against what

     if not this soft night

     and the wind and sea

     against the myth

     he must become

     and his own will

     the ocean waits

     to measure or to slay me
     the ocean waits

     and I will sail

                         --Webb Chiles

We owe the whole program to Doug Schuch, an American sailor from North Carolina who arrived aboard his 47' yacht, FELLOW TRAVELER, earlier this year.  He specifically sailed to the Philippines, to Port Bonbonon, looking for a Community to immerse himself in, and it didn't take him more that a week to become an active and intregal part of our two Learning Centers! 

Doug taught photography initially, then moved to swimming and sailing for the kids.  The three dinghies he built specifically for the students to learn not just sailing, but boat building and maintainence, too.  The boats are here to provide others, also, with an opportunity to enjoy sailing, while generating a small income for the Learning Centers.  

On Sundays, Doug helps the kids rig their boats and set off, then Renato Dela Cruz (co-director of Bonbonon BLCLC) assists the students from another dinghy, as they learn to handle the boats themselves.  

Doug was kind enough to make a motion (passed) at our first Board Meeting of Bright Lights Community Learning Initiatives, Inc, that the name be the Bill Pool Sailing School, to honor Bill's memory in the founding of One Candle Schoolhouse.

Glimpses Granted

No ray of sunshine is ever lost,
but the green which it wakes into existence needs time to sprout,

and it is not always granted to the sower to live to see the harvest.

All work that is worth anything is done in faith.
- Albert Schweitzer

Very emotional morning, April 4th, 2011, watching former students of One Candle Schoolhouse's Saturday class as they graduated from their Philippine public school. 

But it was equally heartening to recognize present Saturday Students from the Bright Lights Community Learning Centers--students now taught by the Volunteer Teams--who were undergraduate students receiving awards. Many of these students' parents were unable to attend the ceremony because they work overseas to provide paychecks for their childrens' education.  Many Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and even Siblings become the primary caregivers then, supporting and witnessing these childhood milestones for absent parents. 

Madeleine, one of our German Volunteers, was privileged to perform that role for one such student when she received her award.  It was deeply touching to glimpse this tender outgrowth of seeds planted in faith.

To all of you who have been such an important part of One Candle Schoolhouse's  evolution into the Bright Light's Community Learning Centers,  please share with us this happy occasion and know that you, like overseas parents, have made it possible...

We're cook'n now!

Irmgard Krepela

"We are here to add what we can to,

not to get what we can from, Life."

--Sir William Osler

 Our long-time "Austrian Angel", Irmgard Krepela, recently returned to visit our newly constructed Learning Center in Siit, bringing with her a truly heavenly donation from her family: Funds for  the construction of a much-needed kitchen!  

Since September of last year, the cooking of our Saturday Feeding Program has been outdoors over a wood fire, with preparation and dinning on make-shift tables...

 ...but under Irmgard's personal supervision 

the Bright Lights' efficiently modern kitchen was completed in record time

and now hearts as well as bellies are filled with gratitude:

Again, THANK YOU for your open hearts and generous donations:

Christina Stahl                    Helga Krepela                       Mathilde Strobel

Along with Irmgard Krepela's gift of a full kitchen to the Siit BLCLC, Gunther Wegricht's equally generous (and much-needed) donation of a Printer/Scanner/Copier has brought bright smiles to students' faces as well as furthering their literary and artistic enterprises....

Brightening the Path

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

This motto was selected by the BLCLC Teams as the theme for their joint Fund Raising Program over Valentine's weekend, and it was exemplified by the generous support given by:

Siaton Mayor Ator

Chris Koeppel Family

Valery Dyb

CPO Armardo L.Egina

Jamie & Nikki Ingram

Francisco A. Palalon

Julia (& husband Seigfried)

Charly & Mely Kandera

To read the full story please click here

Renewable Dreams

Dreams are renewable.

 No matter what your age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within you 

and new beauty waiting to be born. 

--Dale E. Turner

Last Saturday night, February 12th, as I sat in the front row audience taking pictures of the fund-raising performance by the two Learning Center's students, I was overwhelmed by the realization that the vision posted in September of 2008...

"It has long been my dream for One Candle Schoolhouse to move out into the local community, to be more accessible to both children and adults, and to be run by Filipinos themselves."

...had truly come into existence largely because of these people:

 

...Thank you, Bonbonon and Siit Team Members Annabel, Renato, Analie, Lilith, Evelyn, Jesslie May, Shane Mae, Janefel, Aljendra, Madeleine (visiting DED volunteer Inez, from ANIMO).

Watching the performance, the sudden realization of my dream for One Candle Schoolhouse gave only momentary pause about no longer being needed. I felt not loss but joy, recognizing I was now free to transition more fully into the next phase, the Livelihood Skills Program...and for the first time since Bill died, I was excited and infinitely grateful to feel renewed energy for my private dreams as well!

Blogging Begins...again

Lilith Kugler

Madeleine Baensch

"If you've only
one breath left,

use it to say thank you."

 --Pam Brown

Yesterday was a special day.  It was our regular Team Meeting day, but for me it heralded a long, longed-for, return to sharing and thanking supporters for the many blessings we celebrate because of them.

Lilith and Madeleine are Volunteers from the German DED/JVS program, Weltwaerts.  They arrived September 2010, and will be with us for a year, to assist the two Learning Centers' development.  This is the second year we've been fortunate to have talented, enthusiastic, creative partners to work with.

Leoni Ocker was our first, arriving in October 2009, and shouldering a more-than-substantial share of my work that year.  The One Candle Schoolhouse/ Bright Lights Community Learning Centers would not have survived if not for the Weltwaerts program.




Here are a few of the photos taken while we worked, yesterday:

Evenlyn Bucad, Siit Director, composing Thank You Certificates

Lilith instructing how to make a posting to the new TEAM page in our blog

The transition and transfer of One Candle Schoolhouse into the two BLCLC communities of Bonbonon and Siit, has allowed OCS to now focus on a Livelihood Skills program for talented individuals who cannot afford college.  

Shane Mae is asking for input on the name of the hand-painted T-shirt business she shares with Aljendra, one of the eight original students of OCS.

Reviewing their published post, Jesslie May reads aloud their individual statements

"I only wish you could see what I see when I look at you." --Kobi Yamada

Grand Opening - Siit Campus

"Are you in earnest?  Seize this very minute: 

What you can do, or dream you can,

begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Only engage and then the mind grows heated. Begin and then the work will be completed."

--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe