Volunteer Spotlight - Jule Bär

Name:	Jule Bär
Age:	20 years old
Nationality:	German
3 Words to describe yourself:	Creative - Athletic - Artistic

Tell us about your career so far. What did you do before you came to volunteer in Tapulanga?

"I finished my college education in Germany and 2 years of job internship in carpentry."

 

Why did you want to volunteer for a year? 

"I want to learn another culture and learn how other people think and how they grew in their own culture."

What made you choose the Philippines?

"It’s a very different climate in the Philippines and it has so many coastal areas. It’s a huge different culture in here than Germany. Plus I can speak in English here."

Why did you choose Tapulanga?

"I like working with children in school and I like the advocacy of the foundation."

 

What is the most exciting or most memorable thing that happened to you during your few weeks as a volunteer? 

"I love it when random students approach me during dismissal and ask me to play with them."

What do you find to be most challenging about your work? How do you deal with it?

"Kids don’t really understand when I talk in English so I can’t do much. So, I just ask them to go to their teacher."

Who or what inspires you?

"The small kids in school inspire me to continue to work." 

 Tell us more about yourself!

What are you passionate about outside of work?

     "I love doing doing sports, riddles, hanging out with friends. I love cooking and arts!"

    Tell us 2 things that you have learned so far.

    "I learned to ride a jeepney and say “Lugar lang”! – I learned how to open a Pomelo!"

 

6    What is one thing you are good at?  

       "Sports"

         What is one Tagalog or Ilonggo word/phrase you like to use? 

 “     "Lapis!”

    

Bonus Questions!

     What’s your comfort food? 

–    "Döner! A German sandwich composed of bread with veggies and sauce." 

        

     Tell us about your favorite book. 

–      "Asterix"

Volunteer Spotlight - Anna Krüger

 

Name:	Anna Paulin Krüger
Age:	20 years old
Nationality:	German
3 Words to describe yourself:	Organized – Empathetic - Short

    Tell us about your career so far. What did you do before you came to volunteer in Tapulanga?

    "I just finished my college in Germany."

 

    Why did you want to do volunteering for a year? 

    "I really want to know how people live in other countries. I want to broaden my horizon and gain new impressions and learn something from different cultures as well as learning about myself."

 

    What made you choose the Philippines? 

    Here, everyone is so welcoming and so friendly. I feel very welcome here."

 

    Why did you choose Tapulanga?

    "There’s so much things I can do with the children here. I like to share my inputs for the children’s welfare."

    What is the most exciting or most memorable thing that happened to you during your few weeks as a volunteer? 

    "One thing that really warmed my heart was during the first week. The kids didn’t know me that well but when I was in class, all kids were jumping and shouting “Ms. Anna!” and they all wanted to cuddle me. They were all so warm and friendly even though I don’t personally know them."

 

    What do you find to be most challenging about your work? How do you deal with it? 

    "I think the most challenging thing is that most of the students are not open to committing mistakes in front of us because they think that since we are white people, we are perfect people. They think we are different people, so they don’t go to us."

    

    Who or what inspires you? 

"What inspires me is the way Filipino people  handle different situations.

Tell us more about yourself!

 

    What are you passionate about outside of work? 

    "I really love spending time with other people. I love traveling, swimming and diving. I also love to just relax and sunbathe."

Tell us 2 things that you have learned so far. 

"I learned that Filipinos do a sign of the cross when praying. I learned how to say “Maayong  Aga!” which means good morning and I also tried Guapple pie for the 1^st time! It was so good!"

 

    What is one thing you are good at?

–    "Organizing"

 

    What is one Ilonggo word/phrase you like to use?

–     “Halong!” which means take care!

 

Bonus Questions!

    What’s your comfort food?

–    A German pasta called “ Spätzle”

 

    What’s your target destination in the Philippines? Why? 

      "Apo island!"

 

German Volunteers' Journal [October 10 - 14]

Hey there, it's Anna again.

On Thursday and Friday last week, the students from the Daycare had their first field trip to the plaza and playground of Silay City with teacher Ms. Maricel Navigar and myself.

The days before the excitement and anticipation was already great.

There, the students could slide, climb, seesaw, run, balance and laugh a lot for one hour.

After the field trip was over and the students had the chance to take a rest, I went to the Tapulanga office and helped encode lunch meal program and Christmas wish list surveys of the scholars.

Until next time 👋

Check out Full Album here: Pre-Kindergarten Field Trip SY 2022 - 2023

German Volunteers' Journal [October 3 - 7]

Hi, this is Jan!

I work at St. Francis of Assisi School as a volunteer, where my duties mostly concern the grades 1, 2 and 3.

Last year, I came across the Tapulanga Foundation which offered one year of volunteer work, so since I was not able to wholly conduct my work as a yoga teacher due to the pandemic, helping others under these circumstances seemed the most reasonable thing to do.

This week, my Monday and Thursday looked somewhat similar, where I had to help grade three students who had issues with certain subjects. Further duties were related to collecting old LAS or distributing new ones for example. On Friday, this I had to do with Grade 2, but all days I was mostly working with Miss Jona, Miss Christy and Miss Theresa.

At noon, most students go home, except the ones who do their assigned homework. Mondays and Thursdays, I’m watching over grade 9 and Tuesdays and Fridays the grades 8 and 10 together with Miss Imelda.

On Tuesday, the school celebrated 58th years and the founder’s birthday, which was laid together with a Sports day and a mass, where I had no superior duties except for a general overwatch. Wednesday was off day due to World Teachers’ Day.

Until next time,

Jan 👋

German Volunteers' Journal [September 26 - 30]

Hello, this is Jule.

My fifth week at school started with a school-free Monday because of typhoon Karding. Fortunately, the school was able to re-open on Tuesday.

I've been assisting Ms. Elena Coja in first and second grade classes this week. My tasks there were mainly to help students answer their LAS, collect them for correction and distribute the new LAS.

In the afternoons, I help students in higher grades to answer their LAS correctly. I usually help one to three students to do their work.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, classes are over and the students go home or play some sports in the schoolyard.

                    

Until next time,

Jule 👋

German Volunteers' Journal [September 19-23]

Hello, this is Anna. It was my fourth week at St. Francis of Assisi School.

As Lukas already told you last week, I am supporting Ms. Maricel Navigar in the Pre-Kindergarten classes until lunch everyday. My tasks are very diverse and range from performing morning rituals to support with the way to the bathroom to providing individual assistance and contributing my own ideas.

For example, last Thursday, Ms. Ma and I introduced the letter C. For the introduction, I prepared a nice concentration game, which the students really liked. Afterwards we wrote the letter C with our fingers in the air, then on the table, after this the students wrote the C on the chalkboard and then in the folder. While doing this Ms. Ma and I went around and assisted as needed. I also made puzzles with the C, which the children formed.

After lunch I supervised the 4th and 7th graders with their Learning Activity Sheets (worksheets). My main task was to create a good learning atmosphere, to give help when needed and to check the LAS for completeness and correctness.

At 3 p.m., class was over and it was time to go home.
I really enjoyed my work at the school and I am looking forward to the next week.

Till next time! 👋

Anna :)

German Volunteers' Journal

We are Lukas, Anna, Jule and Jan, four Germans currently volunteering in the Philippines with Tapulanga Foundation and working as assistant teachers at St. Francis of Assisi School of Silay City until August 2023. We will be updating you weekly on what we experience at St. Francis.

[September 5th-9th and September 12th-16th]

September 5th, 2022 was the first official workday. Having only recently come back to school after two years at home, the students are definitely struggling to get used to the in-person school routine. They also only have half days instead of full days, however, the school is offering extra time in the afternoon for some learners that can’t do their Learning Activity Sheets (LAS) at home, to do them in school. Wednesdays are always half days for everyone.

Currently, in the mornings, Anna is assigned to the Day care, Jule and Jan alternate between Grade 1 and 2, while I alternate between Grade 1 and 6. In the afternoon, all four of us help out with the students as they do their LAS. My students range from Grade 7 to Grade 9. If we have nothing to do during classes, then we help out in the library.

Overall, we are very much looking forward to more experiences at St. Francis of Assisi School. It will be interesting, challenging, and very memorable!

Until next week 😄,

Lukas 👋

Tapulanga Foundation welcomes the four Hilfprojekt Mariphil German volunteers!

Last August 25, 2022, Tapulanga Foundation welcomed the Hilfprojekt Mariphil e.V volunteers in Iloilo City. The Foundation is in partnership with MARIPHIL since 2019 – with Annelie Paul and Franzi Osterrieder as our 1^st batch of German volunteers, Jade Mae Dehnel and Annika Zöller as our 2^nd batch of German volunteers – and now welcoming our 3^rd batch of volunteers from MARIPHIL – Anna Paulin Krüger, Jule Bär, Lukas Williams and Jan-Niklas Haase who will be staying in the Philippines until August 2023!
 
In the afternoon, our Tapulanga staff Marianne and Marechris joined the Supervisors’ Meeting held in LS training Center in Mandurriao Iloilo. During the meeting, supervisors from different Mariphil – partnered organizations gathered and discussed feedback and strategies on how to effectively handle the volunteers.

Our 4 German volunteers will be assisting students in St. Francis of Assisi School with their Learning Activity Sheets, segregation, assisting teachers during activities and other foundation and school-related events. We are very much excited to have them working with us! 

Tapulanga Foundation's Christmas Gift Giving 2021

Tapulanga Foundation once again held its annual Christmas Gift Giving program to help not just their scholars, but also neighboring schools and communities who needed a lift in their Christmas spirit this holiday season amidst the continuing pandemic. 

Last December 13, 2021, TF was able to share their blessings to a total of 159 families: 134 students and 10 teachers of Jose D. Cuaycong Elementary School, 5 tricycle drivers and 10 sakada farmers. 

The TF team also visited the communities of Sitio Roma, a fishing village, and Sitio Mambag-id and distributed Christmas gifts packs to a total of 220 families.

It was such a heartwarming experience seeing big smiles in their faces as they received the simple gifts Tapulanga Foundation prepared for them. 

On the following day, 345 families of local vendors, pedicab and tricycle drivers received their Christmas gift package at the Tapulanga office. The TF staff also visited Hacienda Manalo 5 and Hacienda Makina, sugarcane farm communities, and was able to distribute gift packs to 105 families. 

On the third and fourth day of the one-week-long program, 630 scholars from Preschool to College received their Christmas gift packs at St. Francis of Assisi School of Silay City court. TF also gave gift packs plus ham to 75 teachers, staff and volunteers of the school.

On December 23, 130 families of Hacienda Tinihaban and Hacienda Lonoy received gift packs as well.

The gift packs included 5 kilos of rice, spaghetti sauce and noodles and a box of chocolates. The scholars also received additional gift items, e.g. toys for the younger ones and cap/hair brush and one-week cellphone data load for the older kids.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all the GENEROUS donors who supported the Christmas Gift Giving 2021 program of Tapulanga Foundation. A total of 1,664 families had a “special” Christmas because of YOU!

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

Disclaimer: Health and Safety Protocols were strictly observed during the Gift-Giving program.

Check out complete album here:

Christmas Gift Giving | Day 1 (Cuaycong Elementary School, Sakada farmers, Sitio Roma and Mambag-id)

Christmas Gift Giving | Day 2 (Vendors, Pedicab drivers, Tricycle driver, Hacienda Manalo and Makina)

Christmas Gift Giving | Day 3  (Pre-kindergarten to Grade 4)

Christmas Gift Giving | Day 4  (Grade 5 to College)