Solarized Homes to Improve and Nurture Education

SHINE Green Valley is taking one step forward!

On May 10, 2018, the Sarangani Division of the Department of Education and Sulong Tribu have joined in helping us empower the lives of the T'bolis of Green Valley.

Through the Adopt-A-School program of DepEd, private institutions like Foundation for Rural Electrification for Economic Development serve as major partners in the nation's development and in the improvement of the public educational system, especially of schools in poverty-stricken areas.

Sulong Tribu is one of the Sulong Sarangani convergence program of Sarangani Provincial Governor Steve Solon. Sulong Tribu aims to empower, protect preserve, and promote the resources of IPs through partnership, collaboration and skills enhancement. For SHINE Green Valley project, Sulong Tribu committed to promote livelihood by giving training on sustainable agriculture and by providing seeds for the locals of Green Valley.

With this partnership, SHINE Green Valley is truly shining for the T'bolis!

To help the communities catered by the Green Valley Integrated School (GVIS) prepare for the solarization of their homes, our team completed the facilitation of the 1^st (of 3) community mapping with our partner-residents from Green Valley village, including those from the 3 cluster sub-villages : Lahakawa, Lesok Bu and Lamketi.  22% of the Green Valley community, including their village leaders, made a visual representation of the whole Green Valley villages.  They identified all natural resources and facilities that are present in the community, specially those that are important to them: river, trails, homes, school buildings, churches, stage, road, etc.

A household survey for all these villages were also conducted to help ensure that everyone will have the opportunity to be part of the program.  All 46 households were able to participate in this survey! 

It took us three (3) days to complete Green Valley’s mapping and survey.  During this visit:

• we were able to help the community iron out their numbers:  there are 46 households with a total population of 240, 159 of whom are children.  Of the 159 children, 66% fall in the school age range of 5-20 years old, but not all are enrolled in school.
• A number of the residents cannot account for their age, due to illiteracy and lack of birth registry.
• 96% of the population belong to the Tboli indigenous groups.  The remaining 4% are from the indigenous groups known as Blaan and Manobo.
• Abaca farming is the main source of livelihood for all households, because it thrives in elevated area with a cold climate as Green Valley.

Our survey was a bit delayed as we witnessed first-hand, what Filipinos call “Bayanihan”, where the whole community helps one of their own.  This time, a family needed to transfer their home nearer their relatives.  All physically capable members of the community helped the family move to another area by carrying the entire house, planted it in the new location, and strengthened its foundation.

We met the Tindos family in one of the night surveys, their house was dimly lit by a very small crude lamp, which they were about to turn off at 7PM.  The household has 7 children, 6 of whom are students of GVIS. The children admitted that they do not study at night because they have no light.  We realized then, that we have not seen a single kid study at night at home the whole time that are there. 

Help us bring lights to the students of GVIS, so the Tindos kids, and others in their community, can continue to study and learn even in the comforts of their homes at night. 

Look out for our next update as we revisit the villages of Datalbong and Tulad for mapping and surveys.