The BODY SHOP Foundation
School Caravan : Water for Life Project

June 2011 marked a milestone for Aeta settlers of Sitio Camachile Nabuclod, Floridablanca, Pampanga. The long-awaited dream of many villagers had come into realization when The Body Shop Foundation under Asia Pacific Grants Programme provided with fund support to AWECA Foundation, Incorporated for the project ‘School Caravan: Water for Life’ which facilitate the creation of a clean water facility at school, in order to reduce incidence of water- related diseases among students as well as local residents. More or less 181 Aeta students from Camachile Elementary School along with 361 individual settlers will directly benefit on this potable water supply. The facility also helps in irrigating the vegetable crops and tree nursery at school. As part of advocacy on water conservation, settlers are encouraged to grow around 10,000 native trees on six month period that will eventually plant it alongside the riverbanks or watershed areas in the community.

Farming is the main source of livelihood of the Aeta villagers. In response to their needs, almost all (136 families) were given various vegetable seeds and root crops to plant in their own farm land. To ensure that there is a shared responsibility and sense of project ownership; beneficiaries were organized themselves and crafted a common project policies and schemes in terms of seed dispersal. They agreed to use the agricultural support from The Body Shop Foundation as an initial seed capital. They will give back the seeds to the group after harvesting period, so other farmers can also avail agricultural seeds. On this way, farmers are no longer dependent on individual financiers and with that, family’s cash income would increase. Currently, leaders and members are on process of enhancing their knowledge and skills in managing their project through the conduct of capacity-building activities and some relevant training on public health, sanitation, food and nutrition, water management and waste management.

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The UPS Foundation
School Caravan for Indigenous Peoples

The AWECA Foundation, Incorporated was awarded a grant assistance by the UPS Foundation for a one-year project dubbed as “School Caravan for Indigenous Peoples”. The turn-over ceremony was held at the UPS International Office at Clarkfield, Pampanga on the 25^th of August 2010.  The assistance extended by The UPS Foundation to Aweca is to serve the purpose of increasing the level of literacy, practical skills, awareness and environmental stewardship of 500 indigenous students in the Haduan Negrito Elementary School, Sitio Target Sapangbato Elementary School-Annex, Villa Maria Integrated Elementary School and the Camachile Elementary School. Activities to be undertaken in the project include hands-on training on practical farming of pupils, setting-up of vegetable gardens and plant nurseries in school, daily supplemental feeding, development of self-learning modules, literacy assistance to Aeta parents and elders, as well as volunteer mobilization.


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WESTERN UNION FOUNDATION
School Caravan : Community-based Trade School

It was on November 2009, were AWECA Foundation, Incorporated (AFI) in partnership with WESTERN UNION Foundation marked another milestone in social responsibility in the Philippines. That is, gearing towards economic mobility and psychosocial preparedness of 300 out-of-school youth in different localities of Pampanga. Through the operation of mobile and citizens-based skills training with job referral, life skills and responsible parenting support. Majority of project recipients were family members or relatives of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) where income remains inadequate to sustain children’s education. To deliver effective services, the AWECA Foundation had build up an alliance with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Pampanga (TESDA) and in the same way started up proper coordination with respective Local Government Units and other line agencies. From six months of its implementation, there had been 184 training graduates on Hairdressing National Certificate II (NC II), Massage Therapy NC I, Small Engine Repair, and Beauty Care NC II. Though AFI is still conducting community-based skills training to remaining 116 beneficiaries until November 2010, continuous negotiation with local companies is undertaken for possible job absorption of graduates.       

Opening of Skills Training  

The Chairman of AWECA Group of Companies together with the Executive Director of AWECA Foundation, Provincial Director and Focal, Community-based Skills Training of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Pampanga, and PETNET Representative inspired the trainees during the opening of Hairdressing NC II Training. 

 

Hairdressing

25 youth and 9 mothers developed their competency on pre and post hair service, haircut for men and women, perm hair, perform hair and scalp treatment, bleaching of hair, hair color, hair straightening, hair re-bond, hairstyling and make-up. Graduates came from various communities of Angeles City, City of San Fernando, Magalang, Mabalacat and Bacolor, Pampanga.

 

Massage Therapy

8 male and female youth and 13 women were trained on Hand and Foot reflexology, Acupressure, Shiatsu, Pulling cups/Bentosa, Spa Hilot, Swedish massage and Thai reflex/Leg massage. After 10 days of training, graduates were placed in established local spas for the completion of 300 hours on-job-training.

 

Small Engine Repair

59 undergraduate male youth and 4 unskilled head of the family from the towns of Floridablanca, Sta. Ana, City of San Fernando, Candaba and Arayat, Pampanga were taught for 30-days on Engine Tune-up, Change Oil/Carburetor Service, Motorcycle Overhauling, Automotive Electricity, Tire Servicing and Rim Set Assemble and Alignment.

 

Beauty Care  

58 youth and 8 adults from the municipalities of Guagua, Lubao, Mexico and Floridablanca were equipped on perform manicure and pedicure, facial treatment, foot spa, make-up application, hand and body massage.  

 

Life Skills Training

Fostering significant life values, boosting up of self-confidence, personal development and inculcating proper work attitude and ethics are integrated as part of trainees’ preparation for their respective workplace for the future and also, leading them to become a responsive member of the family and community as well. AFI contracted service of Professional Social Worker and Trainer to handle the program.

 

Responsible Parenting

Parents have vital role in restoring and renewing life values and self-worth of their children. Thus one of the Foundation’s advocacy is to strengthen Filipino Family by conducting responsible parenting session to trainees’ parents or guardian. Parents are reminded of Filipino values and traits and taught on how to establish and sustain good communication with their children and how to handle/manage teens with behavioral problem.


 

Community Service

“Awakening the Spirit of Sharing and Social Responsibility” among the trainees by encouraging them to extend their acquired skills to other needy people through Community Service. Trainees have served more than 300 people on free-haircut, pedicure and manicure conducted in public school, resettlement site and poor barangays in the City of San Fernando and Guagua, Pampanga. Trainees also reached impact as they serve as an inspiration and living testimonies to other out-of-school youth in the localities.

Awarding of Training Certificate

Upon the completion of the required training modules and trade test review, Certificate of Training signed by the TESDA Provincial Director and AFI Executive were directly awarded to trainees.

On-Job Training of Graduate

AFI also works on employment of its training graduates either local or abroad. In doing so, graduates are continuously assisted in their job testing and interviews. Currently, a total of 20 graduates are under on-job training, probation period of employment, employed abroad and engaged in self-owned small enterprise. They are also encouraged to level up their competency by attending other related available trainings.