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Improve Nutritional Standards in Tacloban City, Philippines

Location Philippines
Start Date Every Monday
Duration
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The Project

Make a fundamental life improvement by volunteering in the Philippines, in a population where around 30 million people cannot afford food to meet their basic nutritional needs. Many Filipino children suffer from stunted growth and development, low academic performance, and wasting due to poor nutrition. Malnutrition also increases the susceptibility to disease, and so many Filipinos suffer from blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. This project was created to oversee the food intake of numerous families in local barangays (communities) and monitor the malnourished children throughout a targeted area of Tacloban City.
Why the project needs you

Basic nutritional knowledge and education is poor throughout the general population of the Philippines, and nutritional requirements - such as an adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables and dairy products each day - are either not known or are financially out of reach. Volunteers with experience in health promotion and nutrition can help to educate, devise programs, survey, evaluate and become directly involved with the nutritional supplementation side of food security. Your up to date knowledge and skills will be valuable to the staff and communities you work with.

Project Location

The office is located on the island of Leyte, about an hour by air southeast of Manila. The Leyte capital city, Tacloban, has modern amenities. Volunteers live in Tacloban with a family in a homestay within a barangay, or local community. In this small village atmosphere you will be surrounded by friendly locals and immersed in community activities. Tacloban is a historic World War II site, the beachfront city where the American General Douglas MacArthur liberated the Philippines in 1944 from Japan. It has a population of over 300,000 and the local dialect is called Waray-Waray, though English is widely spoken. Tacloban City is not typically a tourist destination and gives foreign volunteers a real chance to immerse in the one of a kind Filipino culture.
Project Facts

• Duration: 2 - 26 weeks
• Cost: £699 ($1223) for 2 weeks, £125 ($219) for each week thereafter
• Requirements: age 18+
• Location: Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines
• Project activities: Community nutrition, surveys, supplementation, food mapping and nutrition education.
• Working hours: 08:00 - 13:00, Monday - Friday
• Project Availability: Projects begin every Monday, year round. The busiest time on the project is June-July and this when the government nutrition divisions deliver nutrition clinics to the local communities.
What is included

• Accommodation: Single or shared room in a home-stay
• Food: 2 meals per day - Breakfast and Dinner
• Airport pick up and drop off
• Training: Pre-departure pack, On-site Orientation and project induction provided
• Support: 24 hour support from on-site coordinators, access to office in Tacloban City (including free WiFi)
• Excursions: 2 field excursions are included in your visit. You will have a beach trip with your host family or sponsor kids and you will have a project excursion visiting various many of our projects. Staff can also help plan weekend excursions.
What is not included

• Flights
• Insurance
• Visas

Role of the volunteer

Volunteers join the Barangay Nutrition Committee on its daily routine of visiting barangays (communities) to issue nutritional surveys, administer nutritional supplements, or take anthropometric measurements. Volunteers teach basic nutritional education classes for children in schools and parent classes in communities. Parent classes are vital, as many parents here have never learned about the nutritional requirements their children should be getting. Additionally volunteers may also chose to organize activities based on their specialties at the community centre at the location of their homestay and may also offer after school tutorials to some of the local children in the community.

A large portion of your time in the morning is dedicated to preparing healthy, balanced and nutritious meals for the children of the barangay. You will be in charge of preparing the food for meal times (usually breakfast and lunch) to ensure the children are getting enough minerals and vitamins into their diet.
Skills Required

Experience and study within the nutrition field is preferred. Before arriving, volunteers should familiarise themselves with the typical native foods, nutritional deficiencies, general economics, and cultural beliefs of the Philippines. Volunteers can help in a variety of areas depending on their knowledge, background, and level of interest. There is so much that can be done to improve the nutritional status of the local population that with drive and determination, volunteers have a very real chance to effect lifelong changes and healthier habits in this population.

Volunteer Journal

"My nutrition volunteer project in the Philippines was the most fun I've had in a very long time, as well as being the most rewarding thing I've ever done." - Michelle Fraser, UK

If you would like to read more of Michelle's journal and see some of her fantastic photos, click here.

Your life outside the project

Volunteers stay in a local Filipino community with a homestay family. The homestay will provide you with your own bedroom and two meals a day. This experience in itself is enriching and gives you a chance to immerse yourself in the local life. Filipino families eat a lot of chicken, fish and rice as well as exotic native dishes, and your homestay family will bring you great insight to the "Pinoy" culture.

During non-working hours and days, what is there to do?
Catch a jeepney (the colorful bus unique to the Philippines) into downtown Tacloban and sample some local cuisine, or check out the bargain shopping (woven straw purses, beach bags and native jewelry are great finds). Go for a coffee and light bite to eat in one of the Western-style coffee shops, or stop into one of the numerous internet cafes to e-mail family or update your travel blog. Those wanting to play sport can join in with the regular local community basketball games, or use the nearby badminton courts, climbing wall and gyms. It's not hard to find outdoor enthusiasts to recommend great nearby climbing spots. If you just want to relax or read a book for a few hours you could try one of the local palm tree lined beaches.

Volunteer placements here also work with a local community center, and volunteers can also participate in English teaching lessons and games for disadvantaged children. It is a great chance to get involved and build good relationships with the local kids.

During the evening, meet up with fellow volunteers and choose from a number of acoustic bars where you can listen to live music, play pool, and, of course, grab a mic and join in the national love for karaoke. Or for a more chilled evening, sit along the waterfront of Magsaysay and enjoy some delicious barbeque.

Included in your placement fee are 2 excursions. These are organised day trips with the in-country staff. They include an excursion with your homestay and sponsored kids, and an excursion with fellow volunteers, which may include visiting the beautiful beaches of Samar, visiting some of the orphanage and street children projects in neighboring cities, or venturing to stunning Lake Danao in the mountains.
Ideas for Independent Travel

Mount Mayon

Mount Mayon last erupted in 2001 and is considered one of the world's most perfectly cone-shaped volcanoes. It stands at 2462m and takes a moderately fit person two days to scale. Between March and April are the best times to climb, as other times of the year are quite hot and rainy.

Pangsanjan Rapids

Riding the rapids of Pangsanjan River during the wet season from August to October, when the water flow is high, is quite exhilarating and not for the faint of heart. Along the 1½-hour route are stunning waterfalls, towering cliffs and superb scenery, some of which was pictured in the film Apocalypse Now.

Swim with Whale Sharks

Donsol, a village on the Luzon peninsula, is one of the best places in the world to swim with the largest fish in our seas. To swim with these gentle giants, which grow up to 18m in length, is an unbelievable experience and highly recommended if you have time to explore. Peak months to see these great fish are between February and March.

Project Quality

Kaya evaluates every project we offer to ensure that we only commit to programmes with genuine need for volunteer aid, not just financial assistance. We develop relationships with the projects and help shape initiatives to ensure in the long run that we do not encourage dependence on outside help, but rather establish foundations on which the people can build and develop themselves. We also ensure that the members of those communities are open and eager to learn and discover our culture, as we become a part of theirs. The quality and sustainability of our programmes are very important to us. We want you to have the most fulfilling and memorable time as possible, and be part of something that is going to last into future generations.

Accommodation & Meals

In most cases volunteers are placed in local homestays where they either have their own room or share with another volunteer. Usually two meals a day are provided by the homestay family, all included in the placement fees. This way a portion of your volunteer fee goes back into the local economy, and you gain firsthand experience of true local family life.

In-Country Coordinators

Each country coordinator is there to make sure your time in your programme runs smoothly. They will pick you up from the airport and take you on your orientation. All in-country coordinators are English speaking and are there to ensure you have all the information and resources for the best placement.

24/7 Emergency Support

As well as support from your in-country coordinators, you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line managed by Kaya staff, in case any problem should arise while you're overseas.

Kaya Help-desk

Each member of Kaya staff have worked, travelled, studied or volunteered abroad, and many staff have visited and volunteered in our projects knowing firsthand the country and nature of the programme placements. Their knowledge of international travel and volunteering is invaluable, and they can give you good advice and tips to make the most of your international placement.

Briefing Pack & Materials

Once you have booked a programme, an information pack will be sent out detailing everything you need to know - from specific project details and vaccinations required to the visa application process.

Airport Pickup

When you arrive at your destination a member of Kaya staff will meet you with a warm welcome at the airport and take you to your accommodation to get you set up for your stay.

Cultural Excursions

Kaya staff are at hand to help organise weekend excursions and activities, which can include visiting cultural places of significance and visiting various projects around the area. This way you can learn firsthand about each project and take part in local cultural and adventure activities.

Arrival Orientation

Shortly after you arrive you will be given your orientation by one of our in-country coordinators. They will show you your placement, local transport, take you into the local town, and show you things you can do in your spare time. Information regarding safety and security will be given along with some much needed lingo when moving and travelling around the area.

Language Classes

At the beginning of your stay the in-country team will provide basic language classes to help you during your time on your placement - and to practice at the dinner table with your host family.

Funding for Individual Projects

If on your placement you wish to start up your own sub-project, a reasonable amount of funding will be provided. An example is: one volunteer arranged a basketball tournament for the street children where funding was provided for team shirts and trophies. This is a good chance to make your own lasting mark on a project and the people of your chosen country.

Local Community Benefits

Not only is your participation on your project of great help to the local communities, but so is the boost to the local economy that volunteers create while they are visiting.

Food time for children on the nutrition project feeding programme at the community centre in the Philippines

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