MA Volunteer Spotlight: MINA HERRERA

Mina Herrera heads the Mano Amiga Community Development team, a group of volunteers who help in implementing different programs and establishing partnerships aimed at providing integral formation to the children, parents, and the whole community.


What was your first impression of Mano Amiga when you joined in 2008?
I saw a community of people who were committed to and passionate about providing quality education and spiritual formation for underprivileged children. I really wanted to be a part of this community and to do my share.

Why accept a job that, humanly-speaking, involves so many challenges and sacrifices?
I just thought it was the right thing to do. Given the sorry state of our educational system in the Philippines, I decided that volunteering for Mano Amiga would be a great way to take action and to be part of the solution.

What, in your experience, is the key in working in a Mano Amiga school?
Enthusiasm so that we can dream big. Teamwork and cooperation so that we can come up with great ideas and help each other find ways to transform our dreams into reality. Faith so that we never lose sight of our goals and so that we don't get discouraged when we encounter obstacles. Patience and perseverance so that we can see projects through and continue working toward our goals. Creativity, resourcefulness and flexibility so that we can make the best use of our available resources, figure out ways to successfully carry out our projects, and adjust to whatever surprises, challenges and opportunities for service come our way. A sense of humor and gratitude so that we can appreciate all the opportunities and blessings that come our way because of our volunteering with Mano Amiga.

Could you mention a concrete example of transformation that has happened in the time that you have been working in the school?
When we started holding enrichment activities for the Mano Amiga students on weekends, we saw that many of the other children from the community also wanted the chance to read books and to learn. When they asked if we could hold activities for them too, we decided to take on this new challenge even if it wasn't in our immediate plans. We now have a group of community kids (as we fondly call them) who regularly attend our activities for them.

How can people participate in this project of transformation?
For community development, we are looking for people who can volunteer for the activities with our Mano Amiga students and community kids. Currently held on two Saturdays each month, the sessions include games, arts and craft projects and story- based activities. We would also appreciate help with our programs for the parents of our Mano Amiga students. These programs include parenting and nutrition seminars, livelihood, financial management and entrepreneurship workshops and spiritual formation classes. And donations of books, educational materials and school supplies for the community library would be most welcome!

Feliz Cumpleanos Monica!

Regular volunteer Monica Recto decided to celebrate her birthday differently this year. Instead of a lavish party, Monica invited her friends to Mano Amiga Academy where they spent the morning playing with the students. Monica also asked her friends and relatives to donate to Mano Amiga in lieu of a gift.
A big THANK YOU to Monica for celebrating this special ay with us!

ISM STUDENTS REACH OUT

23 high school students from International School Manila(ISM) spent a whole week in Mano Amiga Academy as part of their ICARE (International Community Actively Responding to the Environment) week.

The ICARE program offers IS students an opportunity to contribute positively to the community, the environment, and to learn more about the Philippines and its culture. This year, Mano Amiga Academy was fortunate enough to be included in their roster of partner organizations.

Led by Mr. Ron Fast, together with Mr. Dale Hutchison and Mrs. Vicky Herrera (high school guidance counselor and the mom of Mano Amiga’s community development heads, Mina and Amor Herrera), the IS team arrived at the school in high spirits, very much excited and ready to work. The students were given the chance to interact with the Mano Amiga kids by being teacher assistants in class. They also helped with cleaning the school, preparing and constructing educational materials and visual aids for the teachers to use, and purchasing much-needed school supplies and equipment.

The week long program culminated with the unveiling of a new play area that was furnished by the highschoolers. The Mano Amiga students could not contain their excitement upon discovering that they now have a place to play and run around in.

Before they left, Ramon Austria, Mano Amiga’s school director, expressed the school’s gratitude for all the work and effort that they put in. “What you’ve done here is something that cannot be quantified or measured,” he said. “You all have truly left a lasting impression in these children’s hearts. This is your legacy, and just as we’ve benefited so much from what you’ve done for the school, know that you have also gained much because of your generosity.”

Something fishy

With the help of Living Dreams Philippines, Mano Amiga Academy students had the chance to visit the Manila Ocean park and learn about the Philippines' rich marine biodiversity.

The students, along with their volunteer Ate or Kuya for a day spent a whole afternoon observing countless fish species. The kids could not contain their excitement as they saw up close the different sea animals that they learned in class.

The boys were instantly drawn to the tanks featuring sharks and manta rays while the girls preferred admiring the colorful schools of fish. The park attendants also allowed the students to touch a live starfish and to interact with live shrimps.

Mano Amiga Teachers' Day Off

The partners and donors of Mano Amiga Academy recently had a rare opportunity to step into the teachers’ shoes for a day. In an event aptly entitled Teachers’ Day Off, several CEOs, businessmen, and even a thespian and a congresswoman, volunteered as guest teachers in Mano Amiga and taught different subjects like English, Science, and Catholic formation.

“We came up with this activity as a creative way to thank our teachers for the wonderful work they are doing in the school, and at the same time, to show our partners how far Mano Amiga has come in a year”, Development Director Lynn Pinugu shared. “It was fulfilling to see our partners connect with our students in the classroom and to hear them thank the Mano Amiga teachers afterwards for their hard work and dedication.”

Volunteers for the two-day event include Noel and Lally Trinidad, Acie Romero-Salas with her daughter Paloma, Lorenzo Ocampo (Petnet, inc.), Amanda Lim, Anay Zalamea, Yssa Fernandez and Xavier Javier (Western Union), Dee Chan, Eileen Navarro and Jeffrey Santos (Handyman), Zarah Perez (Starbucks), Cong. Lani Cayetano, and Mano Amiga President Amb. Jose Macario Laurel IV.