Volunteer feedback

You were clearly SO SO kind to them and your family sounds wonderful - so close and supportive. Thank you and ALL your family for the enormous generousity and kindness you showed our girls. Eloise said she felt safer in the Philippines than anywhere she has ever gone before. She also has come back saying 'I wish we had a large family like Raymund'!!

Eloise has shown us all the photos and talked us through every minute of the trip and it sounds as if it was the experience of a lifetime. She saw and experienced so much - she said more than she has here in 21 years!! I can only say a big thank you for taking care of my most precious possession (apart from my other daughter) - you cared for them while at the same time giving them freedom, a very difficult balance to achieve - I have struggled for years!

I REALLY appreciate the experience and knowledge you have given Eloise and I know she will never forget her time with you or the people she met. She is already talking about going to Nepal with Emma next summer for her Elective!

We send the very best wishes to you and all your family and thank you again.

Sally Weeks

To dear Eden, Vincent, Andrea, Raymond and Pom,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your endless support and kindness. My time here in the Philippines was made all the more wonderful because of each of you.

At times I felt the program to be quite difficult and challenging but, overall, a very rewarding and satisfying experience—one that will stay with me forever.

I know that I will return home missing everyone here and all the wonders of this country. If I ever have enough time I'll be sure to come back to the Philippines and the CERV dorm will be my first stop!

So, lastly, I would like to wish you all the happiness in the world and that you continue to do such an amazing and extraordinary job.

Much love,
Rebecca Snell, Australia

To Eden, Vincent, Raymund, Pom, Andrea and the whole crew at the CERV dorm,

What an experience this has been. Thanks to you guys, I have had the time of my life here.

The things I've done like (reluctantly) eating balut, climbing the rice terraces at Batad, and being the first person to fall down the stairs have made my time here unforgettable!

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it has been awesome to share it with you guys.

Thank you!

Keep smiling and I hope to see you all again very soon.

Adam
PS—Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!!

I just want to say again that I had a really great time. I feel the whole month was such a varied experience and i learnt so much. I really hope that I can one day come back and volunteer as a qualified doctor! please can you send my regards to everyone in the dorm and tell them that my holiday would not have been the same without them.

All the best,

Lucy xx

Hi CERV family

Would just like to take this opportunity to say that me and Jas had a brilliant time in the project and found everyone to be very welcoming and kind so many thanks.

Hearing about the day care centre is making me miss everyone at the school very much and I’m already wishing to be back in Manila.

Take care and thanks again for everything

Mandeep

I experienced a little bit of life in the Philippines and would come back again and that's a great thing.

I just returned to work today and am talking to the folks here about what we can do to help the school. Stay tuned because I should have some news in the next couple of weeks. I am keen to stay involved.

Thank you to Pom, Eden, Vincent and yourself for making my stay an enjoyable one.

Tell Pom that my niece was very excited to receive her beads. She's busy creating.

I'll email with some news about what my organisation can do to help the Day care Centre when I have worked it out.

Loriza

I had a really great time working with CERV so thank you for sorting things out for me and looking after me.

…i would love to come back to the Philippines one day so i may see you again.

Best wishes,

Bridgette

Maayong Gab-i

It was sad to leave all these adorable people in Dumangas…Captain Narciso and me when they gave me a plaque of recognition at the end of my stay; nice remembrance.

I enjoyed my experience in Dumangas, I learned about mangroves and Filipino culture. Filipinos people are lovely and I hope to come back in the Philippines one day. I brought back many souvenirs in my head and in my heart.

Halong,

Claudia

My placement project was at Quirino High School in Quezon City. In the two weeks there, I repaired many leaky holes in the roof of one of the buildings, repaired four ceiling boards, and painted the ceilings of two classrooms. As well, I was able to volunteer at a local daycare helping children learn basic things.

Alex

I worked at a Daycare placement in the mornings and elementary in the afternoons. However, due to my fundraising, I was in a position to run "community projects" as well including installation of 7 water pumps, roof repairs at local school, CR installation and the clean up of a play ground area.

Emma

I have finished my two week volunteer work with the CERV program in the Philippines. I want to thank Raymund, Vincent, Pom and Eden for being so helpful during my two weeks with them. It was a good learning experience for me, I have learned so much about the Philippines and the people who live there.

I worked with Vincent installing exhaust fans in some very small and hot classrooms. We also were able to construct two TV and DVD cabinets so it would be more visible to the children. With the help of everyone at the CERV office I was able to learn and see many interesting places in the Philippines as well.

I plan to continue my support to the CERV program in the Philippines with financial support and hopefully return to the Philippines again. I am happy to have been able to help out and very appreciative of the helpfulness and kindness shown to me by everyone I came in contact with. If anyone reading this is considering becoming a volunteer, don't hesitate, become a volunteer, you will never regret it!!

Richard Kastenschmidt

Day 1 of Project:

Today was spent viewing the condition of the high school I will working on. For being one of the most well-funded high schools in Manila, I was surprised at how archaic the school seemed relative to a so-called "not-so-well-funded" public high school in the U.S.

Needless to say, the atmosphere was buzzing and the students full of life. Just from walking through about a quarter of the school though, I saw simple, leaky roofs made of plywood and rusted gutters among other flaws.

Hopefully, I will be able to aid CERV Philippines in creating an initiative that can be carried on long after I leave and give the students and teachers something to be proud of and look forward to going to everyday!

Alex Harbison

I have been having the time of my life since I have been here! So far in the health program I have been going with the midwife that I am staying with to the health centre most days, as well as going to the local hospital to get an idea about what they do and help all that I can, though sometimes that is hard as they do not have the facilities here that we have back in England. The doctor from the hospital has been teaching me how they get around these problems the best they can, so I have been learning a great deal too.

With the midwife I have assisted with 2 home deliveries which were fantastic, and learning from her about the same issues as mentioned above. I have also assisted with minor surgery and tomorrow I will be giving vaccinations to the children. I am also teaching the local people about natural family planning with some equipment I have brought with me, as 'normal' contraceptives here are hard to come by.

I have just come back from a weekend with some of the other volunteers in a neighboring island which was beautiful. I have been getting so much from my stay here.

The people here are brilliant and have been so welcoming especially my host family and the people from CERV.

Hellene Giret