Touching story of Ryan. An inspiration to all from the Philippines.

Today, we visited a school EEFM Raimundo Tomaz.  One of the students asked me, “What are the key values that I have learnt in life”.  To which I answered – 1. Have a religion, believe in God and prayers, to be able to trust someone and let go; 2. Follow your heart and believe in yourself.

I remember that my team mate, Ryan (Ruby-Ann Singson) who shared a very touching story about herself.  Ryan was supposed to be part of the IBM Corporate Service Corp Brazil 17 team to Fortaleza but was unfortunately unable to join us.  I would like to share her story, in the hope that she will inspire more people.

Here is the story of Ruby-Ann Singson from the Philippines:

At a young age and just like my 3 elder siblings, I was diagnosed with congenital cataract.  While at grade school, I was often a subject for ridicule because the lens required for my spectacles magnified my eyes.  I was called   different names which eventually toughened me and later on, I learned to defend myself with the only weapon I had and knew then – my skills.  Suddenly, I became more than the “four-eyed” girl they knew. But through high school, I had to tolerate the same behavior and although the support from my family and friends helped me live my life as close to normal as possible. I couldn’t wait to leave my hometown and pursue my studies in Manila (the capital).

When I was at the University, I felt less excluded because the environment allowed for everyone to be who they were and do what they loved to do yet managing to survive in the academic arena. I appreciated the liberty to be my own self and I did not permit my disability to deter me from joining clubs, from participating in socio-cultural activities and from eventually getting a degree. So armed with an additional skill (French language), travel experience and tons of optimism, I was ready to conquer the professional world. 

IBM is the 3^rd multinational company I worked for and though I started my career as a multilingual practitioner, I took on 5 different roles in my 9 years as an IBMer. My responsibilities as Language Development Program Manager, my current role, include management of various projects in the Manila Delivery Center which are designed to enable employees to learn a foreign language (new learner) and/or to enhance their language skills (existing multilingual resources). This is to support the center’s requirement for multilingual resources. I am happy to be in a company that provides venue for skills development and to witness how language skills are acquired, used and mastered is as fulfilling as being able to speak the language myself.

So allow me to share some tips of survival amidst the rapidly transforming work processes and environment. I may not be with you personally today but if you learn a thing or two from these, I would have accomplished the task I set out to do.

1. Don’t apologize for who you are and for what you believe in.

The world is constantly changing and the rise in number of globally-integrated enterprises continuously drives cross-cultural interactions and unlimited sharing of skills. These experiences will be valuable but do not allow them to change who and what you are.  Be open to share your time and knowledge with others but learn to distinguish between demonstrating the values you hold on to from compromising them.  Wherever you’re from and whatever your age, color, disability, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation may be, when you are determined to achieve something in life, you can succeed without losing your identity.

2. Strive to be a better YOU each time.

I agree that we should not rest on our laurels. Let each achievement inspire you to reach the next goal. If you are good at what you are doing now, be better at it next year, and be even better at it the year after. The availability of resources to up-skill oneself is limitless.  Read. Get trained on a skill and be sure to apply what you have learned.  Be gregarious and interact with as many people from around the globe as you can. Do not be afraid to learn from others. Get a mentor to help you - whether in learning a new language and practicing it or in providing guidance on career planning and skills enhancement. Be a mentor or a coach to someone else – it may be an overused cliché but only with constant practice will you become an expert in what you do.

3. Go with the flow but collect pebbles and create your own ripples.

While you may are in a job that you like now, aim to acquire new skills. Ask questions. Challenge the normal. We cannot allow our brains to become stale.  Plan ahead. Anticipate difficulties.  We never know when the next big change will happen but when it does, while the others will still be hoping for the best, you would have already prepared for the worst.  You will never know enough unless you’ve explored the unknown. 

4. Expand your network as early as possible and be gracious at all times.

Who knows, the person you meet at the grocery might just be your next boss! Welcome diversity and celebrate friendships. The ones who stay with you through life’s ups and downs are the friends you’ll keep for a lifetime.

I thank you wholeheartedly for granting me the chance to give something of myself. I wish you all the success as you chase and fulfill your dream.

Thank you Ryan, you inspire me and Brazil 17 team. We missed you and Josie McManus on this Brazil 17 assignment.  But I am sure our paths will cross again!  We know that you have a successful and exciting adventure ahead.  God bless you!

Find out more about IBM Corporate Service Corp #ibmcsc and #ibmcsc brazil at https://www.ibm.com/social/aggregator/corporate_service_corps

 

The value of education. Perceptions and realization.

It has been two weeks into our project with  ITEVA (the Advanced Technological and Vocational Institute) in Aquiraz, Ceará, Brazil. As my IBM Corporate Service Corp partner Berna Tucel from Turkey and I are getting into the field work by interviewing many stakeholders and youths, we are exposed to both the good and bad side of Brazil, education system, challenges of the youths and the efforts from both state and NGOs (non-government organizations).

As we learn about the challenges, we start to appreciate more about the good work that ITEVA is doing in Aquiraz. ITEVA has a great family culture where Fabio Beneduce is like a kind father to the team.  Everyone is treated with respect, love and care.  The camaraderie among the team members is like brothers and sisters.

The philosophy of ITEVA and Projecto Mediacom can be summed up in 6 words - unity, co-operation, discipline, dedication, transparency, conscienciousness. These principals guide the steps of those who enter the Midiacom Academy as students, and in turn teach the new students, and eventually to graduate and work at the ITEVA social enterprise.  These are important values that are missing and much needed in the youths.

ITEVA’s Midiacom celebrates her 10^th anniversary this year, and has many success stories to date. During my stint here, I have seen many other state and social organizations come personally to consult with Fabio on his winning formula. However, it is not without its growing pains.

ITEVA and many other social education organizations are filling a gap in Brazil, as not everyone understands the value of education or technology, nor support it whole heartedly.

Politicians are split in terms of the need for education.  There are those who have a passion that quality education is needed to help the citizens to get out of poverty, motivate them for progress and drive growth for the economy.   

There are also those that view a literate population as less easy to manipulate for votes and they would challenge the status quo of the statesmen and exercise choice that is not influenced entirely by government grants.

At the state level, funds are given to parents for keeping their children in school, so that they are not asked to leave school to work to supplement the family income.  The amount is small and may help a little to keep the students in school, but not as much as a mindset change is needed.   For the lower income, they may decide to have four children, send them to school and collect the grants to retire.

The state also fund the city and municipal to run the public schools.  These funds are subject to potential corruption and funds are low resulting in low salaries for teachers which does not motivate them to seek new skills or create new programs in school.

At the school level, it is entirely dependent on the vision of each school principal on how to shape the school curriculum and how much funding they get.  While there are some 100 new model schools that has sprung up across Ceara, such as the EEEP Alda Facanha in Aquiraz that I blogged about, most schools do not have visionary principals, technologically or vocationally trained teachers, or sufficient funds to invest in improving the school infrastructure.  Many schools are still relying on black boards and teachers do not know how to use computers.

Public schools provide a half day curriculum and it is mandatory to provide food for the children.  Many children stay in school as they need the food.  However, the students do not have any school activities for the other half day.  There are many occasions where the students may end up in bad company as working parents do not have time for them.

At the family level, not all parents understand the value of education.  Families who are in business or are wealthier, are more supportive of their children in furthering their studies and would pay for private school fees through to college and universities.  Most families are accustomed to their fate and expect the children to follow in their foot steps.  For many who do consider education as important, they may not understand the role of technology in the new economy of jobs.

At the student level, many children live in the parents’ homes until they get married, and some stay in the home until they are 50 years old.  As such, there is no urgency to be financially independent.  School students have been known to drop out for reasons such as lack of interest in the subjects, distance to the school is too far.  There is little discipline or dedication for many youths to study or excel in their study.  Many attend school but do not learn.

The work that ITEVA does is admirable in many ways. ITEVA operates Midiacom Academy in the education of  technology which in powerpoint presentations, animation, editorial, and websites.  They also run a social enterprise that provide jobs for the students when the graduate.

In order to keep the academy running, ITEVA has to do an annual submission and justification to secure the approval of relevant funding from the state for social work and ensure the funds is received in a timely manner.  ITEVA also has to reach out the school principals, teachers, parents and students to help them understand the importance of technology as a game changer in the youth’s lives. 

To address the challenges that the community faces, ITEVA first works with the school principals to help them understand the role of technology and the impact it has as a game changer. 

ITEVA then reaches the teachers to provide education so that the teachers can learn simple computer technology and presentations.  This helps to motivate the teachers to learn a new skill, increase their confidence to embrace technology, reduce their fear of change to make lessons more interesting for the students, and reduce student drop out rate.

Collaborating with the school, ITEVA conducts recruitment drives for the students to sign up for the Midiacom Academy.  The students get to learn about technology and when they complete certain modules, they in turn teach the new students.  So, the students get to apply what they learn and it is a cost effective way to run an education organization.  

 Most importantly, ITEVA helps to change the mindset of the community from principals, teachers to students.  The values they learn stay with them through their lives, to motivate them towards a better future.

Find out more about ITEVA at http://www.iteva.org.br

and IBM Corporate Service Corp #ibmcsc and #ibmcsc brazil at https://www.ibm.com/social/aggregator/corporate_service_corps

Proming Youths of Brazil. A peep into public school EEEP Alda Facanha in Aquiraz

The highlight of the IBM CSC Brazil 17 team’s second week is an awesome heart felt community day at a local public school called EEEP Alda Facanha in the city of Aquiraz.

 

Co-ordinated by IBM’s CSC partner Pyxeria & organized by ITEVA (yeah! Berna and my client!), the IBM consultants were invited to share about our countries and our life experiences with the youths. It was also an opportunity for the students to share about their city and culture.

Brazil's State of Ceara is bordered by the sea and other Brazil states and there are no direct overseas flights or ships.  As such, Ceara and especially the city of Aquiraz does not often have as much overseas visitors as Sao Paolo and Rio De Janeiro.  So the kids would not have much opportunity to meet foreigners or experience other cultures outside of Latin America.

Education in Brazil has traditionally been focused on universities. With more graduates, came lots of managers but not enough skilled work force to do the work. So there was a huge gap between management and technical or skilled workforce.

Public schools are funded by the city  municipality, so the education quality is dependent on how well it is funded or run. There are corruption cases where there is insufficient funding going into the schools.   Teachers are not well paid, so there are few teachers who would go an extra mile to pick up new teaching techniques or be motivated to reach out to the students. 

The public schools are required by the state to provide meals for the students. Many students depend on these meals to survive.  However, many students also drop out due to the lack of interest or that the distance of the school is too far, or they are required to work to supplement the family income.  The parents are given grants if their children stay jn school. This is so that the family does not pull them out of school to work.  However, the amount is small and does not always guarantee the students stay in school.

 EEEP Alda Facanha was set up for 3 years and is a model public school in the city of Aquiraz and one of a hundred such model schools in the state of Ceara. In these schools, there is a more structured curriculum focused on building values & life skills. The students are given techincal or key skills that allows them to take up jobs when they graduate.  Besides the standard school subjects of history, science and mathematics, EEEP Alda Facanha has a computer lab where the students can learn basic I.T. and courses such as hospitality and tourism which are practical and relevant for securing jobs.

 Upon arrival, the hospitality students rolled out the red carpet for us with students lined up in waiting as ushers. We met the principals and teachers who had vision and passion.  Although we did not have a chance to converse with the teachers, we could sense in the introductory meeting, their enthusiasm, positive vibes and love for the youths.

We were brought on a tour of the school which consisted of two storeys of class rooms, a large canteen, sheltered sports hall, outdoor area and an IT lab equipped with computers.  The students gathered at the auditorium and performed a song for us, as we introduced ourselves to them.  My introduction was met with roaring cheers and claps as I greeted them in Portugese.  This was followed by a tea reception with all the local food in Ceara.

Each of the consultants had a chance to meet two classes.  In my first class, the students were quietly waiting in anticipation for my arrival.  I was treated to a local story told in the form of a dance in front of two lovely boards hand painted with Aquiraz scenes.  The class had also prepared the table with the local handicrafts of croquet table cloth, butterflies and sea shells.  

This class asked very deep questions, such as,

• how to be a good sales and marketing professional,
• what are the initiatives that Singapore has taken to make Singapore one of the cleanest and well conserved countries in the world,
• how does Singapore preserve the nature and be the largest green area in Asia amidst city development,
• what is the importance of preserving culture for Singapore to reflect its colonial past and cultural diversity of its population with British/Indian/Chinese/Malay influences, and
• how does Singapore become the third most visited tourist destination in Southeast Asia, what brings the interests of the tourists and what are the local government investments in tourism

The one hour was not sufficient as the students were very participative. One of the students was so sweet to thank me for not just sharing my country and culture, the principles and values of life, practical learning and career tips, and that I had truly inspired them to want to strive to be better.

The second class was an active class, and I could hear their excitement from outside the class.  They had formed a U-shape in the class and three sides were competing for me to sit with them, as we watched a video on Aquiraz.

 
 This was followed by food tasting as they had prepared many local food – cakes, tapioca, desserts etc.  They were all very delicious.  When I tasted, I offered to the rest of the class, and they joined in heartily.

I was amazed at the teacher of this class, as he was sitting with the students and appears to one with them.  I only realized he was a teacher when he asked a technical question about IBM’s strategic directions towards value portfolio.  This class had very interactive discussion session and was interested in our culture, sports, food and also what I liked about Brazil on culture, food and experiences.  One strange question was about whether we ate insects in Singapore, as they had seen a documentary on Asians eating insects.

On behalf of Singapore and IBM ASEAN, I prepared a world map with Brazil and Singapore circled out, comparing the geographical area and population density.  I also shared about Singapore’s history, different races living in harmony, freedom of religion, food that is unique to Singapore and our main trade and industries.  I also prepared a short introduction of the sales and marketing professions.

Part of the visit was to expand the students’ perspective beyond Brazil.  So I encouraged the youths to consider that they are rich as they live in a landed property, which is very scarce and expensive in Singapore.  Brazil has vast natural resources with lots of potential that they can harness. More importantly, the Brazilians’ passion and camaraderie are great attributes and the people are the best resources.  All they need is a mindset to better themselves and desire to make a difference in their community.

Many of the students have requested to add us as friends to their facebook and some often message me just to share their lives.  They told me that they have tests on many subjects. I wish them the best results and a new phrase I learnt from the students – “Stay with God”.

I have a lot of confidence in the teachers and students of EEEP Alda Facanha.  The teachers are energetic, visionary and show care for the students.  The students showed a passion in life, positive attitude, great teamwork and are hungry to learn more. I wish them a bright future, to follow their hearts and dreams!

IBM Corporate Service Corp #ibmcsc and #ibmcsc brazil at https://www.ibm.com/social/aggregator/corporate_service_corps

Find out more about EEEP Alda Facanha at their work in progress website: http://eeepaldafacanha.com.br/