Today’s story will take a bit longer to explain.  We left Puerto Princessa and drove up into the highlands in the north central region of Palawan.  Our first stop was at a boarding school first envisioned by the parish priest in the 1990’s.  He observed that his parishioners were spread out over a large region.  There were only three high schools in the region.  Many of the poorer farming families could not afford to transport their children to these high schools.  This was particularly a problem for girls.  The priest, who has now gone on to be an associate Bishop in Manila, dreamt of a boarding school where girls could come and reside while pursuing their studies.  With the assistance of the Jesuits, community volunteers and local Rotary clubs a 50 bed boarding school was built which now houses the students.  The goal is for the school to become self sustaining. The students, Salician Sisters of Dom Bosco and volunteers operate their own organic farm, raise chicken and pigs, and harvest rice on the school property.  They are completing a tilapia pond as part of their waste water treatment center.  Students learn practical skills that would enable them to develop their own small businesses in the future.  The first students graduated in 2006.  The support of patrons and donations has enabled several students to go on to college studying a variety of subjects such as math, science, accounting and teaching.  Other graduates now serve as role model volunteers at the school. 

Celebrating the Feast Day of Dom Bosco with the students.

Our wheelchair recipient was located by the students of the school while researching for a school project.  The assignment was to make the students aware of their good fortune of attending the boarding school by locating people in their community who were needier than their own families.  They located our recipient who is now thirteen years old.  She is the eldest of six children.  Five years ago at the age of eight she was carrying a container of fuel to her family compound.  She had been given volatile aviation fuel instead of regular fuel.  On the trip home she dropped the container and it erupted in flame burning her from the waist down.  She was given immediate aid but her family could not afford any follow-up treatment or drugs.  Her father is day labourer, her mother harvests what she can from the area around their home.  Their neighbours donated woven walls for their approximate eight by twelve foot bamboo framed home. 

Despite her still unhealed wounds, and the lack of pain medication for five years the recipient is known for her sunny disposition and ever present smile.  The students of the school have adopted her as their special sister.  They make trips to her home at least once a week with one of the Sisters to assist her with her studies and provide her with a connection to the outside world.  The recipient’s goal is to be able to go to Mass, continue her high school education and be with her peers. 

We travelled down the path to her home with the two of the Sisters from the school and a fellow Palawan Rotarian who is a community nurse.  We were joined by the recipients three youngest siblings and her mother.  Enclosed below are some pictures of our time with this precious girl.

Gina meeting Jovilian in her hut.

Tom carrying her out to her wheelchair,

Out and about in her new wheelchair.

This will be the most poignant example of the difference between medical care in the first and third world for those of us on the trip.