Hi All,
We have continued to do what we can to help people get through this very difficult time and we recently distributed rice to another one hundred (100) deserving families.
The island is sadly not in good shape, with covid cases on the rise. Vaccinations have slowly started to roll out, but it still has a long, long way to go towards providing protection to most people.
Once again, I thank you all for your support and your generosity.
Ruben
As posted before, (please see link below for Ada’s original story) we came across Ada, a little girl with cerebral palsy, through our pandemic food relief activities. She cannot walk, and we promised to provide her with a wheelchair.
We had a closer look at Ada since, and have realised that she can possibly learn to walk by herself and giving her a wheelchair is perhaps not a long-term solution to her situation.
So, we have decided to engage the services of a physiotherapist to assess her. A paediatric rehabilitation plan should also help inform us as to the assistive equipment she might need and regular physiotherapy sessions that might be required. She is still very young, and our aim is to support her achieve the potential for some physical independence and social well-being that could serve her well through life.
Thank you all for your time and many thanks again for all the support. As parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, we owe this to Ada and to ourselves.
Ruben
link to Ada’s original story:
Our present students, Teresa, Helix and Karen.
Dear Ma’am/Sir,
Greetings! I am Teresa Mona Robilla and I am honored to be one of this year's recipients of your scholarship. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to you for making this possible. I was thrilled to learn of my selection for this honor, and I am deeply appreciative of your support.
I am a sophomore student at University of Bohol taking Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies. In this time of pandemic, my dream of pursuing higher education seemed impossible due to financial problems. I was once a City Government scholar but unfortunately I was not chosen anymore due to budget limitations. Also, my father's business has been experiencing bankruptcy due to this pandemic. Luckily, the financial assistance you have provided has helped tremendously and kept me going in achieving my dreams.
This scholarship has been a blessing to me and my family. Thank you again for your generosity and support. My educational pursuits would not have been possible without you. Thank you for helping me try to reach my full personal and professional potential. I promise you that I will work very hard and eventually give back to others as soon as I can.
Sincerely,
Teresa Mona Robilla
Joyce Scott Melbourne, Victoria
It is with pleasure I choose to donate to the Fund. We in Australia are so privileged to live a very comfortable life especially in the current environment with Covid and the access to wonderful medical opportunities. Where possible we should “Pay Back” and endeavour to help our neighbours in the world. My daughters have visited Bohol and obviously conveyed the hardships of the Island hence no hesitation to help these wonderful people, especially Ruben and his immediate family for all their care and support to their community.
Cheers , Joyce Scott
Sisters Nola & Vicki Scott, and friends Janette & Marilyn, visited Bohol back in 2015. Please see link below. https://www.theboholislandproject.com/news-1/2015/7/1/a-big-thank-you-to-nola-vicki-jannette-marilyn
Thank you all. Ruben
Just like Mirasol that needed medication after her breast cancer operation, (please see link below for Mirasol’s story) fate has it that we have come across this young girl Ada, while distributing our pandemic relief food parcels. She has cerebral palsy and cannot walk. She has to be carried around, otherwise this little girl is forced to crawl to move around.
Ada needs a wheelchair, her family have been seeking one for a while now, but they are poor and cannot afford it. They thought that whoever is generous enough to provide these food parcels could maybe help them with their situation.
So we are giving Ada a wheelchair, the best around if possible. With that touching look in her eyes, this young girl deserves a more decent mode of transport.
I think we will also be keeping an eye on Ada growing up, and see what additional help we can offer moving forward, to give her a better shot at life considering the circumstance she is in.
Thank you all for your time and many thanks again for all the support.
Ruben
link to Mirasol’s story:
Dear Ruben,
It gives me pleasure to be able to donate such a small amount - that means so much to struggling elderly in Bohol Island. I am 90 next month and feel very grateful for my relatively good health.
I have great admiration for the good work of the Bohol Island Project. Best wishes and love to you all.
Yours sincerely,
Pauline
Thanks Pauline. You are an inspiration to us all ! - Ruben
Hi All,
We have managed to continue to do what we can to help people get through this very difficult time and we again recently distributed food parcels to a hundred (100) deserving families.
Special thanks to our volunteers, the Betito/Clarete team for not only organising and distributing the food parcels, but also at their own expense added all the canned and packaged goods that went with the rice. It is deeply appreciated.
Once again I thank you all for your support and your generosity.
Ruben
My sister has noticed for a while this frail old man trying to make a living selling vegetables everyday near the terminal where she takes public transport going home from work. Protects himself from the elements by sheltering near parked motor vehicles. We surprised him with a hamper and he was deeply touched by the gesture.
Gave thanks again to my sister the next day, most especially with the coffee and the powdered milk. He kept on repeating how good the milk was!
Thank you everyone for the generosity and the kindness.
Ruben
More hampers to the elderly.
Our past students, Ferry Jean, Humer, Kris, Dovy, Buena and Jolina. Their transformation from humble beginnings when they started to now being employed young professionals contributing positively to society is quite remarkable.
Our present students, Karen, Teresa and Helix. That we will also play a major role in transforming their young lives is a wonderful thing.
Thank you all for the support.
Ruben
A LETTER FROM KAREN:
Dear Benefactors,
Good Day! I am Karen Gales, 19 years old, and from the town of Duero in the island of Bohol. I graduated from high school last year.
I am extending my heartfelt thanks to you all and The Bohol Island Project, as I am one of your sponsored students. Without your help, it would have been near impossible for me to continue my studies. Education is the way for me to reach my goals and dreams in life. My parents died when I was just 5 years old, and I have been raised by my grandmother since that time. She is now 79 years old, and soon I will need to take care and provide for her.
Once again, thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity, and please continue helping young people who like me are less fortunate with our circumstances in life.
God bless you all and more power.
Sincerely,
Karen
People have been generous and we managed to distribute 128 hampers to the elderly. Once again, thank you so much for the support.
There is not much to say as these pictures tell their own stories. A warning that a few pictures may be confronting to some. ( I have tried to put them right at the end.) This pandemic is bad enough in any situation but combined with old age and poverty, it becomes a formidable challenge.
We have brought joy and some comfort to the most vulnerable in society and tears were shed thanking us for these hampers. Thanks again for all the support and wishing you all well.
Ruben
As part of our food relief efforts in 2020, we gave away special hampers last Christmas to the poorest in the community. In the process, we have sadly come to realise that many of those struggling were elderly people.
It is heartbreaking, especially considering that this pandemic is damaging enough for people in any situation. Having to battle it with the added hurdles of poverty and old age is truly a formidable challenge.
With its very strong Christian traditions, Easter Sunday is one of the most important calendar events back in the Philippines. For people, Easter is about hope, renewal and rebirth to a new life as symbolised by the story of the Resurrection.
Whatever Easter means to us, it is still a very opportune time to lend a helping hand and hopefully bring some joy and comfort to some of the most vulnerable people in the twilight years of their lives.
Please consider donating a hamper or two and many thanks to you all for your time and support.
Ruben
Donations can be arranged through our bank account below. Easter Sunday will be on the 4th of April and we need a little bit of time before that to prepare things. Thanks again.
The HAMPER will contain the following items:
5 kgs. of rice, 4 canned goods (2 beef loaf + 2 corned beef), cooking oil, a packet of confectionary, powdered milk (not in picture) and the luxury of them all - instant coffee! (a packet makes 48 cups). Cost is $15 per hamper.
Bank : Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Account Title : The Bohol Island Project Incorporated
BSB : 062-005
Account Number : 1113 8630
Bank : Commonwealth Bank of Australia
International Bank Acc. Number : 062 005 113 8630
Swift Code : CTBAAU2S
Hi All,
The Quinals, originally from Bohol and now living in Australia & the US, have provided food assistance to their former neighbours back on the island. In these very difficult times, the care and thought for the welfare of others is truly admirable.
Keep safe and take care.
Ruben
We were looking for the really destitute and the people helping us distribute these hampers have done their job very well that some of the pictures they have taken show the extreme side of poverty that I myself, familiar with poverty, could not bear look. I have omitted them but some may still be confronting to viewers.
Special thanks to Tony & Sol Sabio for the hampers. You have brought so much joy to people in need.
Ruben
Please click to enlarge.
Our past students. Kris, Ferry Jean, Humer, Buena, Dovy, & Jolina.
Our present students. Karen, Teresa & Helix.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone all the best for 2021. The past year has been quite challenging for many and I hope this year will be a better one for all.
As difficult as it has been for us, we can still count ourselves very fortunate compared to what many others around the world have had to deal this past year. It is good for our own sense of well-being, to reflect on the many blessings and joys in our own lives, and also to remember those who are struggling with things that we sometimes take for granted.
Amidst all the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic, we have managed to continue to do what little we can to help people less fortunate than ourselves.
We have fed families in need. To date, our food aid has amounted to the equivalent of providing around 2500 people three meals a day for a week.
See link: Food Aid
We have helped provide vital medication to people who have been unable to purchase it themselves because of the economic impacts of the pandemic.
See link: Medication
We are continuing to sponsor students, providing valuable access to better education. This has helped young people on a new path towards a more rewarding life, not only to the students themselves but also to their families and communities.
See link: Students
In the spirit of the season, we are giving away special Christmas gift hampers this Christmas, specifically to the poorest of the poor in the community, the barely surviving. Many thanks to a very generous donor.
See link: Hampers
God bless you all and wishing you all peace and good health. Thank you for your continuing support and may 2021 be a better and brighter year for everyone!
Sincerely yours,
Ruben
Hi All,
Recently we provided rice to an additional 150 families. To facilitate this, we usually ask people to come to us so that food could be distributed in a safe and convenient manner.
This time round, we decided to have some of the rice delivered directly to people’s homes. If “a picture paints a thousand words”, these deliveries have afforded us a glimpse into the world of the people we are assisting, giving us a perspective into the reality of people’s lives.
Many thanks to everyone for the continued support during these tough times. Keep safe and wishing you all well for the future.
Ruben
Rice is the staple food in the islands. When there is rice, there is a meal. But during this difficult time it is much more than just food for the body. It is hope and comfort for the soul.
A 50 kg. sack of rice is around A$60.00. We are giving 10 kgs. (around $12.00) worth of rice to each chosen family. This will provide 3 meals a day for around a week to an average family of four, 21 or so family meals in total.
I don't know if this is relevant but it's always in my head: One family meal at McDonalds (Family Box) was $39.95 the last time I checked. In rice terms this equates to an incredible 66 family meals!
Thanks again for your time.
Ruben
Hi All,
Thanks to your generosity, we have managed to provide food assistance this time around to another 154 families, allowing for a bit of comfort and breathing space for people in these difficult and uncertain times.
Many thanks again for the support. It is godsent to people. Keep safe and take care.
Ruben
Please click to enlarge.
26 July 2020
Hi All,
I hope that you are all well and keeping safe during this very challenging time.
Unfortunately, Bohol now has Covid-19 cases with deaths occurring as a result. This is very worrying news indeed as the public health system on the island is limited in its resources, and private hospitals are out of reach for most people.
During our food aid program, we came across Mirasol, a mother of four, who has recently undergone breast cancer surgery. With nothing much financially due to her illness and her husband's unemployment brought on by the pandemic, she is struggling to meet her medical needs and has gone about for days on end without her prescribed medication.
Many of us would probably know of someone who has dealt with this terrible illness. My own mother has successfully fought her battle with breast cancer. The idea of going through that experience without the required medication is simply unthinkable!
Mirasol asked that rather than food, could she perhaps use the money to buy medicine? It would give her several days of respite and she would be happy with it.
So it was not that hard to decide that instead of providing medication for just a few days, we will extend the help until things settle down and life hopefully comes back to some semblance of normality. In the end, it simply was a situation that presented itself; walking away from it was simply quite not right.
Thanks for the support and we will endeavour as much as we can to do our little bit for many affected people already doing it tough.
Best regards,
Ruben
22 May 2020
Hi All,
This is our third go at providing food assistance to those in need, with 80 recipient families this time around. Hopefully we have made life just a little bit easier for some.
Special thanks to Leah & Team, our volunteers. Your enthusiasm in all the organising and distribution of the rice is exceptional. It is deeply appreciated.
People have been generous. Many, many thanks for the support. From the bottom of their hearts, people are grateful.
Please click to enlarge.
It’s hard to know what lies ahead. Hopefully it wouldn’t be that long for the situation to get better. For now we will strive to reach out as much as we can and thanking you all again for the support. Keep safe and take care.
Ruben
30 April 2020
Hi All,
Rice is hard to come by in bulk these days but we managed to get some and distributed this on the weekend to another seventy five families and individuals in need the most. There were plenty of smiles they say, which is good to see under the circumstances. People were deeply grateful.
Many thanks again for all the support. It is truly appreciated.
Ruben
Please click to enlarge.
