Mentors

Eking and John John are two of the sharpest college kids I have met in a long time. John John has raised himself--both parents died some time ago, and he made his way through school constructing bamboo furniture. He is a student of marine biology at the Southern Leyte State University in Bontoc. Eking is a student in fisheries. He has been my driver, my chess tutor and the person who shows me around. He will be graduating from college soon.

When I asked him what he wants to do when he graduates from college, he shrugged his shoulders. He then suggested that maybe he would go to Manila because he heard there were good jobs there being a janitor.

These two young men are smart, quick-witted, and responsible. But what they need is some mentoring. The potential for this area of the Philippines for businesses is enormous! Many of these kids are surviving on what amounts to a few dollars a day. I can see that they are extremely responsible workers, and they have brains. The potential of this area for retirement homes should be providing hundreds of kids with jobs. Retired people need medical care and the provinces have the people who could be trained to do this. Schools here are providing training in nursing, care giving, hotel management, and the push to have students leave can be reversed. What I think is needed are some people who can help develop these businesses. If what I am seeing from students is any indication, there is a great pool of responsible workers here. I am hoping that some of my friends in America can act as mentors so that these students can see that they can develop businesses here rather taking a job somewhere in Manila because they have heard the pay is good.