Danielle Aira Savellano Logo
Danielle Aira Savellano

Community Service and Outreach Intern

Summary

Daniw Study Center

Over the summer, I was a community service intern at the Daniw Study Center (“Daniw”). Daniw is a project of the Kalinangan Youth Foundation, Inc. (“KALFI”) and can be found in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Established in 1990, Daniw is among a number of accessible study centers of KALFI, a private non-stock, non-profit foundation that primarily aims to provide holistic formation to high school, college students, and young professionals throughout the year. KALFI partners with many family and educational institutions in the Philippines and holds outreach programs for communities in various parts of the Philippines. I grew interested in working with Daniw because I was a former student and tutor in one of KALFI’s other study centers.

About the Project

Since the start of the pandemic, the Philippines has been under strict quarantine. As offices and schools open up, I am delighted to have been able to work with a foundation willing to do on-ground projects for those in need. With grant support, I was able to tutor again and learn more about the plight of the Filipino people.

My experience with KALFI was particularly beneficial for one of my minors, Global Health Studies, and my interest in obtaining a master’s degree in Health Care Analytics and Information Technology. In the summer of 2022, KALFI held a week-long Rural Service Project (RSP) in Malitbog, one of the lower-income communities in the Southern Leyte province. During Christmas, Malitbog was hit by Super Typhoon Odette, which is internationally known as Rai, the world’s strongest typhoon in 2021. Malitbog is relatively far from the main commercial centers in the region and its economy is largely dependent on agriculture and fisheries, both of which were negatively affected by the typhoon. Super Typhoon Odette resulted in severely damaged buildings, killed and injured civilians, and a decrease in jobs.

To get a better sense of the area and hopefully start a more sustainable project with the community, our small group of volunteers visited and conversed with 15 families who, according to the local government unit, were part of the most in need. Through these conversations, we were able to quickly assess the needs of the community with common themes appearing such as the need for additional employment and medical assistance. With a lack of permanent jobs and the minimum wage in the area being less than $1 per day, many of the families we visited mentioned how they only had $50 to budget per month among 3-8 family members.

In terms of medical assistance, we met with many community members who had various treatable yet unaddressed sicknesses and conditions, including a 2-year-old in need of urgent surgery. Some community members also stated that there was a need for increased mental health support. However, healthcare was inaccessible in terms of cost and distance.

During the visits, we tutored students from Benit Elementary School, a small public school with students from kindergarten to sixth grade. The school had 4 teachers, one of which also served as the principal, who taught all the subjects required by the national curriculum. Due to the mandated modular teaching and lack of face-to-face classes, many students had difficulty keeping up with coursework–particularly in reading and mathematics.

I also worked in the center itself for most of my stay. These involved tasks like planning for the aforementioned RSP, compiling materials, meeting with volunteers, and creating reports. In relation to my Computer Science minor, I also updated the Daniw website, created digital promotions, and digitized the study center’s library. On my last day, I visited the foundation’s finance and accounting office and the Punlaan School.