SCOTT GRAHAM
AYAD Intake 19 - Philippines
1979 - 2010

AYAD Cayla Dengate once interviewed Scott for a travel piece. When asked, "Do you ever think about coming back to the real world?" he said:

“This is the real world! Once you are outside of working every day, it becomes obvious that working in an office from 9am-5pm - or 8am-6pm as it often ends up - is about as far from the real world as you can get.

“There are certain things that you will only ever get in your home country, like ridiculous conversations with mates over meat pies with bacon and cheese, but the idea of spending a partial lifetime in another country certainly seems possible to me. I'm lucky to be here and be part of such an amazing place.”

On 3 February 2010, over 100 underprivileged Filipino children will participate in the ‘Kids Creating Change’ Festival at La Mesa Ecopark, Quezon City. This creative-arts based event will inspire and empower Filipino children to actively address the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Addressing Social Problems through Art and Creativity

One of the highlights of the day will be ‘Nylon Zoo’, a massive inflatable salmon which holds 30-40 children and will be a venue for dress-up animal parades and story time. The day also involves a performance by the Hope Worldwide Puppet Theatre Troupe and a theatre performance by former street children from Bahay Tuluyan Philippines.

The MDGs of literacy, sustainable development, children’s health and livelihood projects will be featured as part of the event’s activities. The children attending will gain skills, inspiration and confidence to lead change in their communities.

Event organizer Lea Czikowski said: “The empowerment of children means that they can act as the drivers for development in their community. I strongly believe that the creative arts are intrinsic to development and that together we can achieve wonderful things.”

VIDA volunteer Constantine Carluen takes a break from his hectic schedule as the Development Communications Officer for the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program to reflect on the past 2 years.

The Philippines: a second rebirth

When friends and family from back home ask me what is it I do in the Philippines, I jokingly reply “I tell the human story of where your taxes go!” 

In 2001-2003, Kaunsayan Formation for Community Development (KAFCODE) implemented a Community-Based Coastal Resource Management (CBCRM) project in selected rural areas in Oriental Mindoro, to ensure the health and sustainability of the coastal environment of the province. 

One of the components of the project is mangrove and fish sanctuary management and artificial reef establishment.  The fisherfolks in the area experienced an increase in fish catch by 30%.  However, all related infrastructures were destroyed when successive typhoons hit the area.  Fisherfolks experienced a decline in fish catch putting heavy pressure on the fishing grounds.