Nutrition
The leading focus of our nutrition work over the past two years (we started it before we arrived), has come through the school lunch program we founded at Kipalkuda Elementary School, which is 95% T'boli and located in the mountains above Maitum. It was a small, failing school when our advice for saving it was solicited in early 2006 by the head teacher. Discussions that followed led to us offer to feed lunch to the children. In addition to attendance and academic improvements (see Education below), the program realized an improvement in the health and wellness of the students.

Our other nutritional focus has not yet begun because of delays in acquiring another piece of equipment, and the time we spend on other objectives. We still look toward the day when our farm is producing vegetables in a work-for-food program. T'bolis and other poor will eventually be able to do light labor (planting and harvesting) in the fields, to earn the right to take home free vegetables to their families, many of whom live today only on rice.

Last Christmas, we drove through the village, distributing bags of food to the poor. And, on an almost daily basis, poor T'bolis come to our compound seeking rice.

Education
Education receives the greatest amount of our time, and has to date, seen the greatest effectiveness. The Kipalkuda lunch program not only improved the nutrition and health of students, but it immediately doubled attendance in the first year, and re-doubled it in the second year. Academic performance increased because children were more alert and healthy. We also provide school supplies for grades 1-6, donate books to build its library, pay the school's meager electric bill, conduct medical missions for the students, and provide free transportation to/from school for children and teachers.

Note: Due to attempts by local Dept. of Education administrators to hijack our assistance from Kipalkuda to a non-tribal school (ethnic prejudice at work), the lunch and transportation programs have not yet resumed for the 2008-2009 school year. We continue to look for solutions, with the cooperation of local government.

Our free transportation for students, supplies rides to school for nearly all Wali children from pre-school through high school. We transport (including the temporarily postponed Kipalkuda route), an average of 450 children each morning, and again at night, plus a dozen or so teachers. These students are from 7 local schools.

Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, we are now sponsoring 18 tribal children in high school in Maitum. These are children who graduated from Kipalkuda elementary and, without out help, would not have continued on to high school. We purchased a second truck with which to transport them to/from the mountains, provide their uniforms, books, and fees.

Health
Our health and wellness focus has, to date, taken two forms: individual assistance and a medical mission.

On an individual basis, we assist T'bolis and other poor in obtaining prescription medicines prescribed by local clinics and doctors. We frequently transport sick or pregnant patients to the doctor or hospital, pay part or all of their visits, and sometimes assist with burial expenses. We conducted a medical mission at Kipalkuda School in December 2007, and hope to conduct a dental mission in the near future.

With Aurea's nurses training, we also counsel people on hygiene, proper medical care and more.

In 2007, with the financial assistance of several churches and individuals in the U.S., we had a deep well drilled to provide the first sanitary drinking water for the village of Wali. We have observed a dramatic improvement in the health of villagers since it became operational. People come on foot, on horse, or by water buffalo (Caribao) up to 2 kilometers to fetch safe drinking water.

If we are able to resume assistance to Kipalkuda, we want to build a student restroom. Currently, 350+ children have no rest room, and the problems that creates are enormous. U.S. Christians have already donated funds for this project.

Spiritual
It is this objective that has surprised us the most. We came not as experienced or trained preachers, but as lay servants, using only the meager skills we came with (or that God gave us anew) to minister in practical ways. We knew our impact would reach the spiritual domain, because God told us that as we demonstrate Christ, He will be honored, glorified and able to minister through his Holy Spirit in other ways.

However, soon after we arrived, we received numerous invitations to speak in local churches. That led to a 10 month role as unofficial associate pastor in a local church, where Dan spoke at least monthly. In January, we moved to a Foursquare church, which offered Dan the same role. He has spoken at community events by invitation from the local government, and large youth gatherings. Periodically, we conduct free public praise and worship concerts, and are planning a municipal-wide Christmas concert (pending outcome of the current battles with rebels).

We counsel everyone we assist with food and medicine, in spiritual matters. There is a huge need for marriage counseling here, and though we are not trained in that field, many look to us for advice and help in preserving their marriages and raising their children. Although the Philippine government boasts that the country is 85% Christian, this is a very dark place in many ways, and our presence here is valuable in ways we did not foresee.

Early this month, we re-visited the Upo church to help them commemorate their fourth anniversary, and their new building. We presented them with a communion tray and cups as a gift, and they were tearfully grateful. Their new church is high above possible flood waters.

Kipalkuda School lunch program
2006

When Dan was in Maitum in February, 2006, he was apprised of a situation at the Kipulkuda Elementary school by the school Principal. It is part of the Sarangani public school system and 95% of the students are T’boli.

The students live in the mountains above the school and walk up to 4 hours each way daily to attend classes. They cross up to seven streams and rivers and, because of that and the rain forest, they arrive at school wet and cold. They are so poor that many begin the day without breakfast and most cannot bring a lunch to school. Those circumstances make class attendance very challenging and inconsistent. At the appointed school lunch hour, nearly all of the students begin the long walk home since they have no lunch to eat. Not only does this create high absenteeism, but it demoralizes teachers as their classrooms are mostly empty in the afternoons.

Despite the extreme hardship to them, the children are excited about school and willing to make the tremendous effort to attend. It is simply their life circumstances that defy efforts to make it fully productive. When we visited the school in June, the first grade had over 200 students, while the sixth grade had about a dozen. As the children grow older and the trip to school becomes more wearisome, they simply drop-out.

In February, Dan recommended the establishment of a lunch program at the school. In the weeks that followed, he was provided with statistics and facts about the absenteeism and the Principal’s estimate of costs to fund a lunch program. Dan developed a presentation which she presented to school and elected officials, plus representatives from UNICEF. The unanimous response was that a lunch program had merit, but no funds or resources were available to develop it. Such a thing had never been done, and no one was interested in being the first. 

Dan and Aurea personally committed to initiating the program and to soliciting additional help. While presentations to groups and letters of solicitation to friends and family in the U.S. did not present material assistance, Dan and Aurea provided personal funds to construct a kitchen at the school, equip it and obtain initial supplies of rice in the name of the Datu Wali Mission. 

Upon learning of DWM’s assistance to the school, local officials and UNICEF were inspired to contribute rice and other supplies. Parents of the children volunteer to staff the kitchen and they maintain a vegetable garden at the school to supplement the lunches. The DWM farm will contribute vegetables when it becomes operational. We requested, and the provincial governor’s office responded by shipping a large quantity of used and surplus clothing to the school so children have dry clothing when they arrive. 

The school’s Principal has now become a rising star in the community and school system due to her persistence and success in starting a program no one believed possible. Not only has student absenteeism been reversed, but enrollment has increased. The Kipulkuda school is now a model school in the district and visited frequently by Philippine officials who want to know how to implement these improvements elsewhere. With the help of DWM, our partners and other groups in the Philippines, we expect the lunch program to be sustained every year. 

This program is representative of the purpose and effect our mission is designed to have on the tribe and community in which we reside . . . demonstrating Jesus, rather than a focus on talk. We are taking the approach God gave us when he presented us His vision of Datu Wali Mission, not to preach Christ through evangelism first and follow-up second, but to develop the relationships, demonstrate Jesus in action and win their souls into the Kingdom naturally. Essentially, we begin with the follow-up program and culminate with their salvation. This is the plan God gave us and we are excited about it. We feel that, ultimately, the conversions and life changes we will see in the people we are ministering to, will be more solid and sustainable than more traditional approaches. They will begin their life with many of the initial questions converts have about their faith, already answered because of what they have observed in us, and heard from the Holy Spirit.  

If you would care to participate in the school lunch program (for the purchase of rice and fish), or in any of our outreach projects, write to us at: letters@datuwalimission.org