Steem-Powered Outreach Event in Libertad National High School, Samal Davao del Norte

I am in a beautiful island as I write this. The fine white sand is kissing my toes. The sun is high up in the sky, doing a fantastic job at keeping me warm despite the cool breeze. The sound of the waves crashing is like a hum tempting me to sleep. My is heart is full and my soul is at peace, but not because of the breath-taking view of the blue green ocean in front of me. It is so because of what transpired just a few moments ago in a school not so far from where I am now.

My day started at 4am. It rained heavily last night so I woke up to a cold misty morning. It would have been quite ideal to curl up in the warm bed and go back to sleep. I roused immediately though; it was going to be a long day and I might as well start it right by being on schedule. Our destination is more than 3 hours away from home and there were much to do before we leave the house. Red and I had our cup of coffee before taking a bath. It is a blessing that my mama's house has 3 bathrooms and we were done by 5am. We then proceeded to our checklist. Seed, check. Fertilizer, check. School supplies, check. Laptop and USB, check. Personal effects, check. We went to a Jollibee store near us to get the food we ordered the previous night. The whole ordeal only took about 10 minutes but by the time we got home, three boxes of torta (some sort of cupcake) were already there. My aunt who owns a bakery sent 80 pieces of these soft bread that will also be distributed to the students of Libertad National High School in Samal, Davao del Norte. We loaded everything in the SUV we rented especially for this trip and by 6:30, we (Red, my mom, my brother, a friend, and I) were on the road.

It was a good 30 minute drive before we arrived at the port, where our vehicle embarked on a ferry that took us across Davao Gulf to the Garden City of Samal. It was my first time to try it and I was quite amazed at how big the barge was. There were at least 20 vehicles and about a dozen motorcycles. Passengers can actually go out of their respective vehicles and roam around. Red and I found ourselves at a space for passengers, after climbing a steep stair. From there, we could see Samal Island from the east, and Davao City in the west. It was a quick ride and we docked after just about 15 minutes.

We then made our way to Libertad National High School in Kaputian District. Samal has only seen road developments recently and although there are roads that are already paved, there are still rough roads in the far side of the island. I can hear the engine of the SUV groaning when we go through steep and rocky pathways but our skillful driver is familiar with the place. We arrived at our destination at around 8:30 am. A number of students immediately offered help as we unloaded some of our things.

My brother introduced me to the school administrator and his co-teachers. I was informed that the school lost power because of the heavy rain last night so we wouldn't be able to use the projector and the projector screen that they prepared for us. Red and I decided to change our discussion flow because of this. We figured it was best to just discuss the basics of crop planting and give them hand-outs later. After setting up our laptop, Red and I introduced ourselves to our audience, which was comprised of about 40 students, 10 parents, 10 teachers and 5 volunteers. I talked to them in our Bisaya dialect while Red quietly reminded me of the things I missed. I first told them about the crops that were easy to raise, such as talong (eggplant), okra (ladyfinger), and tomatoes. I also discussed the proper way to plant the seeds, transplanting, applying fertilizer, and seed propagation. I can see them nod too, and I guess they already know some of the things that I was telling them.

It was then time to distribute the seeds and fertilizers. I reminded them to be cautious in handling fertilizers and that it is important to wash their hands properly after using them. I was very happy to see their eagerness for these items. I received tons of thank yous as I handed over their share.
Their smiles beamed more brightly when we told them that we are also giving out school supplies. The students and parents each got 4 notebooks, 2 blue ballpens, and 2 black ballpens. The box of pad papers were left to the teachers for them to use during quizes.

It was then time to eat! We ordered Cheeseburger and Peach Mango Pie from Jollibee and got the sodas from a store near the school. We also gave them the torta from my Aunt.

While eating, Red and I got the chance to speak with the teachers that were around. We told them that this event was made possible through the power of Steem and how Steemit played an integral role in funding it. Luckily, a couple of them know a thing or two about bitcoin and cryptocurrency. We told them about Steemit and how it works, about the things that they too can learn from other people using the platform, and the things they themselves can share. We told them about the meet-up this Saturday in Cafe Demitasse and a few of them said they will confirm by Friday morning if they can join.

Before we left, the school administrator, the teachers, the students, and the parents, gave us a round of applause. They profusely thanked us for visiting their school and for all the supplies we distributed. I would like to extend those applause and their gratitude to you. This project that once was only a vision became a reality with all your help. A big shout out to our @steemph family, @sunnylife, @bearone, @immarojas, @sndbox, @surpassinggoogle for all the love and support.

I am in a beautiful island as I write this. The fine white sand is kissing my toes. The sun is high up in the sky, doing a fantastic job at keeping me warm despite the cool breeze. The sound of the waves crashing is like a hum tempting me to sleep. My is heart is full, my soul is at peace, and I wish you all the same.