Start your Business Training – part 2
Last September (2015) we returned to Balani for the second part of the Start Your Business Training with the Mangyan, in particular the Tawbuid Occidental Tribe. The 12 participants of the training in June were now back and looking forward to the continuation of the training. In June we had already done the first part, and had finished with the market research. For this market research, we had to get down from the mountain and into the valley to research the local market.
They brought their children with them, who could read and write, so that they could help them understand the material, help write down the answers in the exercises, and lend the workbook to their parents. The parents had not the opportunity to go to school. The children themselves had a week off from their own school, and so they could help with the training. As a result, the training went much faster than last time.
We continued with exercise 14 and were able to work through to the 31st exercise. There are 39 exercises in total. Even if that means we have to come back again to finish the training, it also shows that we have worked hard (exercise 1 to 13 were easy, exercise 14 to 31 complicated). Somehow the participants understood the material faster and better. Most of their business plans are about planting and selling rice and crops.
Training or Trainers in the field
We have also seen how our Mangyan trainers have improved themselves since the previous training, even in the areas where calculations are required and need to be explained. They indicated that they understand that they have to keep an eye on the balance between ‘keeping the momentum in the training’ and checking whether the individual participants understand the lessons. They also indicated that they understand the material more and more themselves because they teach it to others.
Hospitality high in the mountains
Getting to them is a 2 ½ hour hike through the mountains, after a 7 hour bus ride from Calapan. To get to Calapan we take a boat (over an hour) from Batangas and a bus ride of over three hours from Manila. The climb over the mountain is not easy if mountaineering and trekking are not your hobby, but the Mangyan people helped us a lot.
Just like last time we visited, the Tawbuid people turned out to be very hospitable. They accommodated us and were very generous in sharing their food with us (their crops and pig and chickens), but also their time (someone cooked for us each of the 4 evenings).
On the day we had to go home it was raining and very slippery. It made descending the mountain even more complicated. One of them was already walking ahead with a shovel and on the very steep or slippery places, he made steps in the mountain with his shovel, which made the hike easier for us. About 10 others carried our luggage. They happily served us, not only because they were grateful for the training but also because of their hospitable nature.