On the occasion of a consultation trip to Kolping Philippines, Dr. Hildegard Hagemann, advisor to Kolping Vietnam, was able to witness the signing of an agreement of a new collaboration between Kolping Philippines, a local farmers’ cooperative and a vocational training college.
Kolping Philippines used its most recent training session on how to make moringa bread also to get a letter of intent signed by its national praeses Father Ricky Colinares, by Kolping managing director Francis Julius Belale Lucañas and by the Isarog Farmers and Producer Association IFPA and by Dr. Amado Oliva, the newly appointed president of the Camarines Sur Polytechnic College CSPC Nabua.
The purpose of the agreement is to advise, train and support Kolping members in the production of valuable food as a contribution to food security.
This innovative training program is also an important initiative in times of climate change in order to make people more resilient and create job prospects in the Bicol region.
“Not only the traditional art of baking is an important area of training for the Kolping Philippines vocational training center, but also the exploration of new collaborations and training opportunities. Any support for such projects is always welcome“, says Hildegard Hagemann, coordinator of the AsiKA Kolping network in Asia.
Kolping Philippinen puts a special focus on vocational training for young people. At the nationally renowned Kolping vocational training center in Canaman, teenagers and young adults have been trained for decades in cooking, welding, carpentry and baking. This year’s Christmas campaign also supported this training project in the Philippines to give young people the chance to find a job with good prospects. Like 24-year-old Kim: “Four years ago, I was so desperate. My parents had no money and couldn’t afford to pay for my training,” Kim recalls. However, by a happy coincidence, things turned out differently. A friend of hers is a Kolping member, she helped to get Kim placed at the Kolping Training Center in Canaman to be trained as a baker there. “Today I work in a small bakery and earn my own money. I can even put some money aside. And I can also support my parents,” Kim reports proudly. One day, the young woman would like to fulfill her dream of owning her own bakery.
