New Faculty in the Block

By Abbie Rose J. Yeban

“This sudden change of career was more on achieving a heightened fulfilment in life.” 

The new school year always brought about unavoidable changes: freshmen, new subjects (if you’re lucky to pass your subjects), new teachers and sometimes, fresh courses (if you’re just lucky to shift). But for us here in the School of Technology, we were in for a rare change as we welcome a new faculty member this year with a very familiar last name.  Upon hearing Ms. Magpusao’s name, the upperclassmen couldn’t help wondering if she’s related to one of the students but that particular mystery remains to be unsolved.

Ms. Johannes M. Magpusao, who is a 2006 graduate of Food Technology of SoTech, returns not as a student but a teacher to her alma mater. With such rare experience, students were surely very curious about the new faculty in the block so Tibud sat down with her for an interview session.

Ms. Magpusao worked in an industry before she decided to shift to the academe. Specifically, she worked at Iloilo Commissary of Goldilocks Bakeshop as a Quality Assurance Manager. Also before Goldilocks, she was a QA of SVG Food Corp in Manila.

This sudden change of career was more on achieving a heightened fulfillment in life. “I’ve always felt a different kind of satisfaction when I did employee trainings for GMP, Food Supply, etc. at my previous work in the industry. I really enjoyed the experience of being an educator,” she explained. “Also, people around me affirmed that teaching is something that I can be good at. Aside from that, I wanted to learn more and widen my knowledge on Food Technology. Being a teacher will absolutely make that more possible.”

According to her, teaching is very interesting and mentally challenging. She emphasized that there were differences in terms of the sources of stress in the workplace. In industries, it is more on the physical, while in the academe, it is more on the mental aspect. Also, a subtle reward in teaching is to be able to gain more knowledge as she prepares for her classes.

Teaching side by side with her former professors is very enlightening and humbling at the same time on her part. “It was weird at first. But as you mingle with them, you will see different people but of the same faces because you discover who they really are outside the classroom,” she said.

Just like a typical college student, she recalled various memorable experiences, especially in Sotech. “I remember going to school with just 3 hours of sleep because of cramming and studying. Also, I had very helpful and inspiring teachers in college.”

Everybody experiences a dilemma on what to take up on college, so was Ms. Magpusao. She dreamt of taking up Molecular Biology and Biotechnology but going back to reality, Public Health and Biology seemed to be a better option for her. But she never dreamt of becoming a medical doctor. Food technology was alien to her until she reached senior high when a food technologist came for the annual career talk. “After a thorough self deliberation, I enrolled under the degree program of food technology because I believe it was really for me.”

“After graduation, I had a lot of expectations and plans of joining the food manufacturing industry. But having had a brief exposure to the reality of food industry during my internship, I know that my idealism may only serve to disappoint me in the field,” she recalls. “So I prepared myself for the worst yet hoped for the best. I resolved to start my new phase in life with an open mind. I was very eager to share and apply my knowledge and at the same time was willing to learn more and be corrected. And I really learned a lot from different people and experiences. But I did not expect to be part of the academe and of SoTech in the future.”

Expectations may sometimes be far from reality. As time continues to run, people change. There may be differences in the personalities of students from different time zones. But still, she expects her students to be enthusiastic about going to class every day, be participative in class discussions, inquisitive, resourceful and respectful. But she believes that the two most important characters a student must possess are passion and love for their responsibilities.

After one semester with Ma’am Magpusao as an instructor, I’m sure most of us know about her quick wit and even quicker smiles that added life to our classes. We are definitely looking forward to the next semester with her building up of more experiences. And of course, it may be late but welcome to the family! ■

STRIKE BACK!

ni Angeli Louise T. Cando

Magiging abnormal na naman ang takbo ng pamantasan sa mga susunod na araw at buwan. Mawawalan na naman ng mga pasok sa ilang mga klase at muli ay tinatawagan ang lahat na lumabas sa silid-aralan at muling sumigaw sa kalsada upang igiit ang karapatan sa edukasyon at serbisyong panlipunan.

Matapos na maranasan ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP) ang mahigit isang bilyong kaltas sa pondo noong nakaraang taon, na siyang pinakamataas na kaltas sa buong kasaysayan ng pamantasan, ngayong taon ay walang habas na inulit ng pamahalaan ang pagkakaltas sa pondo nito. Sa pangkabuuan, Php800 M ang bawas sa pondo ng UP para sa susunod na taon. Kinaltasan naman ng Php250.9 M ang pondo para sa Maintenance and Other Operating Expenditures (MOOE) ng 40 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Php403.3 M para sa sahod ng mga kawani at muli, wala ni isang SUC ang makakatanggap ng pondo para sa Capital Outlay para sa susunod na taon.

Maliban sa malaking kaltas sa pondo para sa mga SUCs, nananatili namang napakababa ang inilalaang pondo ng pamahalaan para sa sektor ng kalusugan. Php44.4 B lamang ang inilaang pondo nito para sa taong 2012, hindi man lamang nangalahati sa Php90 B na aktwal nitong pangangailangan at Php440 B na rekomendasyon ng UNESCO para sa serbisyong pangkalusugan.

Sa kabila ng panibagong banta sa karapatan, hindi nanahimik ang mga kabataan. Kung gaano kaalerto at kabilis na naipasa ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ang budget para sa 2012, ganoon din naman kaagap ang mga kabataan sa pagtugon at pagtutol nito. Ngunit sa halip na tugunan ng pamahalaan ang mga lehitimong daing ng mga kabataan at mamamayan na dagdag-pondo, panlilinlang pa ang isinagot nito. Ayon kay DBM Secretary Butch Abad, wala raw budget cut sa mga SUCs, dinagdagan pa nga raw ng 10% ang pondo ng mga ito.

Kung susuriin, ang sinasabing dagdag na 10% ay hindi naman direktang matatanggap ng mga pamantasan dahil ang pondong ito ay laan para sa ibang mga institusyon tulad ng CHED. Pilit pang pinagtaktakpan ng DBM ang katotohanang kinaltasan nila ang pondo ng mga SUCs.

Sinasabing hindi na raw praktikal ang paghingi ng dagdag na subsidyo dahil wala di-umanong pera ang gobyerno. Ngunit ito ay isang kasinungalingan dahil sa katotohanan, limpak-limpak ang pera ng pamahalaan na kung ilalaan lamang nang tama ay hindi na kailangang tapyasan ng malaking halaga ang edukasyon at serbisyo sosyal. Para sa taong 2012, mas pinahalagahan ng gobyerno ni Aquino ang mga sumusunod na ahensya’t programa: Php738.57 B para sa Debt Servicing, Php107.9 B para sa DND (+Php3.2 B), Php39.5 B para sa CCT (+10.3 B), Php22.1 B para sa PPP (+Php7.1 B) at Php161 B para sa Unprogrammed Funds o “Pork Barrel” ng Pangulo (+Php95 B).

Habang walang pera ang gobyerno sa pambili ng libro at medisina, sobra-sobra naman ang pondo nito sa pambili ng baril at bala pati na rin sa extrang pabaon para sa kurakot.

Ano mang paikut-ikot at gawing mga pagtatanggi’t  panlilinlang ng pamahalaan na walang budget cut sa mga SUCs, sa aktwal ay malinaw ang tunay na kalagayan. Hindi maitatanggi ang tunay na tunguhin ng pamahalaan na tuluyan ng abandonahin ang pinansyal na responsibilidad nito sa edukasyon at sa mga batayang serbisyong panlipunan.

Ang edukasyon ay karapatan ng bawat mamamayan hindi dahil ito ay nasa ating konstitusyon kundi dahil ito ang ating pundasyon upang umunlad at yumabong sa buhay. Bagkus, may responsibilidad ang pamahalaan na bigyan ito ng paunang prayoridad.

Ang muling malalaking tapyas sa mga batayang serbisyo sosyal katulad ng edukasyon at kalusugan ay mas magpapatindi sa krisis na nararanasan ng mga mag-aaral at kabataan sa pamamagitan ng mga panibagong pagtataas sa matrikula, pangungolekta ng mga samu’t saring bayarin at pagpapaupa ng mga natiwang-wang ng mga lupain ng pamantasan sa mga negosyante’t pribadong sektor na nagpapakipot sa accessibility ng higher education sa mga maralitang kabataan.

Sa muling pagkakaltas sa pondo ng edukasyon at serbisyo sosyal, mapipilitang tunguhin ng mga institusyong ito ang mundo ng komersiyo upang mapondohan lamang ang mga pangangailangan. Sa ganitong mukha, unti-unting malilihis ang pamantasan at mga pampublikong institusyon palayo sa mahalagang papel na ginagampanan nito sa mamamayan – ang magbigay ng dekalidad at abot-kamay na serbisyo para sa lahat. Unti-unting mawawala ang pampublikong karakter nito na makapagbigay ng serbisyo sa pinakamalawak na hanay ng mga naghihikahos na mamamayan. Unti-unti ring mailalayo sa mga mamamayan ang karapatang marapat lamang na kanilang natatamasa.

Malinaw sa gayon ang tunguhin ng “Matuwid na Daan” ng kasalukuyang Administrasyon ni P-Noy. Ito ay matuwid na daan tungo sa komersyalisasyon at pribatisasyon ng ating mga pamantasan at batayang serbisyo sosyal. Ito ay matuwid na daan patungo sa mas matinding krisis at patungo sa kumunoy ng mas matindi pang kahirapan.

Sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng unibersidad at ng lipunan, maraming dahilan upang tayo ay muling magkaisa’t lumaban at magkasa ng STRIKE. Malinaw na may krisis sa edukasyon at sa lipunan kaya napapanahon ang maigting na pagkilos ng mga mamamayan! Ang STRIKE ay isang pagkilos upang pansamantalang itigil at iparalisa ang anumang operasyon sa ating pamantasan. Ang STRIKE ay ang pinakamataas na porma ng pagtutol na maaaring gawin sa loob ng mga unibersidad at lugar ng paggawaan kasama ang iba pang mga sektor sa loob at labas ng pamantasan.

Naipasa na sa Lower House, nang walang kahit na anong pagbabago, ang 2012 National Expenditures Program (NEP) ng Administrasyon Aquino at tinatanaw ang malaking posibilidad na ito ay matatapos na bago pa man matapos ang buwan ng Nobyembre sa taong ito.

Mga Iskolar ng Bayan, muli na naman tayong tinatawag ng panahon upang magkaisa, militanteng kumilos at makiisa sa buong mamamayan. Oras na upang muling gumuhit ng kasaysayan. Oras na upang muli nating pandayin, kasama ang iba pang mga sektor sa ating lipunan, ang isang lipunan na mas malaya, malayo sa pang-aapi at pananamantala at isang lipunang hindi bingi sa hinaing ng mga mamamayan. Oras na upang iwaksi ang kaisipang walang magagawa ang ating pagkilos.

Sa panahon ng krisis, walang puwang ang pananatili sa panggitna at piliing manahimik at magsawalang-kibo na lamang. Ang hindi pagkilos sa gitna ng matinding pangangailangang manindigan at lumaban ay pagtalikod sa tungkulin at tunay na esensiya ng pagiging isang Iskolar ng Bayan at isang krimen sa mga mamamayan. Sa mga susunod na araw, aasahan ang daluyong ng mga kabataan at mamamayan. Dahil naka-strike 2 na ang administrasyong P-Noy sa pagkakaltas sa pondo ng mga pamantasan, oras na para tayo naman ang mag-STRIKE BACK. ■

 

Silver Reminiscence

By Cindy Rose M. Diabordo

Staff, faculty and students of School of Technology  pose at the new site of the future building of SOTECH.

THROUGH the years, the School of Technology has evolved. It has matured as a learning institution that opens opportunities towards the development and betterment of individuals. Unique minds have come and gone, have shook hands and have left the portals of SOTECH, bringing along with them the bountiful harvest that the school have planted. But even with the visible transformation of the school for the past twenty-five years, the mission and vision of SOTECH as part of the University of the Philippines Visayas has remained unwavering.

Last February 16-19, 2011, the School of Technology celebrated its silver founding anniversary with fresh, challenging and exciting activities.

With the combined talents and efforts of the new artists of SOTECH, the mural entitled: “Lakas ng Beinte Singko” was presented to the crowd during the opening of the event last February 16. The mural represents the increasing power of the school due to the cooperation among the faculty, staff and the students. Also, it presents the unique bond that unites every individual despite the differences of personality and origin.

The mini-Olympics and the ama-zing race were conducted in order to develop the relationship among students and faculty in terms of physical activities. The SOTECH family was divided into two teams randomly for the mini-Olympics while the amazing race was an open category competition. After a two-hour fun, challenging and exhausting race, the team which composed of Charles Von Laoc, John Sanguenza, Paul Ray-an Gonzaga, and Aldren Rivera brought home the bacon.

With the increasing number of enrolees every year, there is absolutely a need for a greater space. After a long, steep and environment-friendly walk, some of the students and faculty of the school reached the site for the proposed building of SOTECH. The landmark break was done in the morning of February 17.

Meanwhile, Padayaw 2011 or the Search for Mr. and Ms. SOTECH highlighted the evening of February 17 with the theme Futuristic. Beautiful and handsome candidates showed their beauty, talents and intelligence through the different portions of the must-see pageant of the year. After a thorough judging, Mr. Jason Henderin and Ms. Remedios Monica Quitasol were crowned as Mr. and Ms. SOTECH 2011, respectively.

The celebration was concluded as SOTECH goes Vintage in SOTECH Night 2011. The simple students of SOTECH became gorgeous gents and stunning ladies as they walked along the hallway of Punta Villa.

The quest continues. The School of Technology turns a new leaf in its transformation as it starts its twenty-sixth year of operation in this academic year 2011-2012. ■

 

OJT: Passport towards Reality

By Louis Jhay Kimverly S. Palmes

Medrano in her safety suit at Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp

“Little things could be taken negligible but understanding the basics could be and the only way to connect to the bigger world. Learn, understand and appreciate what you have right now in order to survive in the future because that’s just the way it is.”

  

There’s a world beyond the university life that personifies the knowledge and values that travels towards the deepest core of an individual’s mind. After a three- or four-year sharpening in the academe, students are exposed to the real world as they experience the life of a worker in an industry.

 The first batch composed of 19  Chemical Engineering students of SOTECH underwent On-Job-Training (OJT) in different industries last April-May 2011. OJT companies included the following: Central Azucarera de San Antonio (CASA) in Passi City, Victorias Milling Company and Distileria de Bago in Negros Occ., Cargill in Gensan City, Pilipinas Shell in Batangas City, Asia Brewery in Cabuyao, Laguna, and Universal Robina Corporation in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

Being a neophyte on the road, the seniors went through difficult times. Connections and access to companies were scarce but it just made the process more exciting and challenging. And Ms. Hilda Luzelle Medrano got lots of stories to tell.

(L-R) Velasco (BS ChE UPD), Medrano (BS ChE UPV), Solis (BS ChE UST), 

Cristobal (BS ME UST), Ramolete (BS ME UPD) Genoza (BS ChE MCL)

Everything goes down to the basics. It all started with the search for the “right” company or industry. Resumés were sent to all possible preferred companies. Most grabbed the opportunities coming from unfamiliar places that promised extraordinary experiences. Others considered companies which were accessible to their hometowns.

Ms. Medrano was accepted in both Victorias Milling Corporation (VicMiCo) and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC), which left her hanging for some time as to which company to choose. After discussing the matter with her classmates and Dr. Jose Ali Bedaño, class adviser, she chose PSPC.

And so on March 31, 2011, Ms. Medrano went through the Safety Training which is a requirement for new recruits and trainees to the company. After passing the training, she became officially part of the Technology Department under the Process Technology and started with her job last April 11, 2011. Work started at 7 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. Sometimes, this extended until 6 p.m. if necessary.

PSPC offers world-class accommodation for trainees. She was accommodated in a mansion-like house together with two other female trainees. Each one was given a room but after seeing how large the room was, they decided to share a room. It was bigger than a SOTECH lecture room, making it too large to accommodate one person alone. Also, each room had cold and hot shower.

The trainees lived healthily since daily they had to walk from their house to work, through  a 1 km pathway that passed through the main road and another 1-km passing through the golf course.

According to Ms. Medrano, her first-hand experience was more on internship than an OJT. It involved doing research to help the supervisor with the development of some studies. She was exposed to the field and was toured around the plant. Along the process, she admitted to her boss that she doesn’t have enough knowledge on the field work. Fortunately, her boss was very willing to help her by giving advices and information about the nature of the work. She absolutely learned a lot of things from PSPC.

It wasn’t just all about work. The experience became the entry point towards expanding connections and social circles. She met new friends from other schools who have the same past time on swimming and other common sports. It became the battlefield in learning about balancing your life and managing your time properly.

Safety is highly emphasized and valued. In response to this, every Fridays at ten in the morning, drills on possible calamities are conducted. Safety measures such as (1) hand grills of stairs must be used and (2) any incident, small or big, must be reported, were taught.

Being exposed to the same environment for a long time leads to immunity. This becomes a danger for the employees due to the difficulty to detect gas leaks which could result to explosion.

“There was a time when the same circumstance occurred but everybody seemed to be normal. I and the trainees were really bothered with the unusual odor that surfaced so before everything got worse, we reported such observation. The management found out that there was really a leak,” said Ms. Medrano. “Good thing there were fresh faces in the house,” she added.

The experience could extract many thoughts and things that students neglect most of the time. The things that an individual learn in the academe, big or small, makes a difference in the future especially in one’s career. One must not forget the knowledge gained because it takes time to recap it. Also, the OJT made her realize that the School of Technology needs to heighten or improve the exposure of students on field for future purposes.

College may be serious and tough but have we thought of what’s ahead of us before drawing into such conclusion? Little things could be taken negligible but understanding the basics could be and the only way to connect to the bigger world. Learn, understand and appreciate what you have right now in order to survive in the future because that’s just the way it is. ■

A New Zealand Love Affair

By Melissa Anne Gabriel

I CAN’T say no to Sir Ali. You don’t say no to your future maninoy. Thus, even if I am having a “whatta week!”, I need to write something for Tibud. And when you don’t know what to write, the best way to perk up the curiosity of your readers and eventually make them read your article till the last punctuation mark is to write about your love story. I am really unsure if it is love. But nevertheless, it is destined.  It was a subject I did not know I might be able to take much less like.

My story with Packaging Technology is, we can say, destiny. I was well on my way to my 2nd semester here at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

I had already enrolled all my subjects for the whole academic year even before first semester started. Thus, when the second semester was about to start, I felt ready and excited to take on new subjects.

My only concern was a course on Food Product Development. The lecturer did not post any schedule of class or requirement in the Massey Internet Portal. When I inquired, the professor replied that he was not offering the course in the second semester! I expressed surprise why I was able to enroll in it if it wasn’t being offered? The professor further retorted that I could take the course at my risk.  He explained that it was a very challenging subject and “all international students without exception, had failed the course before.” Reading between the lines, I opted to drop the subject (the first subject I had ever dropped in my entire student life) and looked for another one.

With second semester already starting, I didn’t have many options.  Most Food Tech postgraduate papers were offered either during the first semester or double semesters. There were quite a few offered for the second semester but mostly in another campus.

And then I started asking if I could possibly take subjects related to food tech but from another curriculum. When I received a positive answer, I decided to take a chance on the first interesting subject on the list: Packaging Technology.

Yes it pertains to packaging not only for food but to the whole of the packaging industry. I was given an encouraging email from Tom Robertson, the professor offering the course. He said that I was the only student taking the course and so he suggested that we discussed how the course could be tailored in order to accentuate the research path I intended to take next school year.   

I agreed to meet him. The first word that came to mind when I entered his office was OH-EM-GEE. It was not an office, but literally a room full of “garbage”. The office was cramped with bottles, cartons, cans and many types of packaging - some unique in shape and colour and others were just plain and ordinary.  He even had to clear a chair for me to sit on. Then he introduced me to his latest acquisition: a mineral water bottle from UK. He was fascinated with the bottle as it was irregularly shaped to create an illusion of water flowing. It cost him much to buy the bottle that he wanted to show to his students in one of his classes.

The whole time he was explaining this I was just smiling. All I could see was, well, the obvious: transparent plastic mineral water bottle.

That smile though was erased when he told me that even though there were no exams for the subject, I was expected to do 6 essay assignments plus one essay on a topic pertaining to my thesis next year. These topics included inks, adhesives, barrier polymers, plastic recycling, sustainable packaging, cartons and nanotechnology in packaging.

My mind was whirling with the array of topics. Essay assignments were quite OK in college but the ones required by Massey was by far the most challenging. Apart from content, Massey is very strict in referencing, plagiarism and essay structure. One’s essay is being assessed by an internet program that gives a report on how much one has copied or rephrased and how varied the resources are.

Four essay assignments each having over 3,000 words in one semester was very challenging. Seven assignments for a single subject are too much. But since I didn’t have the luxury of time to look for another subject, I decided to take on the challenge.

When I left Tom Robertson’s office, he gave me a parting line: “I am just warning you. Packaging Technology can be addictive as evidenced by the state of my office.”

I left his office that day fighting the urge to laugh. Ha! What’s there to become addicted to in “garbage”?

But as it turned out, packaging technology got me hooked. I had so much fun doing my research for my essay assignments. And by far I got my highest marks ever in Massey from them. When I did my assignment on plastic recycling, I scoured through my flatmates’ food cabinets to check out the different recycling symbols on their food packaged in plastic and took a picture and included it in my assignment.

Now, every time I look at a mineral water bottle I try looking at it from the perspective of Tom Robertson. Whenever I do my groceries I usually spend a lot of time checking out food items with unique packaging. I guess I have developed a fascination for packaging materials as well. It’s not just fascination too! I get to see the bigger picture.

When I was doing my assignment on Recycling, I realised that even if manufacturers gave 100% effort to ensure packaging recyclability, the fate of a packaging material entirely rests on the hands of the consumer: whether to throw it in a recycling bin or throw it in the street. The sad part is, we, the consumers, have not acknowledged that responsibility. I think we are all guilty of letting a candy wrapper flutter in the wind.

The lessons I learned and the fascination I have with packaging technology did not come from lectures as I didn’t have any with Tom, although from time to time I popped into his office to ask questions when I got stuck with a specific topic.

I don’t know where this flair for the subject comes from. It’s like having an ultimate crush. I just know that when I did my packaging technology assignments I seemed to do it with more gusto, with more intense concentration. Sometimes I even found myself smiling while editing my essays!

I have just submitted my fifth assignment which is on sustainable packaging. I am now on to my 6th and 7th assignment. I don’t know if my fascination with packaging technology will end after I submit my 7th assignment. I don’t know if this current fascination will blossom into a passion for wine bottles, tetra pack, PP, PET, or PS.

Maybe I will never match Tom Robertson’s passion for packaging technology. Theirs is a different love story. I can only admire the professor and his mountain of packaging materials. Last time I popped in his office, he has a new acquisition from Indonesia. I promised him I’ll bring something from the Philippines to add to his collection.

From time to time I check my room and my food cabinet. No acquisitions yet. But who knows? This fascination may just turn into a love affair. ■

Melissa Anne Gabriel is a B.S. Food Technology graduate and faculty member of SOTECH. She is currently on leave  taking up her master’s degree in Food Technology in Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. 

SOTECH Alumnus graduates with honors from Canadian Culinary School

By John Earl Tayona

PROVING that SOTECH alumni can excel anywhere, Marie Chona Rosali-Villanueva (BS Food Technology, 1997) finished the Culinary Management course with honors at the George Brown College in Toronto, Canada last April 2011. The said course prepares students to succeed as chef, cook or culinary manager.

Chona Rosali currently works as garde mange and pastry cook at The Shore Club, a steak and seafood fine-dining restaurant in downtown Toronto. She plans to apply for Red Seal Certification later to become a full-fledge chef by gaining at least 6000 hrs of experience, or as chef apprentice. Her greatest ambition is to put up her own restaurant in downtown Toronto within the next three to five years. Before she migrated to Canada in 2009 with her husband, Chona Rosali was a faculty member of the West Visayas College of Science and Technology. ■

John Earl Tayona is a B.S. Food Technology graduate of SOTECH and currently resides and works in Toronto, Canada.

Volunteering in Kenya

By Abigail May Garcia

A trip to IL NGWESI, a Maasai Village. Abi with a Maasai Elder. At the back is the 

Boma (house of Maasai tribe)

Kenyan  Women Processing orange juice

I HAVE always believed, that every experience we had is a preparation for something great.

I am a Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) International Volunteer serving in Kenya for 14 months. My placement is with a fruit growing cooperative that needs assistance in marketing and product development, since during the peak season most of the fruits are not sold and goes to waste. The cooperative is in a remote village at  the south coast of Kenya with no electricity and no running water.

Despite all the challenges, I became more excited thinking about what I would learn and could do to the cooperative. The members of the cooperative are growing citrus trees such as oranges, limes, tangerines, lemon and also passion fruit, bird’s eye chili, bix (atsuete), maize, sorghum, sukuma wiki (kales), cassava and a lot more.  I was already thinking of what the products we could make considering that there’s a lot of raw materials.

Women learning how to use measuring cups.

The first time I met the coop members, I realized that my excitement was on the next level. Oooppsss… apart from being late for 3 hours, old women came into the meeting with babies tied on their back with a Kanga (like a sarong), 95 percent do not speak English, most never had education, and most were tired from walking several kilometers just to reach the meeting place.

I was in a state of culture shock! But then life had to go on. I had to be resourceful and patient. I presented to them the outlines of what I intended to do such as understanding of basic hygiene and sanitation, Good Manufacturing Practices, organizing things and eventually processing.

I remember that one of the sessions I had with the women was understanding the  basic concepts of measurements. The venue had no chairs so the women just sat on a mkeka (banig). I showed them several things such as plastic bags, set of measuring spoons, set of measuring cups, candy thermometer, oven thermometer and a small weighing scale. Then one lady said “Please assist me with that paper bag.” I looked at her confused, then she pointed at the several plastic bags I was holding. I just handed her the plastic bags and said “ah, paper bags….”   In the village the word plastic bag (like our sando bag) does not exist. Any bag is called a “paper bag”.  We just laughed during the entire session.

Having fun with other Volunteers

That day, we learned how to take measurements for dry ingredients and liquid ingredients. I know some of them had a hard time understanding why they have to measure things when they can just get a handful and mix it with anything. But then it is necessary that they have to undergo through these steps, which will eventually lead to their understanding of the importance of standardization in food processing.

On the 7^th month, the women started to process juice and sell it at the local market. Little changes mean a lot.

It’s been 11 months since I came to Kenya, but everything is soooo slow with work. I may not be able to do wonders but surely I have learned a lot of things. The volunteering experience taught me how to live a modest life, meaning finding joy in every little thing that happens. Besides, if not for volunteering, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to gain friends all over the world, go to a safari (Swahili term for journey), see the famous migration of wildebeest, lions, cheetah, leopard on the tree, hyenas, elephants and zebras crossing the road, giraffe prancing, embrace the baobab tree, white sand beaches, learning new cuisine and most of all knowing myself better. ■

 Abigail May Garcia is a B.S. Food Technology graduate of SOTECH and currently works as a volunteer in Kenya.