Walking with the youth and drinking my cup of coffee in twilight time
-AA+A
Mountain Light
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
SCHEDULE this week is the graduation of farmer enrollees who successfully completed the requirements of our School-on-Air (SOA) course on "Enhancing Coffee Products from Seed to Cup," in Tabuk, Kalinga.
This event will conclude the conduct of our six-month SOA course on coffee in the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province. The time duration includes preparatory activities before the launching dates of the SOA course in the abovementioned provinces. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the farmers, some 400 of them, who successfully completed the requirements of the course.
The SOA on coffee was aired by local radio stations in the four mentioned provinces that were earlier identified and preferred by the beneficiaries of the CHARM2 Project. These radio stations have a frequency and reach that is clearly heard by the beneficiaries in the deep hinterlands of our mountain spaces. That is important otherwise our primary objective in airing the course would not be realized.
Secondarily, this activity will also share knowledge and information to the public.
With reference to listenership objectives, the course has performed well generally. About 98 percent of those enrolled in Benguet and Mountain Province completed the course. In Abra, 80 percent of the enrolled farmers completed the requirements of the course but the participation of the listening public was commendable based on the queries sent to our broadcasters there and the Project’s Provincial Coordinator.
The graduation of farmers in Kalinga was delayed because the radio frequency was changed or lost to our primary audience at mid-course. To remedy the problem, our community mobilization officers (CMOs) had the weekly broadcast (done three times a week) taped and brought to the barangays. Under this situation, the farmers were gathered in a place identified by the barangay-based CMO where they will listen to the taped broadcast. After the activity, the farmers individually answered questions provided in their “answer sheets” that formed part of each broadcast. The “answer sheets” were then collected by the CMO who will submit the same for processing at the provincial coordination office.
All answer sheets and other forms pertaining to the performance of the enrolled farmers were transmitted to the Information and Knowledge Management Unit (IKMU) of the CHARM2 Project for further evaluation, recording, consolidation and monitoring purposes.
In a lot of ways, this SOA course on coffee deviated from the usual way we implemented SOA courses in the past. I credit my young staff for this. They insisted on running a curriculum that must hanker to current realities as much as possible. To do this, they proposed a write-shop with experts and field workers on the priority needs and commodities of farmers in the project coverage areas. The mechanics of the SOA will also be tackled during the write-shop. So we did just that with coffee as the first course. We got Professor Valentino Macanes of Benguet State University (BSU) to serve as subject-matter expert and critique on how the course will be packaged and delivered over the radio. In tandem with Ms. Betty Listino, Development Communication Specialist with the La Trinidad-based ResearchMate, the course curriculum was completed with my IKMU and RAFID staff as writers. The preparation of the course was done in consultation with selected field workers from the local government units (LGUs) and CHARM2 Project.
The course was not simply downloaded to the provinces for airing with a local radio station that will be paid for the purpose. The staff proposed that prior to airing, all those involved in its administration in the provinces should be gathered in a consultation meeting on the SOA course; its objectives and targets, and how they must deliver on their specific roles. “Gastos at pasyal lang yan,” I said. They replied with a smile and indeed, they need not argue their point. I imagined how everything could be wasted from the preparation of an excellent course and the time spent by farmers when those we expected to execute it well would interpret the course’ mechanics and fail in the end. So, “pasyal” we went and they did more with a grin. After the broadcast, they set-up a live radio broadcast for us to introduce the course to the community, explain its objectives, dates and timetables, and invite enrolees and listeners.
One would think that listening to this technical course and its requirements were a bit heavy for the farmers. From seed to cup, the course feeds farmers with lots of new technologies on production, packaging and marketing quality coffee. The farmers respond to weekly quizzes and trivia that test how they understood each course topic. And a practicum, carried out towards the end of the course, was added too.
The course tested the stamina of the farmers and its field implementers including my staff. Our CMOs do other work for the different components of the CHARM2 Project in the field, aside from the SOA. Like them, my IKMU staff are also working on the SOA on top of their activities in the documentation and sharing of best practices on project implementation.
Over the last three graduation ceremonies, very elaborate in its details, I have heard old and young farmers who completed the course testify that the course was meaningful and significant to their livelihood. It tells me that the CMOs and my staff, all young, have done a good job. Their efforts and their training make me proud. However, we must continue our daily fights in our working relationship, with me as their supervisor and them as my subordinates.
My staff at the IKMU and RAFID will continue to deliver what they were hired for. We will do our visioning together about our work. They will need to do a re-visioning that negates my inputs if necessary. That hurts a bit and I like it. It gives an indication that we are going somewhere.
We like it or not, they have to take over and do things well according to the rules, and how they were basically trained and will be trained further on the job. It is a risk we must take together.
My IKMU staff followed through this risk well with the SOA program on coffee. They did not simply agree to what I wanted them to do. They look and analyzed the work, prepared the plans, logistics, and every major and minor step that were carried out including new innovations in undertaking a SOA course under the conditions and situations of the listeners in the deep hinterlands. Every now and then, they came to see me about their plans and about some difficulties. In those instances, they wanted me to be involved in a major way. I did not. I lead them by being led by them on this one. It helped crystallize their visions and carry it out. In implementing the SOA program, they told me I was dispensable, I must not walk ahead or behind but besides them. I like just the way they did it.
Perhaps, next time they will initiate their moves with more might. No problem by me. Just do it with that winning smile. Your style is far better than the intrigues and threats of some old bitches who would deny what you are: "Fair Hopes of the Fatherland." Never mind them, stay your course. There are several SOA courses, newsletters, IEC materials and books to write ahead of us with me at your side. I would rather sit in my couch and watch your performance as stars in your time.
11:43 AM
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