(Malicay is a BA Sociology student of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) who completed her 35-day internship program in ECOWEB Inc. She is one of the four interns who conducted commmunity profiling, virtual monitoring of project beneficiaries, assisted the learning review of humanitarian intervention for vulnerable and conflict-affected communities, and produced documentations.)
My 35 days of on-the-job training at ECOWEB Inc. enabled me to get a thorough understanding of the organization’s mission and identity.
Not only did EcoWEB gave assistance to the impoverished communities, but it also gave a ray of hope to these groups– who felt helpless and were often neglected.They offers a listening ear to the unheard, a helping hand to the helpless, and a voice for the voiceless. With this, I agreed with the beneficiaries’ depiction of EcoWEB as a boon in disguise or a silver lining in the dark clouds.
In addition, the assistance they provided is also adapted to the precise needs of the community. Along with practical support, they also helped the groups to be empowered and capacitated by utilizing the sclr approach. It is also ECOWEB ‘s aim to provide sustainable aid to the communities to help them in the long run.
It is great that they are also encouraging all the groups to be upfront about any difficulties. They are not just interested in the positive outcomes of the group’s endeavor but are open to listen to their challenges to be able to help them out. They are also willing to listen for any feedback on their organization- may it be good or bad, that could help ameliorate their services.
ECOWEB has done so much for the various communities. Their sclr approach ensures that their initiatives and programs cater to the actual needs of the people they serve. ECOWEB has improved the lives of thousands of people, and it could not have done so without its facilitators, and staff. The facilitators and staff are well versed, they do well in documentations, they are diligent and skilled. Even though their work are grueling and they don’t get enough rest, but their sacrifices are well worth it.
Sometimes, if we were asked to accomplish our tasks, I am really challenged having some weaknesses, slow performance, and some trouble articulating my thoughts or ideas. But I take it as an opportunity to improve myself because the world does not revolve the way I like it to be.
Many people are in need of immediate response, so I understand if ECOWEB operates that way. That is why I really admire and salute multi-tasked staff who perform various tasks. They are exceptional in their professions and are selfless in prioritizing others. Concurrently, I am also concerned about them given that they are usually worn out. They too deserve a rest or a break. Aside from being hardworking, I also admire their humility when they engage with the locals. They don’t give them the impression that they are superior to or better than them. They strive to be empathetic and compassionate with them.
We are very thankful to the humanitarian team because they accepted us to undergo training with them despite their tight schedule. They are patient, thoughtful, kind, considerate, and approachable. We appreciate their faith in us to carry out the work we’re entrusted. The confidence that they have had on us, despite knowing our weaknesses, have influenced us to also trust and believe in ourselves and in our capabilities. Their appreciation for our tasks makes us feel valued and it inspires us to do better. We also appreciate it when they check on us including the simple things, such as when they offered us snacks, free lunch, keychains, snapped a photo of us, cheered us up, and more, mean a lot to us.
They gave us helpful advice that we may take with us even if our journey here comes to an end. We may not be outspoken to them, but we are beyond grateful that we underwent the training with their team. They let us experience various things and activities and they took us to places we had never been before. We’ve met with different communities with different needs and stories. We owe a debt of gratitude to them for providing us with this learning opportunity. We hope that we have also helped their team in some way.
