July 25th, 2010
Mindanao AHAN Learning Center Construction Begins
New Mindanao AHAN Learning Center construction site.
Plans have been in the works for awhile to build a new AHAN Learning Center in Mindanao, and this July, the project began in earnest. This construction has been organized into nine stages, and my students are helping to build the new AHAN Learning Center from the ground up. This fall, Homma Kancho is planning to visit the site in person to check the progress of the construction. It is hoped that the building might be finished sometime early next year. This project is being supported by Homma Kancho personally and AHAN Nippon Kan Headquarters in Denver.
Food Support for the Bajai People of Mindanao
Bajai children delight in treats given them.
For a combination of reasons, social, economical and political, the Bajai as a people of Mindanao, struggle desperately to survive. It is hardest for the poorest of people to be caught up in the middle of a political, social and economic crisis, a crisis that robs a people of the simplest human dignity and respect.
Mindanao AHAN provides hot meals for the Bajai people on a regular basis and what we have found that good food is not the only benefit of this service. By providing for the Bajai people, we are also teaching our young people in Mindanao AHAN to open their minds and their hearts to the plights of others.
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- Young volunteer staff.
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- Cooking the meal for the food service.
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- People line up, waiting for food.
A Peaceful Martial Art for Young People
Ava Sensei with new students.
The Pilipino people are a happy people by nature, happy and filled with grace and an appreciation for nature. The big open moves of Aikido I think reinforce well what is in our genes. There are many young people at my dojo. The future of the Philippines lies in the power of these youths, both as a nation and as a people. Day by day, we seek to nurture that nature through our practice of Aikido on and off the mat.
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- Ava teaching beginning students.
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- Young people practicing seriously.
Written by
Ava Yancha
Mindanao AHAN Coordinator