Updates: School-based Vegetable Garden

We just had our second harvest this year. To view our pictures during harvest time, please check

For details about this project, please click here

Updates: School-based Poultry Project

We are pleased to inform you that today we received latest pictures of our poultry project in Mlang Pilot Elementary School - MPES (North Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines).


We started the project last September with the construction of the poultry cages. Today, we finally received news that the chickens are already laying eggs. Our appreciation to the hard work of the members of Parents Teachers Association under the able leadership of Mr. Cyrel Defensor, school principal.


Early February this year, MPES received additional funding from ETWA Netherlands to add 300 chicks. 

Items	ETWA
Cost of building chicken coop Lumber and other construction materials*	45,309.00
Labor cost (construction)	11,327.25
Cost of 300 chicks @ Ph 55/head	16,500.00
Cost of feeds and medication until production stage @250/chick	75,000.00
Caretaker allowance @ Ph 1,000	6,000.00
Technical assistance Veterinarian (6 months until productive stage)	2,500.00
TOTAL PROJECT COST	156,636.25
Total Local Counterpart	24,031.25
Total Amount Received from ETWA	132,605.00

View our March 2011 album of this project here
Please view our latest album here


For detailed information of the project, please click here

Pictures of the Signing Ceremony and Meeting with Parents and Pupils

Here is the link to our Picasa Album during the signing ceremony for our recent partnership agreement with Mlang Pilot Elementary School and Dugong Elementary School.  While there, I had the opportunity to meet with both our sponsored children and their parents. I am very pleased to inform you that of our 20 scholars, all except one are doing well in school. The exception is a bright Muslim boy, Rashed.  Rashed’s teacher told me that the boy is constantly absent from class. His mother explained that Rashed has to miss classes from time to time because he must help his father earn money in the market. We asked the mother if she wants Rashed to finish school and she does, as Rashed very much likes to go to school and will be graduating from Grade VI. His principal is thinking how the school can also work to assist the boy. For instance, he could do some small jobs around the school for which he will be compensated such as feeding the chickens at the poultry project . This does not take so much of his time and is better than working in the market far from the school.

Another story of a mother truly touched me. She said she is very happy for the educational support that Wimler provides. Her husband is sick and so she has taken over his job as a cart-pusher.  This is a heavy duty (in the Philippine context) for a woman as she needs all her energy to push the cart loaded with heavy items. The mother is very grateful to the support her daughter Joan receives from Wimler.

Two Local Elementary Schools to Start Poultry Projects with Funding from ETWA Netherlands

Children attending both the Dugong Elementary School (DES) and Mlang Pilot Elementary School (MPES) will soon benefit from a collaborative school-based poultry project. Construction of facilities at both locations will begin in February and will start with 300 egg-laying chickens apiece. Sponsorship for this initiative is being provided by the WIMLER Partnership for Social Progress with financial support from ETWA Netherlands. The project is envisioned as a means to generate income in support of the education of poor children and provide capital for improvements to the schools.

A signing ceremony was held on January 13^th in Mlang, North Cotabato, to kick off the project. Cyrel Defensor, school principal of MPES, Mr. Rodrigo Vergara, school principal of DES, Mr. Joel Celestial, President PTA DES, and Mr. Abundio Generale, Jr., President PTA MPES were present to sign the partnership on behalf of their respective organizations. Under this agreement, DES will receive Ph 201,568.75, while MPES will receive 132,605.00 including further financial support from ETWA (Netherlands). Both DES and MPES contributed Ph 24,031 each as their local counterpart.

Leila Rispens-Noel, President and Co-founder of WIMLER, underlined the emphasis her organization has attached to the promotion of education and the development of local communities. “

Lack of education is one of the root causes of poverty. We have to support children who most need our help and see to it that no one is left behind,” she stated.

“However, it is only financial support that Wimler can provide with the help of our donors and sponsors. What is most important is the active involvement of parents and teachers to ensure that pupils will enjoy the full benefit of a school education. Parents must encourage their children to go to school regularly. These poultry projects can help us sustain that support,” she added.

“MPES and the PTA members are committed to make this project successful,” said Mr. Defensor. According to him, the project will substantially increase the educational assistance available for poor students.

Both schools have a number of pupils whose parents have no regular income. This means that they cannot save enough money to buy school supplies, new uniforms or pay miscellaneous school fees at the start of the academic year.

After signing the documents, a meeting was held in the presence of parents, school principal, and pupils to discuss the progress of the children and plans for the next school year.#

Christmas greetings!

We wish all your friends and donors MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you for all your support in 2010. It is our fervent hope that we enjoy your continued support and cooperation in the coming year.

From the Board of Wimler and also on behalf of our scholars and local partners.

ETWA supports the setting up of the two school-based poultry projects in M’lang, North Cotabato

The Europe-Third World Association (ETWA Netherlands), a group founded in May 1990 to increase awareness among European Patent Office ( EPO) staff of the problems facing developing countries - the "third world", agreed to fund the setting up of two school-based poultry projects in M’lang, North Cotabato (Mindanao, Philippines). ETWA works together with people in developing countries by helping to finance small-scale self-help projects aimed at promoting sustainable development at local community level.

The approval of the proposal boosts the efforts of WIMLER to support the members of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Dugong Elementary School and M’lang Pilot Elementary School to generate income in order to help poor children to go to school and also to help the schools raise funds to purchase necessary school materials and equipment. This will help the teachers acquire the necessary teaching materials to improve learning environment of the school.

It is the first time that Dugong Elementary School will implement the poultry project while M’lang Pilot Elementary School will expand its project from 300 layers to 600 layers. The project will directly benefit poor pupils from the two schools and the members of the PTA. The PTA members both teachers and parents are managing both projects.

Municipalities of M'lang and Bansalan accredit WIMLER as one of NGOs operating in their areas

WIMLER has been recently accredited by the Municipalities of M'lang, North Cotabato, and Bansalan, Davao del Sur both located on the southern island of Mindanao as one of the non-governmental organizations officially operating in these areas.

The local government unit (LGU) is mandated under Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, to promote establishment and operations of of the people's organizations (POs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to become active partners in pursuit of local autonomy.

The Sangguniang Bayan is empowered to accredit and recognize NGOs and POs thereby giving them with vested rights and privileges accorded to accredited POs/NGOs which includes participation in the deliberations on matters related to local development. It also accords vested rights to accredited NGOs/POs to officially operate in the concerned areas.

WIMLER welcomes this accreditation which opens possibilities to partner with the local authorities of M'lang and Bansalan in the implementation of its on-going and forthcoming projects.

View M'lang accreditation:

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View Bansalan accreditation