Wimler HK holds benefit dinner to help send Filipino kids to school

This article was  first published in The Sun Online Edition

By Jan Yumul 

More than 100 people turned up for a charity dinner hosted by the Wimler Foundation Hong Kong Limited, held at the United Services Recreation Club in Jordan on April 21.

In her speech, Wimler founder and president, Leila Rispens-Noel, thanked everyone who supported the event, then revealed the inspiration for her mission.

Because of poverty, she was forced to stop studying after high school so her brothers could continue with theirs.

"I wished to study but I could not because my father died in 1979, he was 49. But I wanted to study, I was ambitious," said Noel. She recalled telling her father that she would never go back to being poor if she could. So, she continued working and studying at the same time until she received some good news. Someone from Chicago had written to their parish priest in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, offering a scholarship.

"And that's how I finished my college, through the help of someone whom I didn't know. I never had a chance to meet him," said Rispens-Noel.

She summed up by saying that children are poor not because their parents are lazy, but because they never had an opportunity. Once that opportunity is given them, most will respond positively.

Rispens-Noel spent 29 years in the Netherlands before relocating to Hong Kong.

The keynote speaker, Consul General Noel Servigon, congratulated the team behind Wimler and all the donors and sponsors of the event. He also said that Saturday is usually reserved for his family, but could not say no to Rispens-Noel, whom he first met during his stint in the Netherlands a decade ago.

He also revealed that education has played a big part in his life, as his first job when he was just 18 was as teacher in a midwifery and nursing school in the province.

He also told the benefactors how they made a very important decision by attending the dinner, not only to help the Filipino children who will benefit, but in initiating the group in Hong Kong which he hopes will be a model for other organizations.

With the motto "a dinner for you, a year-long education for a child," Wimler-HK, together with Wimler Philippines, aims to help 100 primary school children in Mindanao when the school year kicks off this June.

Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Training Program to be Launched in Hong Kong on July 15, 2012

An empowerment program for overseas Filipinos, the Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) Training Program spearheaded by the Consortium on Migration and Development will be launched in Hong Kong on July 15, 2012 at the Philippine Consulate.

The LSE Program is a joint initiative of the Ateneo University School of Government (ASoG) with the Overseas Filipinos Society for the Promotion of Economic Security (OFSPES), the Social Enterprises Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI) and several government institutions, the Philippine Consulate, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). In Hong Kong, the NGO partner is WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong.

The LSE was first conducted in Rome, Italy in 2008 and has since reached out to other OFs in Naples, Milan, Florence and Turin. As of April 2012, over 330 have graduated from nine batches. LSE10 in Turin and LSE11 in Milan were launched in May 2012.

The LSE12 in Hong Kong is the first LSE to be conducted outside Italy and further expansion of the program is planned for 2012 in Singapore, Dubai, and a pilot program in Lipa, Batangas for the families of LSE graduates.

An orientation on the course will be given on June 3, 2012 at the Philippine Consulate at 1 pm – 3:30 pm. The LSE program covers 12 sessions, two Sundays per month over a six-month period. Sessions last from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. The program covers three modules: financial literacy, leadership and social entrepreneurship. The LSE aims to develop the leadership skills and potentials among overseas Filipinos and their families, provide knowledge and skills in savings and investments and other financial matters and develop and/or enhance their entrepreneurial skills.

A certificate is awarded to participants who attended all the sessions by the ASoG and other partners at a graduation ceremony at the end of the course.

Participation fee is HK$50 per session or HK$ 600 for the whole course payable on the following terms:

Early bird:  HK$ 550 to be fully paid on July 15, 2012.

In two installments: HK$ 300 to be paid on July 15, 2012 and HK$ 300 to be paid on September 16, 2012 (Session 6)

Inquiries on the program can be obtained from the ff:

Sam (LSE HK Secretariat)

+852 6971 4837

lsehk2012@gmail.com

Alternatively, you may contact:

leila.wimler@gmail.com

WIMLER Foundation HK Hosts Benefit Dinner

April 6, 2012, Hong Kong - WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong, a newly established charity organization, is pleased to announce its formal launching to be celebrated with a benefit dinner. The public is invited to attend this event which will be held on Saturday, April 21 at the United Services Recreation Club (USRC) in Kowloon from 6:00 pm to 11:30 pm. The dinner will be hosted by Floyd Lau, Chairman of the Board of Directors of WIMLER Foundation HK with Philippine Consul-General as the guest of honor. The cost of HK$ 500 per person will provide attendees with an exquisite meal while net proceeds will be donated to WIMLER's “Send a Child to School” project.

The dinner features dishes such as appetizers, entrée and dessert with main course consisted of steamed salmon trout fillet, grilled NZ beef tenderloin, and an array of international cheese. Wine sponsored by Northeast Wines and Spirit Ltd. will also be served. The evening also includes entertainment, door prizes to win and dancing that will bring fun to guests while raising money to help poor but deserving pupils.

Top singing artists Penny Salcedo, winner of the Grand Finals of the Talentadong Pinoy International Edition, Guy Lockwood who bagged major awards during 13th edition of the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) held July 11-19, 2009 in Los Angeles, California and WIMLER Young Ambassador of Goodwill,and exceptionally talented Hong Kong–based performing artists Criselle Consunji and Chad Salvador del Valle, agreed to perform for free during the event.

With the motto “a dinner for you, a year-long education for a child”, Leila Rispens-Noel, co-founder of WIMLER Phil. and WIMLER HK hopes to raise enough amount to support at least 100 children next school year.

WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong Ltd. was officially registered in 2011 as a non-profit and charity organization whose primary objective is to support the capacity building and empowerment of migrant communities regardless of nationalities and to promote cultural diversity in Hong Kong based on mutual respect, solidarity, and shared empowerment among peoples.

WIMLER HK was established through the initiative of Leila Rispens-Noel together with Emilie Veringa-Tobias and Victor Neri as co-founders. Leila who has lived for 29 years in the Netherlands before relocating to Hong Kong in 2009, founded WIMLER Philippines in 2006 as her way of “giving back” to her country of origin where she already assisted hundreds of children through her philanthropic work. At present, the directors and team of WIMLER HK is composed of individuals of various nationalities and fields of expertise.

Donations to “Send a Child to School” project are also welcome: Please send your donation to: HSBC 801-079963-838 Account Name: WIMLER Foundation Hong Kong

Seating is limited so early reservations are encouraged.

For reservation, please contact:

Emilie Veringa-Tobias, emilie.veringa@wimler.org; Mobile: +852 5191 0902

Luz Tan, luz.tan@wimler.org; Mobile: +852 9630 9311

For further information on WIMLER please visit, www.wimler.org


WIMLER Foundation HK is supported by:

Relief Operations for typhoon Sendong victims

In the dead of the night of December 17, Sendong sent torrents of water and mud through villages and stripping mountainsides bare in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City. Others did not manage to wake up at all as floods washed away entire houses with families inside in dozens of coastal villages.

According to the national disaster agency said 957 were killed and 49 missing on Mindanao after Typhoon Sendong (aka Typhoon Washi) triggered the slides. Most of the casualties were in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and tens of thousands remain homeless, many sheltering in evacuation centers.

The local and international community responded quickly to help the survivors and retrieving dead bodies.

Zorrah Valentin of VALTAN Netowork with children of flood victims

                   Zorrah Valentin (niece of WIMLER’s chairperson) and her husband Peter Paul of VALTAN Network of Digos City, Davao del Sur were among the private individuals who responded to the immediate needs of the victims. They spearheaded the collection of relief goods in Davao del Sur area in partnership with WIMLER Partnership for Social Progress and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Cagayan de Oro City.

Through these combined efforts, they were able to distribute relief packs to about 5,000 people

in Bulua, Iponan and Balolang in Cagayan de Oro City. They also brought sacks of used clothes in Valenci, Bukidnon who suffered flash flood during the time they distributed the relief goods.

We thank you all those who made the relief operations for the victims of typhoon Sendong in Cagayan possible:  Efrain Jimenez, Wim Rispens and Family, Kathleen Amor Cossid, Saripa Macarampat, Floreen Rom, Donnabelle Suello, Mr and Mrs Leo Leynes, Ana Marie Noel, Justynne Kay Noel Tee, Kerra Noel Toloy, Ricah Mian, Pennely Dalumpines, and Mr. and Mrs. Choli Jun Caduyac and Family”.

“Zorrah and Peter Paul Valentin also thank their personal friends and employees who helped them packed the relief goods and for making our simple wish possible. “We thank you from the bottom of our heart, and we would like to share the wonderful feelings of sharing.”

-        Peter Paul and Zorrah Valentin

Below are some of the  pictures taken during the distribution:

Latest issue of WIMLER "Reach Out" Quarterly Newsletter is now available

Please click cover to download the newsletter


WIMLER thanks Ms Lourdes Dacanay Lowings of Bauan  Divers and  Marine Sanctuary

 for sponsoring the printing of this issue of Reach  Out Newsletter.

For information, please contact:

Tel.: Philippines : 00639163871980-Philippines
Tel.:  UK: 00447818417424
Tel.: Hong Kong: 001 852 61933925

http://diverssanctuary.multiply.com/

Completion Report: ETWA-funded Poultry Project

We have completed the implementation of the two poultry projects on schedule. We would like to thank ETWA Netherlands for its support. Our appreciation also to the members of the Parents Teachers Association in Dugong Elementary School and Mlang Pilot Elementary School for  implementing the projects on schedule as agreed in the partnership agreement with WIMLER.


WIMLER has already  turned over the full management of the projects to PTA members. However, we will still continue to monitor the requesting the principals to submit monthly progress reports. 


The PTA members are keeping daily blogs of the number of eggs harvested classified into various sizes. They also record the daily sales. At the end of the month, the schools submit to WIMLER income-expense reports. In doing so, we can monitor the progress and viability of the project. Problems encountered such as the changing weather condition and how it affects the projects are reported to help us act on the issues as timely as possible.
Our concern now is the expansion of the project to reach the economies of scale. We will make some plans on how to scale up the project. 


For those who are interested, we make our reports available online for purposes of sharing information, and linking and learning.


We welcome comments and suggestions.


View our consolidated Narrative and Financial Reported as submitted to ETWA. We are pleased to inform you that our report was accepted and approved by the Board members of ETWA.

Mr. Cyrel Defensor, principal of MPES submitted liquidation reports to WIMLER on behalf of the MPES Parents and Teachers Association.
Please check the following:


Liquidation of the first tranche
Liquidation of the second tranche
Copy of the receipts first tranche
Copy of the receipts second tranche

Likewise, Mr. Rodrigo Vergara, principal of Dugong Elementary School submitted liquidation reports to WIMLER on behalf DES Parents Teachers association.


Please check the following:


Liquidation of the First Tranche
Liquidation of the Second Tranche









Supported by:

Microfinance group lends P3M to OFWs in Singapore

A Filipino-run microfinance group released more than P3 million as loans for qualified overseas workers in Singapore.

Alalay Sa Kaunlaran Inc. (ASKI) Global Ltd. offered the loans to OFWs who completed an 11-week entrepreneurship training.

News site Microfinance Focus said those who availed of the loans came from various provinces in northern and central Philippines.

ASKI Global Ltd. began in July 2010 as the first international office of ASKI, headquartered in Nueva Ecija, to help the financial needs of Filipinos in Singapore.

ASKI Global Ltd. got the approval of the Overseas Economic Board of Singapore to train not only Filipinos but also Indonesian and Sri Lankan migrant workers. 

— OFW Journalism Consortium

Source

ASKI  is a member of INAFI Philippines