US Ambassador Kristie Kenny is back in GenSan!
My good friend, the US Ambassador to the Philippines, Kristie Kenny who was here in GenSan last year, was in town again for a whole day visit. In the morning of February 8, she attended the graduation at the Barangay Tinagacan Gym (about 10 kms from downtown) of 39 former street children and out-of-school youth who just finished their short technical course on Shielded Metal Arc Welding through the Marcellin Kapatid Program under the Marcellin Foundation, Inc.
US Ambassador Kenny being chummy with school children from Tinagacan High School.
Arriving at 11 am in time for the ceremonial giving of certificates, my friend was resplendent in her orange outfit but looked thinner than the last time she was here. Still her million wattage smile that melted the hearts of tens of Mindanao’s war lords, military officers and politicians still managed to work its way on the people (mostly school kids & the graduates’ parents) who were at the gym to meet her.
Her speech was short, her words carefully selected, but profuse with admiration for the former “bad boys” and “black sheeps” of GenSan whose parents have surrendered to Bro. Crispin Betita’s care.
A member of the Marist Brothers Religious Community, MFI Executive Director Bro. Crispin, a 7th Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino 2004 Finalist, can only beam with pride at his wards’ accomplishments and was apologetic about the unruliness of some of the boys who couldn’t contain their excitement at the presence of my friend Kristie.
He was however vocal in his gratitude to his partners in the Kapatid Program who helped give life to his dreams of providing these children an “education and training in life skills as well as technical, livelihood skills with the hope that they will have a better life”.
These partners are USAID (the reason why my friend Kristie is back), Chevron Philippines (what used to be known as Caltex), International Youth Foundation, Consuelo Foundatin, Inc., Education & Employment Alliance, TESDA Provincial Office, Barangay Council of Tinagacan and the City Social Welfare Division Office under City Mayor Jun Acharon.
Related posts:
- How a GenSan Tuna Slicer Wowed US Ambassador Kristie Kenny
- The USS Blue Ridge in Gensan (Part 3) or Cocktails with Kristie
- GenSan LGU launches Youth Achiever’s Award – Year 9
- Ambassador of Peace and Unity Manny Pacquiao meets rebel returnees with PGMA in GenSan
- Gen. Santos’ Mayor’s daughter in South Africa with Singaporean Theater Group
Bariles is Tagalog word for “Tuna”, the primary source of income of the people of General Santos City which hosts 6 of the Philippines’ 8 tuna canneries and more than 80% of its tuna processing plants.
Transformer Says:
I salute the people behind the project. We hope that more people may engage themselves in helping other people stand up with their own just like these kids who just finished their course.
Posted on February 9th, 2008 at 10:35 PM