Time with the kids

Living on the farm, being with the kids a lot of the time is a major part - not only of the work here - but also my life, as we have created a family environment needed to show them love.

We do a lot of activities for the kids, which is great time spent with them. Education of course is important and time is given to that most days. Some work gives them pocket money as well as teaching them skills and they all love helping with the animals. 

But weekends and evenings are family time when I focus even more on the kids. Sometimes there are guy times river swimming or fishing with the boys while the girls do more girlie things. On other occasions there will be art and crafts... dance night is popular with all the kids... and plenty of sports and games are great bonding times. 

It all helps them to feel they belong and to show them the love they had been so deprived of before we took them in. It’s not always easy as they have faced terrible rejection and pain in their pasts, but we can see huge improvement in them all. I always love time spent with the kids.

Using the right tool

Kuya Dhong is smoothing off the bamboo banister with his chosen tool, a large knife - every guy on Palawan has an Itak or Bolow a machete or large knife tool like in the photo. 

Whenever we go into jungle overgrown areas we always take a machete for clearing a path, or if must, protection from snakes. An Itak has an endless amount of uses, not just hacking a path and chopping firewood... in skilled hands such as Kuya Dhong's, amazing results can be achieved with wood and bamboo for a wide range of jobs. 

Often they will chose to use this over other tools doing it in a more traditional way but with beautiful results. Machetes are a must-have tool and a favourite of all guys living in the Palawan countryside.

I had one made for myself, it’s longer than the average Itak, but that’s because my arms are longer than most Filipinos and its been made for my size.

Watch that car…

Teaching the guys on the team to drive.

Driving in the Philippines can be a crazy experience… the traffic weaves in and out… stops or changes directions without warning... and traffic lights and signs are seen more as suggestions then strict rules. Most of the people have no proper driving. 

I have both a Filipino and a UK driving license and the test is far easier here than the UK test; as far as I can tell, if you make it round the block without crashing you pass. And many drive without a license, 

At KNA we are regularly transporting kids and team around and so we must have a higher standard, therefore one of my jobs is driving instructor! I have taught several of the guys on the team to drive and there have been no accidents. Three point turns, emergency stops and other manoeuvres are in the lessons as well as vehicle control. So now we are all good safe drivers!