François has spent 1 month and a half with CAMELEON Philippines for an IT mission. Throughout his stay, he helped the organization’s staff in all their daily computer work. François held adapted training sessions in order to ensure a global skill assessment for all employees. His IT expertise was also useful to the young girls of the Center as he provided an introduction to IT.
How did you hear about CAMELEON?
I have been living in the Philippines with my family from August 1994 to June 1998. In November 1998, I had the opportunity to go to Iloilo for the inauguration of a new facility sold by my company. While looking for data on Panay, I went across a page mentioning CAMELEON on the website of the French Embassy in the Philippines. I found that remarkable and kept the organization’s name in mind.
Why did you want to get involved in our Association?
I always thought I was lucky to be able to pursue studies. I first focused on my own children’s studies but I always thought that, once they would be done, I could devote part of my income to another child’s studies. When it became possible, I recalled CAMELEON. I checked if the organization still existed and read about its progression over the last 10 years! Therefore it was easy to decide to get involved.
What did you discover and appreciate during your volunteer experience in the Philippines?
The warm welcome the children and organization’s staff gave me at my arrival. There is a periodic turnover of the organization’s staff but the main motivation is always high and the work provided is considerable. Not all children can escape from their suffering and some failures happen, but for most, the experience within the organization propels them towards a better life.
What were your missions in the field?
Improve the use of IT and softwares by CAMELEON’s staff. Incidentally, make an inventory of the equipment used and of the information storage practices. They additionally asked me to set-up an IT initiation training with the children when I arrived, and it was a very intense activity. The atmosphere was extremely nice and for some young girls, this training was for sure a complete discovery.
Would you like to go back?
Absolutely! I first need to validate the interest of a complementary mission, if it can and should be carried out. If I am available, I am more than ready to come back, perhaps for a slightly longer mission.