The
Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center of the
Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) is hosting once again the yearly
Pinoy-Dutch eXplore (PiDeX) from July 13 to August 2.
Anchored on the sister city relationship between Cebu City and Haarlemmermeer, The
Netherlands, PiDeX aims to promote
knowledge-sharing, cross-cultural understanding and cooperation, and development service among young global citizens.
This is the fifth time that RAFI organized the
PiDeX.
Under this three-week voluntary work-cum-immersion program,
14 Dutch youths and three adults from the Meerlanden Youth Cebu are going through
immersion activities that cover various areas, including
environment, children, education, health, culture and heritage, and leadership.
Joining the Dutch delegates for the first time is a representative from Kortrijk, Belgium, another sister city of Cebu City. This is an initial delegation from Kortrijk who is also looking at the possibility of an exchange program.
RAFI hopes to expand the
PiDeX into a multi-city exchange program.
Over the past week, the delegates participated in a Discovery Walk to learn more about Cebuano culture and heritage. They also underwent experiential leadership training through the Kool Adventure Camp of RAFI.
The delegates will be visiting various local organizations and projects, building houses in Gawad Kalinga in Dumanjug, and participating in a medical mission and children’s outreach activity.
A youth integration weekend is also scheduled on July 24-25 in Badian, Cebu to further foster inter-cultural learning and collaboration between the delegates and the local youth, particularly the members of RAFI’s youth-oriented programs—the
Aboitiz Leaders of Excellence (ALEx), which includes the Young Minds on Xplore (YMX), and the Young Minds Academy (YMA).
ALEx members and
YMA scholars also serve as main host families of the delegates throughout their entire stay in Cebu.
PiDeX 5 is organized by RAFI in cooperation with the
Vereniging Haarlemmermeer Cebu (VHC), the
Cebu City Government, and other local partner organizations.
The VHC is a registered association in The Netherlands composed of Dutch private individuals and established by the local government of Haarlemmermeer, The Netherlands to promote the cooperation between the sister-cities through regular exchanges and provision of voluntary services, donations, and assistance.
For more information about the PiDeX, please contact Cathy through 418-7234 loc. 105 or Mel at local 110. OR you can read about my encounter with the dutch and belgian HERE!
10:06 PM
Vernon Joseph Go
