One way of volunteering in the Philippines is by providing needs of a hard-to-reach community through joining one of the projects of a proactive organization called TREK (Trails to Empower Kids).

Who/What is TREK?

TREK or better known as Trails to Empower Kids is a proactive volunteer organization initiatied by a group of mountaineers. Its aim is to assist the needs of schools on isolated and neglected communities. Some of which that are not even reached by vehicles, motorcycles, internet and even basic mobile telecom signals, communities that lack basic necessities such as school supplies and the up-to-date relevant books.

Needs particularly filled by TREK are children’s & teachers school supplies. Such needs are up-to-date books (dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks… etc.), pencils, notebooks, bags, solar panels, chalk, chocolates, hygiene kits, teaching tools, new toilet bowl of the school and whatever sponsors and volunteers donate to the target communities.

History of TREK

TREK was initially founded by 7 mountaineers in 2007. The first outreach was by 15 volunteers to Itogon Benguet and ever since then the group has been conducting outreach to isolated schools and communities twice or more per year. This year, one of their outreach was in Kalinga in August, 2014 reaching three schools: Southern Tinglayan National High School, Buscalan Elementary School, and the school in the highest and most-unreachable community of Kalinga, Loccong Elementary School.

Here’s a video from PTV4 on TREK’s project to Kalinga.

5 Ways to help Isolated communities in the Philippines via TREK.

With an interview with one of the founders of TREK, Kelly Austria enumerated 5 ways to help isolated communities in the Philippines via TREK.

1) Come up and initiate projects to complement the TREK mission. Examples of projects from some of the volunteers were:

Upcycled tarp bags project by Jojo Palad wherein unused donated tarpaulines were converted to bags for school children.
The Luntian Bag project by Marina Bulaong. This project is a livelihood program in San Teodoro, Mabini Batangas that provided jobs by selling earth-friendly reusable bags.

2) Suggestions on locations of hard-to-reach communities. Some remote communities have been exisiting longer than any of our grandparents alive today and has never been reached by any donations as of today. Such was the case for the community of Loccong in Kalinga. Communities such as these are one of the things TREK look forward in reaching out.[vimeo https://vimeo.com/104697561 w=500&h=280]
3) Awareness! Hit Like! Hit Share!

A simple like or share of the TREK page is a big help for disseminating information and promoting awareness on the TREK mission.

4) Fund raising for the outreach event to supply donations. Both supplies needed by the community and monetary donations are always welcome.

Various donations given to TREK then turned over to remote schools in Kalinga.

Tarp bags to be given for each student.

5) And of course actual volunteers for the outreach to transfer supplies, logistics, operations and help pack donations. To volunteer just send a message to the TREK facebook page at this site: www.facebook.com/TrailsToEmpowerKids

Aside from actually helping secluded communities, here are 3 great things to look forward when volunteering to TREK.

1.) TREK a mountain and be one with nature.