TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Two new 4H Clubs were recently organized in Barangays Bagumbayan and Naneng with 25 and 28 members respectively. This is in addition to the 17 organized clubs from various barangays in this city.
The 4-H Club is an organization of rural out-of-school youth (OSY) involved in education programs and income-generating projects for the four–fold development of the H-ead, H-eart , H-ands and H-ealth. Membership is open and voluntary primarily for the 15-30-year-old OSYs. The program is focused on community–based projects in agriculture and homemaking as an avenue for family development.
The 4H Club point person, Clarita Aricheta of the City Agricultural Office, said that aside from the hands-on training, potential members are also given a chance to study and work abroad to gain more knowledge on new farming technologies. Under this, the city has already sent four OSYs to Japan through the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC).
These include Jonard Manzano of Tuga who studied in Japan for four months from 2010-2011, Blesslee Anggadol of Lanna (2014-2015), and Peter Eday of Tuga (2016-2017). Both Anggadol and Eday completed the 11-month course of the program.
Beneficiaries of said program are required to establish their own demo farm upon return showcasing what they have learned from the JAEC training.
According to Aricheta, the city government is pushing for the organization of more groups to provide the youth opportunities “to learn by doing” through individual, group and community projects.
The program, she said, also intends to enhance productivity and self-reliance through gainful projects, instill among the OSYs the spirit of voluntarism, cooperation, and dignity of labor. It enables the youth to use their time, talents and energies wisely, and develop their potentials, promote fellowship, understanding and goodwill towards the goal of developing citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills of the youth through experimental learning programs and a positive youth development approach preparing them to make a positive impact in their communities.
By Geraldine G. Dumallig
