True to our promise, we came back to Virlanie Foundation to spend quality time nurturing the raw talents of the remarkable young adults that we met last June 2016. With the guidance and permission of our founders, Linh Podetti and Charles Valher, the Outsourcing Angel staff teamed up with Virlanie Foundation to conduct a skills building workshop last Saturday, September 3, 2016. We spent time teaching the participants how to take their first steps into doing copywriting, social media marketing and graphic design.
A total of 36 participants between the ages 12 to 19 years attended our afternoon workshop. The Outsourcing Angel team divided them into 3 smaller groups and conducted a classroom set-up for skills learning discussions. Outsourcing Angel staff, Jonathan Martiniano (Graphic Design), Jelie Esloyo (Social Media Marketing and Social Media Etiquette), and Wendy Villar (Copywriting/Free writing) were the participating instructors during the workshop.
The participants completed all 3 workshops that afternoon, discussing the basics of graphic design, social media marketing and copywriting. The instructors also provided some insight on how to start polishing their skills as well as what to look forward to when they successfully do so and find a job based on them. After the participants finished all the 3 workshops, we awarded gifts and tokens to the participants who stood out and performed best in each workshop. Pizza and refreshments were served. Then, it’s selfie time!
Virlanie Foundation coordinators explained to us that because our chosen group are nearly legal adults, there are very limited programs and sponsors for activities that are catered to them. Donors are more focused on the younger group — infants and children. It was quite refreshing for them that we decided to spend time working them, and we were more than happy to extend Linh and Charley’s message and promise to them – that they are committed to helping these young adults add value to themselves, build them up, and help them find work and livelihood that will allow them to take care of their family.
During the workshop, Virlanie founder, Dominique Lemay or “Kuya Dom” as the participants fondly call him, came by to greet the participants and the Outsourcing Angel staff to extend his gratitude on behalf of the foundation, for spending an afternoon teaching their youth practical life skills that they can use and hone in school and eventually use by the time they would be looking for work. Together with foundation coordinator, Faidah Cayongcat, he extended his invitation to the team to come again soon and spend time with the youth at Virlanie.
