Project Report - La Trobe University

Apalis (Ombin) Abaggoy reviews yet another English
version of a story while his son Ayfa (Edmar) Abaggoy
sits in his lap.
Indigenizing Education in a Kalinga Public School | 24
application was not successful, or without the
input of professional artists, for example). This
approach meant that we could easily adapt to
changing circumstances and unexpected challenges
(like when Edwin returned to Australia for almost
a month in response to a medical emergency). It
also meant that we could easily take all
opportunities as they arose, like the chance to
incorporate the work of the Ang Ilustrador ng
Kabataan illustrators.
…except time
The only parameter which we didn’t treat flexibly
was the project timeframe: we were adamant that
we must complete the project within five months.
This was useful in that it forced us to produce
something fast without the luxury of stretching the
timeline out indefinitely: we needed to produce
something tangible before we left Chananaw when
the five months was up.
The right people for the job
In terms of us as the two individuals driving the
project, two characteristics probably contributed a
lot to its success. First, the fact that we are a couple
meant that we knew each other well, enjoyed
working together and could provide a lot of
support to each other in a way impossible if we
weren’t already so close, to the point of taking over
from each other when needed. In terms of being
foreigners, the fact that we’d lived in the
Philippines for a year before commencing the
project meant that we didn’t have any cultural
adjustment issues and we already had strong social
and professional networks to draw on.
Genuine partnerships, not charity
We focused on only building genuine working
partnerships. We weren’t seeking charitable
support for the Ichananaw – not least since we
consider them a resourceful, capable community
with the ability to solve their own problems
without the need for charity. Genuine partnerships,
however, where each side contributed and each
gained something from the interaction, were the
vehicle we used to achieve those aspects of our
project which we couldn’t achieve alone. This was
important, in our eyes, to maintain the dignity of
the Ichananaw as the official project beneficiary.
But it also meant that, even though most of the
contributions to our project were volunteered, all
involved were serious and committed and
produced work of a high quality.