TRIBAL LEARNING CENTERS
SUMMARY
The Philippines Tribal Learning Centers (TLC) walked alongside local churches to meet critical educational needs in their midst. While the Church of God in the capital city of Manila provides high quality education through their accredited primary and secondary schools, many Church of God families in remote communities have little access to such education. TLCs bridge this gap by harnessing rural congregations with the tools and technology to offer on-line classrooms in their local communities.
PHASE 1: COMMUNITY CONNECTION HUBS
This project partnership equipped local believers to complete phase 1 of the TLC initiative. Phase 1 created Wi-Fi zones at local churches through the installation of an antenna and router at each site. In addition to laying the foundation for TLCs, this connectivity has had 3 immediately profound impacts on the church and community:
Visitors purchase Wi-Fi through a special vending machine at the church which grants them access to temporary internet connection. At the end of the month, marginal income is used to pay church bills, pastors salaries, and other ministry expenses.
In rural communities, access to wifi is difficult to obtain. By making wifi available at the church, the building becomes a destination and place of connectivity for the community. This in turn offers new opportunities for the pastor and congregants to build relationships with, and minister to, those around them.
In addition to church expenses, a percent of the income is also dedicated to transportation allowances for pastors planting and tending to new churches in more remote locations. As weekly tithing often falls short of being able to cover such expenses, this project boosts local missions movements in new and exciting ways.
BACKGROUND
The Church of God in the Philippines is concerned about the lack of safe educational opportunities for kids in rural communities. Many of these children walk 3-6 kilometers each day to attend low-quality schools. This daily journey must be often undertaken in unsafe weather conditions and risks encounters with child predators and sex traffickers. Moreover, many families cannot afford to have their children away from the home all day, and thus many are forced to abandon their education and seek more immediate livelihood opportunities.
“The local pastor and members of the church understand the importance of having TLC’s situated at the church location. First, the church becomes the center of community as the Lord has designed it. Second, members become more involved in the educational mission of the church and in serving. Third, the outcome of the graduates can greatly affect the church body at large, thus slowly transforming the church out of its current situation for generations to come.”
Ivy So, Project Manager
VISION
Tribal Learning Centers offer hope of high-quality education to these families in rural communities. TLCs equip the local church with the materials necessary for a classroom setting and set up the technology for them to receive an on-line education streamed from the Church of God classrooms in Manila.
Through this model, TLCs also place the church at the center of the community and create opportunities for the seeds of the gospel to be planted in the hearts of both the students and parents.
Will you join Global Strategy in continuing to pray for these communities in the Philippines?
For more information, contact Global Strategy Projects at 800.848.2464 or GSProjects@chog.org.
