Giving Back: YIP grantee-graduate volunteers with Cartwheel
"I give back to my fellow Indigenous Peoples because I want to share the joy I felt after fulfilling one of my dreams."
Growing up in the highlands of Miarayon, Bukidnon, Arjane Sotto was raised as among the indigenous Talaandig in their community. She was one of the first young learners to attend Sta. Teresita Pre-School, an education center Cartwheel founded in 1999. With fond memories from her early schooling, Arjane pursued her studies all the way until college where she took up Social Entrepreneurship at Pamulaan Center for Indigenous Peoples Education in Mintal, Davao. She was supported as a grantee by Cartwheel under its Young Indigenous Peoples (YIP) Leaders Program and graduated in March 2016.
Arjane then and now: as a young learner at Sta. Teresita Pre-school in Miarayon, Bukidnon, and as a student of a Pamulaan Center for IP Education
Completing a full circle in her journey with Cartwheel, Arjane has now committed to volunteering with the organization in reaching out to many other IP learners like her:
“Pinili kong maglingkod sa Cartwheel dahil gusto kong maging bahagi ng kanilang misyon. Gusto ko ring magpasalamat sa mga bagay na naitulong nila sa akin at sa aking mga kapwa kabataan na ang iba ay minsan ko na ring naging guro at naging formator. Isa ang Cartwheel sa naging inspirasyon kong tumulong sa ibang tao, lalong-lalo na sa mga kapwa ko katutubong gustong mapalawak at madagdagan ang kaalaman. Sa pamamagitan ng Cartwheel, naniniwala akong maipaPASA ko ang aking pasaSALAMAT. Matutupad ko rin ang aking kagustuhang tumulong at maglingkod sa mga kapwa ko katutubong nais din madagdagan ang kaalaman at mapaunlad ang kalidad ng edukasyong naayon sa kultura.
“Nagbalik-lingkod ako sa aking mga kapwa katutubo dahil gusto kong maibahagi ang saya na aking naramdaman matapos kong maabot ang isa sa aking mga pangarap. Gusto kong maramdaman nila ang saya na makamit ang kanilang pangarap at maibahagi din ito sa iba at sa mga susunod pang henerasyon.”
Arjane beams with joy in one of her first visits as a volunteer to Cartwheel’s partner area in Culion, Palawan
(“I choose to serve with Cartwheel because I want to be part of their mission. I also want to express my thanks for the many things they have given as help to me and my fellow youth, with some being my teachers and formators. Cartwheel is one among my inspirations to help other people, especially my fellow Indigenous Peoples (IPs) who want to expand and add to their knowledge. Through Cartwheel, I believe I will be able to pass on my gratitude. I will also be able to fulfill my desire to help and serve my fellow IPs who also wish to gain more knowledge and develop a quality of education that is relevant to their culture.
“I give back to my fellow IPs because I want to share the joy that I felt after fulfilling one of my dreams. I want them to feel the joy of reaching their own dreams and for them to share this with others as well, and with the generations to come.”)
Arjane shares about the collage she made representing her aspirations at the THRiVE workshop
Arjane began as a full-time Cartwheel volunteer in May 2016. She joined teachers and other community workers in attending THRiVE, a workshop on psychosocial integration through the expressive arts. Working in coordination with the rest of the Cartwheel team, she leads in facilitating follow-up sessions with partner teachers in their respective communities, helping them nurture classrooms of healing and learning in reaching out to their learners.
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Learn more about the 2015 commencement exercises at Pamulaan Center for IP Education here.