Over the last five decades, SIFI has been known to offer alternative courses to dependents of sugarcane workers who were not able to benefit from a College or tertiary education. SIFI has helped numerous out-of-school youths and individuals by enhancing their skills and knowledge through Vocational Education, TESDA-accredited courses, and the Sugarcane Farm Technician Course which began in 2012 in collaboration with the University of St. La Salle and the Sugar Regulatory Administration. Aside from this, SIFI EDAP Scholars also utilized Seminar-Workshops to improve their communication and study skills, and prepare them for the future through Career Orientations and Social Media Management.
However, starting last year when the pandemic broke out, this severely affected the implementation of the SIFI Skills Training Program. The Covid-19 Government Protocol temporarily banned any “face-to-face” gatherings or trainings, schooling and all other activities that required physical connection in order to arrest the spread of the virus. This prompted SIFI to find ways and innovate its own practices and procedures adapting to the “New Normal.”
It was only in the later months of 2020 wherein SIFI was able to reach out to its scholars under lockdown and conduct virtual trainings and seminars utilizing apps such as Zoom, Google Meet or Messenger. Internet connectivity was of utmost importance. Before that, a survey had to be conducted to determine how many scholars had Internet, what gadgets were being used (cellphone, tablet or laptop), what apps were they downloading, and whether they needed electronic load assistance.
The results were encouraging. Led by SIFI Training Officer Angelica Hebionada, the foundation was able to conduct a total of 44 Zoom Cloud sessions on various topics to more than 1,000 SIFI scholars from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Various resource speakers were tapped. The Carlos Hilado Memorial State College offered their pool of mentors. The sessions started in late November and the topics chosen were based on their Training Needs Assessment.
The virtual learning sessions offered the following Seminar/Webinar topics:
- Mental Health and Well-being in the New Normal
- Coping with the Challenges of Online Learning
- Media Literacy and Social Media Management
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective Students
- Disaster Awareness: Resilience & Youth in this time of Pandemic and Beyond
- Online Entrepreneurship: Principles, Skills and Best Practices
- Pre-Job Essentials and Board Exam Preparation for Graduating Scholars
- Leadership Principles and Values Formation
Living under the “New Normal” has resulted in a lot of adjustments especially in technology. As for the SIFI beneficiaries, attending these online seminars have helped them to lessen their stressors, adapt better to the burden of life under lockdown, and expose them to new ideas, meet online friends and gain strength and hope toward a better future.
