The first week of training (Nov 2010) is almost finished

Nothing EVER goes the way we planned it, BUT everything turns out well. 

We were expecting 40 ladies this week, but the floods and landslides in northern Luzon washed out the roads all transportation from the north ground to a halt. We hope they will find their way to next week'ss training.

 In the Philippines everything is connected to and effected by corruption. They don't have a good north south rail link on Luzon,  because the government wants to "supervise the project". Finances for a railroad line would be coming from the World Bank and other outside organizations, who know better than to give millions of dollars to Filipino government officials. They will fund the project only if, outside contractors like Chinese, Japanese or American companies can bid and control the project. They will not put the project and the money in local hands. They are willing to build and give the Philippines a good railroad,, but they are not willing to line the pockets of government officials. So, the government officials have turned down the gift saying it is an "affront to Filipino dignity". Who suffers? The ordinary people, and the businesses trying to operate here. 

The group of ladies this week have been quite good and receptive. Some of them are already employed and we have a full slate of interviews for Saturday.