Aquaponics is the cooperation between plants and fish, derived from aquaculture (which is the growing of fishes) and hydroponics (which is the growing of plants in water). Philippines has majority of its farm grown in the soil, however the team, alongside YMCA, hope to introduce an alternative method which is more sustainable and grows more profitable yield in the form of aquaponics.
16 residents from Hall of Residence 1, had this opportunity to travel to Pangasinan, Philippines, to experience the life of a villager in the rural village of Don Benito. Over there, the team exchanged cultures with the locals, interacted with both elementary and high school students and had homestay activities alongside YMCA Singapore and YMCA Pangasinan.
Building the aquaponics prototype for the farm was the first step in establishing a training institute for the village, where farmers and local villagers would participate in and learn about creating one for themselves. The idea of propagating the knowledge of aquaponics instead of building one by itself, created a sustainable future for the project, ensuring longevity in the hard work of the team.
The education aspect was carried out with activities such as personal hygiene and arts & crafts classes, sports day events, and baking lessons. The children at the school were exceptionally welcoming and very participative in all the planned activities, even though there was a language barrier and required help from the local YMCA Pangasinan campers for translation. Their friendly nature enabled the team to hold their events successfully, and some team members were even seen enjoying a game of basketball with the locals during their break times.
Apart from engaging in the aquaponics project and school education, the team was also given the opportunity to experience the lives of the local villagers, from university students’ school curriculum to the everyday activities of villagers at Malokiat Baranguy. The homestay families brought the team members to their community church where they pray at weekly, as well as hike up a mountain to picnic at a famous waterfall. The team also had the chance to engage in their usual day-to-day chores such as farming, food preparation and market shopping.
Through these 2 weeks, the team learnt about the Filipino culture, aquaponics and about themselves. The team had plenty of laughs, hard times and many warm memories to bring back to Singapore. The close knitted ties between the members itself and with the Filipino counterparts are ones that the team will cherish moving forward.
It was truly a humbling and eye opening experience for me. I thoroughly learnt new limits for myself and was inspired by how warm everyone in the community treats one another! Brandon Choo, Chairman
About Project Filled Bellies
This project is part of OHANA, which is a student-led community engagement club in NTU Hall 1, that seeks to serve the community locally and internationally. We aim to provide students with a platform where they are encouraged to give back to society with their friends, and be able to build bonds between our members through acts of community service.
