Volunteers from Kildalkey and Boardsmill GAA clubs prepare to cut the ribbon on the school they build for the Badjao tribe in Davao, The Philippines.
By John Harrington
Back in 2019, Tony Hannon and his daughter Alannah did some volunteering work with the Badjao tribe in the Philippines and came home with a fire lit in their hearts.
Struck by the poverty they had witnessed and the kindness and good spirits the Badjao bore it with, they were determined to somehow make a lasting difference for the tribe.
While chatting to Richard Hogan, a fellow volunteer, on the way home, they chatted about what they could do and came to the conclusion the most worthwhile endeavour would be to help the Badjao through education.
Hogan, a DCU lecturer and teacher with the Institute of Education, subsequently founded the charity Embrace Badjao, who’s purpose it is to provide education to the Badjao.
Left to right, Laura Dempsey, Tony Hannon, David Conneely, GAA President Larry McCarthy, Richard Hogan, Padraig Geoghegan, Mark Healy, Alannah Hannon pictured at Croke Park before the trip to The Philippines
In 2020 he got in touch with Hannon and asked him to organise a group to build a school for the Badjao, and Hannon immediately rallied his local GAA communities of Kildalkey and Boardsmill in Meath.
“I'm very much involved in the GAA around here and so that's where really we got the group together,” Hannon told GAA.ie.
“So I got a group together of all GAA people with the skill-set that was needed which was a combination of building skills and teaching skills.
“Because we were doing two things, we were going to build a school and also then do a bit of teaching when we were out there as well.
“The response from the GAA community was just amazing. No matter what was involved, the lads were told at training that you better get down there and support those who were going to the Philippines.
“They also would put it on their website or social media, anything to promote the cause. Our target was to raise €25,000, and we ended up raising €35,000.
“I can't emphasise enough how much the GAA community got behind us. Without that it wouldn't have happened.”
Badjao tribe schoolchildren.
The Badjao are a seafaring tribe with no land who live in stilt-houses on coastal waters, so building a school from scratch was always going to be a significant endeavour.
Before the eight volunteers from Kildalkey and Boarsmill flew out to the Philippines they sent the Badjao funds so they could build concrete pillars into the water with a concrete base floor above that the school could then be constructed on.
Hannon and his team then arrived for the Easter holidays and completed the construction whilst also organising teaching classes for the local children.
“It went really well because we worked with them,” says Hannon. “It was a real partnership and it was important that they would take ownership of it. Even though there were language differences, it still worked amazingly well.
“The girls who came with us did great work teaching and, in a way, their conditions were tougher because they were in one of the huts so the humidity was shocking. Whereas we were in a new building and particularly upstairs there was a bit of air.
“The girls had it tough but they worked away with them, taught them a little bit of english, and played loads of games with them. That went really well.”
The school pictured close to completion.
On their second day there Hannon brought 40 local children to a local franchise restaurant for a meal which was paid for by Embrace Badjao and was moved when they all asked for small paper bags so they could bring home chicken to share with their families rather than just eat it there themselves.
“I couldn't get over that. And they're hungry. It's not as if they were full, they were hungry but there's something within their culture the way they look after each other. It's remarkable to see.”
The school is already in use and Hannon takes a lot of satisfaction from knowing he and his fellow volunteers have built something lasting that will be a hugely positive resource for the Badjao community.
“I don't want this to sound in any way boastful, but for them where they're living, it's like building the Taj Mahal,” says Hannon.
“That's the value that they have on it. Also it can be used for so many different things in the community, it’s already hosted a wedding!”
Richard Hogan, centre, and the volunteers from Kildalkey and Boardsmill GAA club members celebrate the construction of the school for the Badjao tribe.
“And whatever we’ve done for them, I think we’ve all taken so much more from the experience.
“I'm an older person now but I could see with the young people in our group, and they told me themselves, they're transformed. They got so much out of it. It is life-changing.
“I can physically see that the lads and girls are now different after the experience.
“Now that the school is built, Richard Hogan is going back in June with teaching group and now he has the school to use for that. Also important is that that the Institute of Education have funded a teacher for the coming year.
“I feel that there are so many good people involved around the country in GAA clubs that this story might encourage other groups to do something in the same lines. There are so many good causes out there and GAA volunteers are generous people.”