Global Friendships
Although Storypal is an educational technology start-up, we take great pride in being able to meet educators face to face.
Musa, Storypal's Chief Business Development Officer, recently went to the Philippines here is a reflection of his journey.
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The Storypal Team is made up of a diverse group of people. We are Korean, Nigerien, Cambodian, and American. We are global, and we believe that global friendships are the best way to grow and change the world.
Musa moved from Niger to Busan many years ago. He is the epitome of a global citizen. He has friends from all over the world, but his best friend is a Filipina named Grace. This past April and May, Grace invited Musa to travel to Iloilo, Cebu, and Manila. She mostly wanted him to come with her to a fiesta in her hometown of Iloilo.
"If I had not met Grace, I don't think my visit to the Philippines would have been this great." He said sharing pictures.
Musa, Grace, and Mr. Nimor are enjoying coconut water.
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We asked if it was hard making friends.
"I was pleasantly surprised at how I was welcomed and integrated into the Filipino Society. I didn’t have any trouble making friends. Everyone was kind to me. I truly understood why Filipinos are known as smiling people. Everybody smiles in the Philippines irrespective of the situation, and that was the most touching point for me." Musa said.
Musa knows that travel is not possible for everyone, and that's why he is passionate about Storypal.
"We can't connect them physically, but we can connect them digitally," he said while preparing for a presentation.
Musa's presentation on Storypal was a mixture of personal storytelling and passion.
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Teacher Introduction
Meet Mr. Ceasar Nimor, a professor at the University of Cebu, with a passion for culture and art.
He is looking for penpals from across the world for his students.
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Fiesta! Fiesta!
Fiestas in the Philippines can be religious and cultural. They include something called a peryas. Peryas
are like fairs, where the townspeople set up temporary amusement parks.
We asked Musa, what was the best part of the fiesta he attended?
"The best part was the bonding between family members, neighbors and of course the food!" Musa chuckled.
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"Mr. Juan Gepullano, the District Supervisor of Miagao West in Iloilo, signing up on Storypal."
New Friends
Storypal was warmly welcomed in the Philippines. The teachers were able to quickly see the added value of exposing their students globally and making international friends.
Though some schools don’t have internet connection yet, the teachers were still optimistic and some of them ready to even use their mobile phone data to ensure the exchange is taking place.
Thank you Philippines for the lovely visit, and we will see all of our new friends on the site!
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