Pursuit of Learning

What major insights have I gained so far from my on-going experiences in engaging in the initiative?

“Life is about experiencing” is a thought that speaks about such a wonderful journey discovering the self at a deeper level.

Growing up being surrounded by outspoken, loving, hardworking and charitable people members of society has influenced a sense of awareness about how blessed I have been and how I should be responding to giving back as an act of gratitude.

Mizuho bankers and their family members
during an outreach program in 2009.

At a young age, my siblings and myself have become witnesses to wonderful opportunities of getting to meet people, share stories and pick up wonderful lessons to cherish and grow up with. Visits to orphanages and homes for the elderly initiated by senior members of the family and friends opened up a view of how others live. I knew back then that in time, although I did not know exactly how just yet that I would like to set up a home to bring people together and be it a sanctuary that would care for, guide and inspire. School happened and so as teenage life. Priorities revolved around achieving academically, wanting to make folks proud with medals and awards garnered. Things done were geared towards establishing the self and investing in that academically brilliant resume that would help land such great job offers. In university, it was fun going out with friends, letting loose while still acing classes and maintaining that academically wonderful CGPA. Years spent growing up were about the self, aiming for what would define success and focusing on that path. It was until our small group of friends, called Beads.ph from DLSU began getting interested in competitions for that sense of thrill arguing amongst ourselves and crafting together impressive solutions to business cases given hoping to get recognized. From business plans, social entrepreneurship strategies  to social advocacy programs; all gave a sense of fulfillment getting to work with such driven people but it was the opportunity of going beyond ourselves and doing one thing that is more than what is written on paper, flashed and presented on screen and is expected to fetch such wonderful songs of praise from supposedly impressed people. “What happens after this project?” was a resonating thought- a feeling that invoked a feeling of lacking something.

ColgateFreshU Sponsored program spearheaded by DLSU BEADS.ph
Foto credit: Jin de la Cruz

Colgate FreshU was more than merely working with a team to be recognized for a nicely written paper on helping out and being that small sparks of change. It was call to action by challenging individuals like myself to go beyond our existing paradigms and take part in translating thoughts and ideas into action. It has been a year since our team last joined the competition. A lot of things have come such as working opportunities for other members of our team. Some have been traveling attending to private matters, but it is the will and the desire to finish what has been started and bringing something of more value into this world that has held our team together. It was a challenge coordinating with parties involved as there have been different priorities to attend to, but key to the success of every team is communication- getting to share and exchange ideas, motivate, delegate, inspire and encourage. We began working with issues that concern us and from there identify factors that cause such issues. With research conducted, our team was able to come up with BEADang Kabuhayan, a social awareness education program that aims to empower mother and the youth in less privileged communities in three key levels: Firstly, empowerment through inclusion wherein participants are asked to interact with each other to share experiences living in the community, problems and find friends in each other; secondly is empowerment through education whereby module conducted focus on skills in creating recycled paperbeads, usage of tools, jewelry designing; thirdly empowerment through employment whereby participants given skills passed on allow them to transform what we usually consider waste into something valuable and worth selling and get a sense of fulfillment being pro-creators and find the inner artists in them and sell their pieces as a source of added income. The project focuses on delinquency and criminality among the youth and research shows that poverty is not the main cause of these issues. It is rather the lack of opportunities and disassociation that cause such problems.

Nanay Auring practicing wire bending
Foto credit: Jin dela Cruz

Balancing school and facilitating the project was a bit of a challenge as I had to work within a timeframe given constraints in resources available. Careful planning allowed me to communicate with members of our team and delegated key roles to efficiently meet deadlines and maximize manpower. Student volunteers successfully partook by assisting participants and resource people as they conduct seminars. Speakers invited from the Philippine Community Fund such as Ate Virgie, Ate Mylene, Mr. Marcel and Mr. James, together with Mrs. Mariela Sison spoke about their personal experiences of harwork helped motivate mothers and youth alike. Mothers and youth from Barangay 768 have become our friends who welcomed us with such open arms.

That sense of pride that was brought by prestigious awards given for well written proposals meant nothing compared to the sense of fulfillment brought by seeing how happy and inspired people involved in the project have become. Listening to people’s experiences and seeing how their faces have lit up speak much stronger than coming up with impressive and hifalutin adjectives. I take pride in seeing how engaged and involved my friends have become that they did not need much pushing, but acted out of love and passion.

Mizuho banker children making friends in 2009

We are never too young to initiate positive change.