Gawad Kalinga. It means to give care. And it is happening for the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. Last year, my sister-in-law mentioned GK to me when I told her we were planning to scuba dive in the Philippines. She was aware of GK's work and recommended I check into it. On the internet, I found an upcoming GK rally at the Filipino community center in Seattle. I was curious, so Lucas and I headed down to south Seattle not knowing what to expect.
As we walked in, we were greeted with typical Filipino hospitality by Tita Mayin. After singing the Filipino national anthem and a prayer, we heard a presentation that brought tears to my eyes. It was obvious that real change was taking place in the Philippines among the poor. People were being surrounded with holistic care and support, trained in sustainable livelihoods, and working together as communities to rise out of poverty. It was compelling and it was hopeful.
Next we met Tito Burt and found out that he and a group from Seattle just happened to be going on a "GK Build" in the Philippines soon. So we went home, talked about it, and signed up to join them. A few weeks later, we found ourselves being greeted by smiling children in the GK village of Libmanan. We toured the village, met beneficiaries, moved hollow blocks, played with children, helped dig a foundation, and ate loads of food. On our last night, we were ask to speak about our experience at a party. I cried as I spoke, because our time there had been so rich and I had felt so much love.
As we traveled around, we checked out a few other GK villages. We ended up volunteering at a small village in Bais City which is in the province of Negros, an island in the central Philippines. Again we didn't know exactly what to expect, or do, but we showed up and were warmly welcomed. We helped paint a house aquamarine and watermelon pink, Lucas played basketball and thumb wrestled with the kids, I taught them new games, we met families, we took pictures, we ate fish balls, we talked with the mayor who got the land donated and government workers who donated christmas bonus money for houses, we danced, and we were serenaded. We also met the caretaker team - a group of committed local people who work tirelessly to support the village with healthcare and feeding programs, education, values training, livelihood programs, youth activties including the arts, and property maintenance. As before, I left with a full heart, thankful to be embraced by people who are poor materially but who had offered me an incredibly rich experience in culture, kindness, generosity, and love.
Gawad Kalinga is inspiring and impressive. In many ways, I want to be part of a community like the ones I have seen in GK. In the village at Bais City, neighbors work together, welcome new arrivals, talk outside their homes as the sun goes down, children run around and play safely outside together, people share food, and dancing and singing are part of life. It is a peaceful place. It is a place I want to visit again and a community I want to support.
From everything I have seen, the GK model works and I want to be a part of what they are doing to help the poor. The major challenges in the village at Bais City are financial. Most of the village members formerly lived as squatters by the river in shacks. Most are not educated or literate. In order to live in a GK village, the beneficiaries have gone through a 12 week values training program and have done the manual labor to build their own homes. They have worked very hard building houses, planting gardens, landscaping their property, getting their children into school, and maintaining their community through a homeowners association. They are hard-working people, but it is very difficult to find jobs in the area. It is sugar cane country, so one of the only options is to work seasonally to harvest sugar cane which doesn't provide enough income for a full year. Others work as tricycle drivers for a few pesos every day.
It is not unusual for a family to have 5 children, so there is not enough money to meet basic needs. New livelihood opportunities and education are the greatest needs of the community. When those needs are met, the beneficiaries will be well on their way to sustainability.
Read about GK @ www.gawadkalinga.com
Read about the GK village in Bais City @ www.geocities.com/pmgbais
To donate online through the U.S. partner organization, go to www.gk-usa.org
less for self, more for others, enough for all
- motto of gawad kalinga
Lucas and I have recently gotten involved with Gawad Kalinga, an organization that helps the poorest of the poor. GK builds villages and communities. As we have visited sites and asked beneficiaries how we can help, education seems to be the most hopeful avenue and the highest priority. If this generation of children, living in the villages, can finish school and go to college, they will be able to lift themselves and other family members out of poverty. We want to invite you to help make that happen.
