August 13, 2016
Saturday
Helping Land, Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Rain was a bit hyperactive for this day and didn’t even bother to rest for awhile from his work. Pathway going to the Helping Land courtyard was like a stream and some areas were knee high in deep. But the floods didn’t stop us from Project Pearls to do what we have to do. And that is to feed the hungry children of Tondo, to educate them and to inspire them as well.
Speaking of inspiration, a young and living hero joined us for this day. Just like the persevere volunteers of Project Pearls, he was not also hesitant to go and meet the kids and to share some inspiring words. He didn’t care of the very heavy rain that made him sulk and dripping upon reaching the courtyard.
He is none other than Efren Penaflorida. For most of us already know, Efren or popularly known as “Kuya F”, was a 2009 CNN Hero awardee. Kuya F is a Filipino teacher and social worker wherein he offers Filipino youth education by the streets, cemeteries and garbage areas. He had his “school push carts”. He gathered street children and teach them how to read and write using educational materials his group provided. He really deserves to be called as hero.
The first thing Kuya F taught to the kids was a hand game. It was quite simple and fun. Everyone must grab a partner and they will be playing a hand game called “Up, Down and Tap.” The hands were close fist and partners’ hands were put together. When Kuya F said “Up”, fists must go up over their partner’s fists. They same goes when he said, “Down”. He said Up, Down, repeatedly. And when he finally said, “Tap!” Their fists must get out of the way so the other partner won’t have anything to put his or her hands over.
After the game, he then proceeded to his motivational talk for this gloomy yet very inspiring day.
The first part of his talk to the kids was about even though we are still young, we can still do something for other people. We can help and dream to help more. He also said that poverty has nothing to do in reaching our dreams. We just have to be in full pursue of what we wanted to be.
According to him, we must be B.E.S.T. in everything.
And BEST stands for
B – Believe that you can.
E – Excel in everything you do.
S – Stand for what is true and noble.
T – Think of ways to improve yourself.
The second part of his talk was a presentation of a short film. Here showed a story of a young boy who was raised and livingin a dump site. He discovered the boy when the latter was only four years old. Due to the boy’s hazardous environment, this little kid’s skin got burned through a flaming garbage tire. They rescued and sheltered this young one.
A few years had passed and that little kid was now an achiever.
He is Kesz. A college graduate and already establishing his own organization that has the aim of helping other people and educating young ones just like what Project Pearls do!
Keep it up, Kesz! We are proud and truly amazed of what you have gone through and what you are currently doing.
For the next presentation, it was proudly introduced by Monica, our Project Pearls Admin executive and volunteer.
The next short film was about the life of Kuya F himself, his humble beginning, his struggles as a growing up kid, and later on his achievements as well.
As take home words for the children, he told them to never give up and learn to give back what they have received.
Through this, we will all be more blessed and a better world is waiting for us.
After his talk was the feeding of the kids. Thank you Miss Mailou, Sir Jim and Cassie San Gabriel for being our food sponsor for this day. You will always be blessed. As we also know, they are Cassie’s family who has the project of Cassie’s Bag of Dreams. Just last week, they distributed hundreds of school bags with school supplies to kids to several places in the country such as Guimaras, Iloilo and Manila. Thank you so much for this very great and generous family.
We also had the distribution of shoes and slippers! It was really raining blessings for our kids!
Thank you to our sponsors, TOMS Shoes and Project Oasis!Most of the children here in Helping Land, having just a pair of slipper is already considered as luxurious. That’s why seeing them walking around, running and playing on theirunexplainable dirty and smelly streets whether sunny day or rainy day and coming to the courtyard to eat, them in barefoot is a common scene.
As a take away gift, Cassie give the kids donuts! One by one, she gave almost 300 kids the donuts with a plastered smile on her face. She is such a sweet, kind hearted girl. Thank you for the love, Cassie!
And of course, thank you so much to all our volunteers and volunteer-nanays that helped us for this day. That gloomy and bed weather did not become the barrier for us to go and be in service of other.
A countless thank you for all of you!
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