By Julian Dominik Espino
This past summer, my family went to the Philippines for holiday. As a part of our vacation, our parents, Nilo and Zayne Espino, took us to a slum area and then to a new village to see the difference. We saw the restored hope and the dignity of the residents in the new village so my siblings and I ended up extending our vacation for three more weeks (our parents left ahead of us) to volunteer with Gawad Kalinga (GK). Their goal is to end poverty by providing not only houses to the poor, but also a means of livelihood so the provided community will be sustained. We stayed n a GK Village for three weeks, and boy, those weeks were definitely not enough.
Living in a first world country where there is an abundance of opportunity for people to thrive, I had an idea of an affluent life. It was almost impossible to even think about the other existing reality in life, which is poverty. Because of this, I took many things for granted. I did not realize before my immersion with GK how fortunate we were.
During my stay at the Enchanted Farm, I lived with one of the families of the GK village, the lovely De la Pena family. They were a family with four children: Leah, Bernie, Brian and Jeric. I felt quite intrusive to be honest. Just to have to accommodate one more person in their home made me feel uncomfortable, but you become comfortable with them very fast because of their kindness. Even though they did not have a lot to offer me, they still provided me great hospitality that made me feel like I was a part of their family.
The Enchanted Farm Village, where I volunteered at, is still in its developing stage. The road, a clinic and many other facilities are still under construction . I talked to a lot of villagers and workers to find work. That’s really the only way you can find anything to do around the farm.
There were numerous tasks a volunteer could help with during the day. In the sum of my stay I helped build a pathway, I helped clean out the piggery; I helped plant citronella and lemongrass, I taught in the school village (Sibol School), got involved with the waste management project and a daycare project. At the end of each day, all volunteers have dinner and talk about where we helped and what problems we encountered. This is where we discuss and, like a team, give each other either moral support or ideas to find solutions to succeed in our projects. We talk about each other’s day and we really get to appreciate each other’s hard work.
I really got to immerse myself in the Filipino culture during my stay there. There were numerous occasions where we had our fun bonding sessions with the volunteers and the villagers (almost every night),
Working alongside the villagers was another great way to get to know them. I got to hear their stories and to learn from their experiences. They made work enjoyable. I saw the joy in each other’s presence. Laughing and jokes were always part of their work and they still managed to get things done properly and on time.
As the days went by, I was invited by a French volunteer, who has stayed there for two months, to help him with one of the projects he was working with. I was asked to translate a brochure on his composting project. Then I got really interested in this project until it evolved to a bigger project. Talking to the villagers and just observing during my stay there I noticed that the villagers burn all their garbage. Then, I learned that there was a villager that collects recyclables and resells them for a few change. Along with several other French volunteers, we created a system to implement cleanliness and recycling to reduce burning of garbage and littering. Then we conceived a project of making several garbage bins, a compost site, presentations on teaching the villagers how to compost or recycle etc. The process helped me with my problem solving skills. I exercised my skills to find problems around the farm and use my creativity to devise a solution.
Overall, this trip exceeded my expectations tenfold. It was a great way to contribute and give back to the community especially because it helped me have a more intimate understanding of my culture and people. I got to meet and network with amazing people around the world, and I really got to step into the shoes of the people who are less fortunate which most people wouldn’t think would be a fun experience. But it was such an exhilarating and fulfilling experience. It was the best experience of my life, and I literally would do it all over again. This trip was life changing. In living the way the villagers live, I learned to love and appreciate what I have.
(Note: The Espino family is now hosting one of the French volunteers in Canada. He is here for a visit and will be celebrating Christmas with his extended GK family.)