"GK777 kasali kami d'yan!" (we're a part of that!) By EJ CUARESMA
It was during my exam period last year when I first heard about GKY GAT from my sister. She urged me to watch a CD of Gawad Kalinga and after seeing it, I was thrilled to know that such a program exits. I had many doubts whether I would be able to go or not mainly because of the cost, and the tour would then clash with my work schedule. However, as soon as I finished my exams and we started fundraising, I realised that it was possible for me to attend GKY GAT 2005.
GKY GAT 2005 was a great way to start the year! New friendships. New experiences. New perspective in life. There were so many highlights of the tour. Firstly, I really enjoyed visiting different GK sites as you learn more about the people's lives before and after GK. It's amazing how GK has transformed slums into colourful, joyful and safe communities. Every village was memorable because of their strong community spirit.
It was so inspiring to hear that in the GK villages, they do not have boredom or stress as part of their vocabulary. The children were always so active and playful. As the youngest in my family, I was never used to anyone calling me 'Kuya' but when we went to the GK villages, all of a sudden I had so many younger siblings clinging on to me as if I was a Christmas tree.
The great thing about GKY GAT was that we weren't simply on a tour around different GK villages, but instead we were part of the miracle that was taking place. We learnt that GK was not simply about building houses. It also involves values formation, education, health and livelihood. The tour was awesome as we were able to learn and participate in the mechanics of GK.
We were able to interact with a Sibol class through our storytelling and art activity with them. Likewise, we also spent time with some of the SAGIP children from Baseco by taking them to a mall. We learnt more about the livelihood of the people by visiting the GK site at Kaingin, where they make Aqua Kalinga mineral water, special polvoron, yema and other sweets. Yum!
We visited many GK sites however the one which is most special to me would have to be Brookside, Payatas where we built our green and yellow homes. The houses we built were no ordinary GK homes as they were situated right in the middle of an old water dam where rubbish used to flow through. There were plastic bags everywhere we would dig. There was even a macapuno tree that we had to remove. The people were overjoyed and their spirit uplifted everytime we would sing while at work. You could really see and feel heroism taking place during the building sessions.
In fact, our team was so excited and productive in building a house that we had stacked so many blocks on the front wall and didn't realise we've forgotten about the door. I think that was our only small mistake. Although it was a lot of hard work, our effort as a team paid off in the end. We were able to achieve all our goals and overcome numerous challenges.
GKY GAT 2005 helped me to develop my character by putting faith into action. It made me realise that there is so much more to be done. My experiences in the GK villages taught me how to live simply, enjoy life, smile, hope, share and be more thankful for all the blessings that I have. Thanks to Joy Lopez and Nathan Mari for organising this Great Adventure Tour for non-members of SFC or YFC. You guys are the best! Thanks to everyone who was a part of GKY GAT 2005! It was an unforgettable experience. Now we can all say "GK777 kasali kami d'yan!" (we're a part of that!).
We visited many GK sites however the one which is most special to me would have to be Brookside, Payatas where we built our green and yellow homes. The houses we built were no ordinary GK homes as they were situated right in the middle of an old water dam where rubbish used to flow through. There were plastic bags everywhere we would dig. There was even a macapuno tree that we had to remove. The people were overjoyed and their spirit uplifted everytime we would sing while at work. You could really see and feel heroism taking place during the building sessions.
