"The goal of the program was to develop better persons and better Filipino citizens among the household helpers" (Souvenir Program 2012)
I was invited last year by our Barangay Captain, Tita Nene Lichauco, to become a facilitator. The Batch 19 program started last June and every Wednesday for the past 21 weeks, we have been spending it at the Multi-Purpose Court helping out our girls with the sessions.
I belong to the group, Mapagkumbaba with Tita Belle Ramirez as my co-facilitator.
The sessions were about values formation and improving their skills to be the best at what they do. We had guest speakers who taught the girls gift wrapping, practical fruit/plant/flower arrangements, first aid and dental hygiene, disaster management and security in and outside the home, etc.
We also gave them special projects to enhance their creativity. One of my girls, Rose,
won 3rd place for the Sewing Project.....
And also 3rd place for the Bayong Recycling Project, the aim of which was to teach them to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Rose painted the scallop shells with watercolor and used it to accessorize her bayong.
After each session, the participants and facilitators were treated to very delicious merienda all the time! That was actually the highlight of our Wednesdays.
When I woke up this morning, the only concern I had was what to wear for the graduation and I was thinking already of the merienda they would serve after the program. I was just chilling out ... surfing online when I got a call from Aileen Dionisio, one of the core group members.
She asked me if I could prepare a short speech. The speaker for the facilitators had to bail out last minute because her daughter was very sick. That was before 11 am and the program was at 2 pm.
And.... HELLO???? The speech was in Filipino! I read and write in English, I cannot even read in Filipino, I mean, I can, but it would take longer. So, I just typed my thoughts in English and translated it into Filipino.
Hmmmm .... How did KST help me in my life????
Usually, when we are asked to join a volunteer program, we feel a sense of altruism. It is like saying ... Hey, look at what I am doing to help the less fortunate. I suppose it is true.
But for me, it is more of a "pay it forward" thing. I have been so blessed by God and in my own simple way, it is my means of saying, Thank you, Lord.
I realized that instead of helping others through KST, I was the one who benefited from the program in terms of emotional growth and broadening my way of thinking.
Thank you, Analiza, Rose and En En for enriching my life. You may never know how much .... but I am a better person because of all of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment