GK's Dream

Last Saturday, 28 February 2009, me and a couple of other Ateneo law students went to Taguig for a GK Build/Tour.

It was my first time to set foot in that part of Taguig (although Fort Bonifacio is in Taguig, and I'm sure most of us go there often, this part was quite different). It was my 3rd GK build (my last one was almost 3 years ago, if I remember correctly), the place looked the same as most parts of Metro Manila: small streets; lots of kids running around and playing; tricycles, cars and jeeps parked here and there; and of course a lot of people jam-packed into a small place. It strengthened my position that decongestion of our cities should really be a government priority, but I'll reserve that discussion for another day.

First, we visited the Poveda and Fuji Xerox Villages, both were already complete and buzzing with life. As we stepped out of our cars, several kids whom we didn't know rushed to welcome and greet us with mano po's left and right. I felt as if I were a politician, or more so a priest. It was touching and heartwarming to see so many kids eagerly welcoming us though it was the first time they ever saw us. We had a little tour of the 2 villages, which had a livelihood center and, I was very pleased to see, a recycling and eco-waste mangement center.

We then proceeded to the two build sites we were supposed to work on, the Zonta and IS Manila Villages. Both needed to be completed in a week's time, so work was being rushed and double-timed. We engaged in sifting, laying down brick roads, using pulleys to carry hollow blocks and cement to the 3rd floor, and carrying 50kg sacks of cement and sand to and fro. I know you're probably thinking that it seemed like it was a very good workout, but it was more than just that.

Before, I thought that GK was simply about buidling houses and providing decent homes and shelters for the poor and homeless; because when I first volunteered for GK, that was the impression I got. However, after last Saturday's build, tours and talks, I learned that GK not only builds houses but provides people with HOMES, and the opportunity to improve their lives by making them proud of who they are and where they come from by teaching them how to help themselves even after GK and its thousands of volunteers have gone. Giving people a home gives them the opportunity to focus on other things; instead of worrying if their house will be demolished as they sleep or when they wake up the next morning, they can channel their energy to other more important matters. By volunteering, one does not only help these people build their community but also their confidence by interacting with others and making new friends, in a way this makes them feel that those who might be better off than them are actually no different from who they are.

GK hopes that by 2024 they would have already been able to provide 5 million families with homes, thereby eradicating poverty for the next generation and perhaps stopping the vicious cycle that has plagued our country for decades. Thank God for people like Tony Meloto and all those who make GK possible. Here's to hoping that more Ateneo law students find time to help in GK's work, perhaps not only in building but even in some other worthwhile and meaningful ways.