Bamboo Cutting, Turkey Killing and the American Despedida

It has been a rough past few days here at the farm but I’ll get to that towards the end of my post. Last weekend, our group went to Manila since our time here is winding down and we wanted to explore more. I simply wanted to go for the prospect of good food. We ended up going to a mall and then staying at the Z hostel. The Z hostel is a much nicer hostel than the last one we stayed in and has a rooftop bar and extremely nice furnishings. It is also right off of Makati Avenue where all of the good restaurants and bars are located. The next morning we went to a Mexican restaurant and I ordered myself a burrito and fries. I miss Mexican food so much. Most of my dreams consist of me eating from Moe’s or Chipotle. Morgan and I had some meetings very early in the morning so we decided to head back to the farm that night while the rest of the group stayed another day. The meeting was with Tito Tony and the Agri team. It was similar to the last meeting we had a week before. Mainly, the meeting was to validate that things are getting done on the farm. The head farmer was also present in the meeting along with some of the SEED students. They have been planting vegetables and updated Tito on their progress. Tito also asked about the various projects that the interns are in charge of like the vermicomposting, herbal garden, turkey project and so on. Jaylord, our SEED student who is working on the turkey farm with us, updated Tito on the building of the fence. Only one side of the rectangular fence has been built but the grass still needs to be cut. He said bamboo still needs to be cut also so Morgan and I said we would do that the next day. After this first meeting, we all went to a Solidarity meeting at Hyundai. All the interns and all the SEED students were here at this meeting. Tito Tony urged us to think about why we are here and our purpose in the plan of GK. At the end, he related some exciting news. Three of the SEED students would be going to France to spread their stories and the story of GK. I felt excited for these students who work hard every day and have never stepped outside of Bulacan. They would get to experience things that they never thought possible but with the humility that their lives had taught them.
The next day, Morgan and I went to cut the bamboo. We only had one machete. I was very excited to do some hard labor as we had gotten nothing done for the last few days. After cutting down several bamboo trees that were about 30ft. tall and a lot of blisters later, we decided to head over to lunch. I have never felt so tired in my life. But the work was very satisfying as well when hacking at the tree with the machete for twenty minutes finally yielded in some tangible results. We did this same type of work for the next few days and then sawed the already cut bamboo trees so that they were 2.2 m long. On Friday July 29th, the whole IWU group was planning on involving in a new event called GK Fridays. On GK Fridays, interns can volunteer to go to another location where they are just starting to build a new GK community. The interns are expected to do some hard manual labor. But just the day before, Jaylord had surprised us with the news that Tito wanted us to kill two more turkeys because a large group of executives would be coming on Saturday and he wanted us to sell our product to them. So Morgan and I canceled our trip to the new GK community and decided to instead kill turkeys that day. Since I had already experienced this once before, the task was a little less gruesome. We ended up killing and deboning them right before lunch. We spent the rest of the day buying ingredients from the market so that we could make turkey burgers. Later that day, we went into the kitchen and mixed all the ingredients and made them into patties.

Morgan and I set up the next morning at around 10 a.m. We had learned from the last time that everything would run smoother if we had all the veggies and buns cut before. We also recruited Jessi to help us. We had tweaked the recipe a bit from the last time as well by adding some more flavoring and spices. We hoped that it would be a better sell than last time but it did not turn out so. The executives were all signed up to eat at the GRK which is the cafeteria type place where the interns eat every day. We managed to sell less than a dozen burgers. But I consoled myself with the thought that when we were gone Jaylord would still sell the burgers that we had made together and they wouldn’t be a waste.

That Saturday also happened to be Morgan’s 20th birthday. After selling the turkey burgers, we went to Iasis for dinner. Iasis is a resort for healing and wellness here at the farm. When rich Filipino come to visit the farm, this is where they stay. It is quite expensive and also has an expensive vegan restaurant inside. We went there for dinner and ordered vegan pesto pizza and vegan pesto pasta along with smoothies. I was a bit skeptical at the pesto pizza but it was truly tasty. I would order that anywhere. The pasta was excellent as well. All in all, it was a wonderful meal!

The next day, the whole group went to Santa Maria. We had planned a despedida which is a goodbye party for ourselves to happen that night. We invited all the French and reserved a pool resort which is located 10-15 minutes from the farm. We went to buy ingredients for dinner, snacks and drinks. That whole day was dedicated to preparing for the party which would last late into the night. After we brought our ingredients, we went to the resort to drop off everything. The resort is located in a very random spot in Angat. The area has been known to harbor some delinquents but the resort itself is reliable enough as we were told. The rest of the group got ready quickly and went to the resort. I took a bit longer because I had to shower which I couldn’t do in our room because for the past week or so we have had no running water. So I went to the pool showers and told the rest of the group to not wait for me and set up the party. Because there have been instances of stealing at the resort, I decided to leave my wallet and money and other important belongings in the room. I almost never carry around my phone most days but that night I needed my phone’s flashlight so that I could see as I walked to the resort. I made sure to lock the door and took the key with me. When we got back around one a.m., I found it slightly weird that the door was unlocked but was extremely tired and didn’t think much of it. I figured I had just been careless and actually had left the door open. The next morning I woke up with my body facing the window. As I opened my eyes, I saw that I could see straight through to the trees outside. I realized that three of the glass panels had been taken out and the net covering the outside had been cut open. I instantly got up and started ruffling through my belongings and found several items missing including my computer, wallet with money, backpack and other miscellaneous items that were in the backpack (clothes, perfume etc). Jessi had her iPad, computer, and duffel bag stolen as well. We do not know who did it and whether this person is from the GK community or from outside. So yesterday, we reported it to the police but getting our stuff back seems very unlikely at this point. I am trying to not let this shadow my entire trip here.

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Turkey Burgers and Reuniting with IWU Friends

We sold our first turkey burger on July 15th. There is a nearby town named Angat where we had the meat ground and so that same day we made turkey patties and put them in the refrigerator. The SEED student who will take over this social enterprise once Morgan and I are gone proceeded to tell us that Tito Tony wanted to try our finished product that night for dinner. Everything suddenly got very real. If Tito Tony did not approve of the turkey burgers then everything we had done for the past few days would mean nothing. So we quickly assembled all the necessary ingredients for the toppings of the burger (buns, lettuce, tomatoes, etc). Then, as Morgan and I were grilling the turkey patties, Tito Tony walked up. Luckily we had just put together our first burger. We were originally going to taste it for the first time ourselves but Tito asked if he could take it and try it. Of course, we said yes. He then proceeded to tell us that he approved and really liked our product. He took three burgers home for his children to try also. It was all very exciting and nerve-racking.

The next day, the rest of the IWU students in the Philippines came over to the farm. We met them at nine in the morning and then accompanied them on the tour of the farm until lunchtime. Morgan and I thought it would be a good idea to see how our first sale of the turkey burgers would go for lunch that day. We were able to sell almost all of our patties that we had made the day before and we got really good feedback. I did try one and though it was very good, I am already thinking about how to improve it. After lunch, all the IWU students went to the pool and exchanged stories of what we have been doing within the last month. We talked about our struggles, successes and what we miss most about home. The other IWU students had to leave the farm soon after that so we said our goodbyes!

The next day was a relaxing day for us. Morgan and I took a trip to Santa Maria which is a town about an hour away. We went to Waltermart which is a mall but also has a supermarket inside. I found some more souvenirs for my family there and bought some clothes for myself as well. Later that day, we arrived back at the farm to join in swim lessons for the kids. We do this every day at six pm and it is probably the most organized activity on the farm. The kids are really learning some new strokes and are getting more and more comfortable with us. They constantly want to improve and ask us whether the particular swim stroke they are learning is correct. Most of them know my name and all call me Atte Sue. Everybody here at the farm calls me Sue since it is easier than remembering my full name. I don’t mind and will dearly miss the chorus of ‘Atte Sue’ from the kids as I walk by.

The next day, July 18th, I went to a meeting with Agri team and Tito Tony. We basically talked about what we have accomplished. During the meeting, he praised Morgan and I on our success with the turkey burgers. He proceeded to tell us that his family really enjoyed them too. Tito Tony also told us of Jaylord’s (the SEED student who will take over the turkey farm) background and story. It turns out that every day Jaylord works at the stone quarry which is back breaking work and then every afternoon he sells spaghetti to raise money for his father’s medicine. If anything, we are truly making a difference in Jaylord’s life. He now has a more solid enterprise to develop even further. During this meeting, Tito Tony also told us of the upcoming important tasks which included planting rice and getting the vegetable hectare ready for planting. He said everybody needs to participate in the rice planting because the end of July is the best time to plant rice.

So the very next day (yesterday) the IWU students got up early and went to the rice fields behind the community. For several hours, we all worked to make the beds wider. This was a long task and I think my hands still faintly smell of fertilizer. We all got very muddy and the shower afterwards was very needed, to say the least.

Visiting other GK communities, vacationing in Baler, and Turkey farming

During the next few days that the Raya students were here, the IWU group helped them learn how to plant basil and okra plants in the beds that they had weeded the day before. The last night that they were here, they made their own dinner. Morgan and I were team leaders for group number one. The groups were told that what they made for dinner was what they had to eat that night. However, without their knowledge, there was a fully prepared meal for them because it was assumed that they would not know how to cook with the ingredients given to them. Our group had to prepare the Filipino food Sinigang which is a soup with vegetables and fish. We were given a half thawed fish and some raw vegetables. The team leaders were not allowed to help the students but were simply there to watch and guide. The students themselves had to take out the fish scales and gut it. Since I do not eat fish or cook fish meat this was new for me as well. Morgan was a big help to the group since he loves fishing and has done this process hundreds of times. The students were able to get most of the scales out but some we could see was still on the fish. Next, they gutted the fish. This was an especially disgusting sight and the girls on our team were not pleased with the task. Overall, I think it was a very good experience for the kids who have had very sheltered and luxurious lives thus far. They were all from the richer parts of the Philippines and had never had to cook for themselves as they explained to us. In the end, they ate the already prepared meal made by the Titas.

We went to Manila for the first time on July 2^nd. Manila is extremely congested and busy. It is beautiful in its own way but very different from the nature that encompasses the farm. Our group went to the Glorietta mall which is divided into five enormous buildings. One building is equivalent to what is considered a large mall in America. We spent all of our time in one building. For dinner, we went to a German restaurant. I had never had German cuisine before but it was exceptionally tasty. Just writing about it and remembering the food I ordered makes me nostalgic for it. At the farm, there is a buffet style meal for every meal. Since I am a vegetarian, many of the dishes prepared are things I am not able to eat. So being in Manila and having so many options for food dishes was relieving. The group also had talked about preparing a large meal for the fourth of July. Before we headed back to the farm, we went to a grocery store and bought all the ingredients for our meal. We decided to make mac and cheese, potato salad, hot dogs, tofu, omelets and bruschetta. It was a huge success and we devoured the food that we had cooked. There were still leftovers and we got to enjoy it for a second time the next day.

French people are everywhere here. It was a bit of a surprise to come to the Philippines and be surrounded by this number of French people. Just last week, another eighty French interns arrived at the farm. They were only here for a couple of days but there are waves of new French interns every so often. During their stay, they help with whatever task that needs to be done. A lot can get done in one day with this number of people. My group and I helped weed a large area of land and finished clearing four beds. It was back breaking work but completely worth the feeling of accomplishment in the end.

That night we joined the French for a goodbye party for four of the long term French interns at the farm. The party was held at a spa resort in Angat and was only a fifteen minute walk from the farm. It was a beautiful little area and had a pool. Of course, there was also karaoke. We were supposed to bring food to contribute to the dinner and decided to make potato salad which was enjoyed by everyone (especially me). It was a pretty long night for all of us but a well-deserved break.

The next day, we woke up at nine to board the van for our organized trip to the other GK communities. Everyone was slow from the night out but eventually we all gathered for our trip. It was an hour to the nearby location of GK Silver Heights. The GK location at Silver Heights was a lot smaller than the Enchanted Farm. This makes sense since the Enchanted Farm is the prototype and has large hectares of farm land. We had breakfast there and then got a tour of the community. The first thing I noticed was how lovely all the community members were. They smiled and greeted us as we walked by. I was assigned to live in Erica’s house for the night. Her mom was away at work until five pm that afternoon and so I spent time talking with her. She introduced me to all her friends and spoke enough English to communicate for a decent while. Around three that day, we all went to the nearby market. We were going to make dinner alongside the Titas that night. I helped chop the vegetables for chopsuey and helped cook chicken adobo. We had rice with our meal and banana rolls for dessert. It was an incredible meal, and by far the best home cooked meal that I have had in the Philippines.

That night I went to bed early, content with my full belly. Erica led me upstairs to a tiny loft that had one bed and a dresser. She told me I would sleep there. I asked her where she would sleep and she replied that she would sleep downstairs on the floor. I had not seen any other rooms in the house and imagined her mom, little sister and her cramped on the floor of the tiny living room. They had given up their only bed so that I could sleep in it. I felt guilty but also thankful for their genuine kindness.

The next morning, we had breakfast and then headed to Baler where we would spend the rest of our nights in. Baler is a surf town and a tourist location. The hostel that we stayed in was only a few minutes’ walk to the beach. I was super excited to see the ocean and feel the soft sand on my feet. We went to another GK location the next day and played with the kids. They were all shy at first but once we engaged in some games and other activities they came to life. They showed us a dance and then we all joined in on Silento’s Whip/Nae nae dance. It was quite embarrassing for me since I do not dance that often. Someone took a video of us doing it and I hope that never sees the light of day. Later that same day, we went surfing. We each got a surf instructor. My instructor was only 24 so it was quite easy for me to engage in conversation with him while we waited for the waves. At first, I could not stand on the board but soon I was riding the waves every single time. I had a blast and wish I could surf more often at home.

The next day we went trekking at another GK location. It was a long walk and we had to cross the strong river currents many times. Finally we arrived at a beautiful waterfall. We climber some rocks and took some amazing pictures of the beautiful sight. We also went river tubing which was a bit scary because of all the sharp rocks in the river. We then had lunch at the GK community. It was a boodle style lunch where all the food is laid out on banana leaves and we have to eat with our hands. For the rest of the day, we went surfing again and swam in the beach. We decided to extend our trip one more day and went to a see a large tree named Balete. We climbed the tree which was surprisingly easy to do because of all the trunks extending all around the tree. It was truly beautiful. It took us the whole day to travel back to GK Enchanted Farms and we arrived at ten at night.

The project that I have been working on with the mushrooms has become increasingly less progressive. The social enterprise has already been created and is running well and the experiments that Robin and I had planned to do have not been integral to the running of the business. Due to this, I have decided to utilize my time here to help the farm and community as much as possible. I have joined Morgan with the turkey farm. The turkey farm is the most neglected part of the farm. Tito Tony bought these birds from the Agriculture Department of the Philippines and it is a free range farm. The turkeys wander everywhere in the Animal farm and eat the chicken feed. They also love to eat the mangoes that have fallen to the ground. Just in the past few days, we have accomplished so much to improve the turkey farm. We have measured the fence lengths to put an actual fence around the turkey farm and have put one side of the fence up already. Yesterday, we killed two male turkeys and skinned them and took the meat off of the bones to sell them as turkey burgers and brats. We went to the market today to buy all of the ingredients and will sell them this coming Saturday. This will bring in some income so that we have more money to spend on other projects involving the turkey farm. Along with this project, I have joined the other IWU students in helping the kids in the community learn how to swim. We teach them how to swim every day at six pm for one hour. They are incredibly fast learners when they are paying attention. The first day did not go as planned but the following days have been much better in terms of them listening and following our instructions. For the past few days, I have finally felt more accomplished and happier about my stay here at the GK Enchanted Farm. I hope this continues for the rest of our stay here.

Some Frustration in Research but Productive Experiential Learning

For the past few days, I have been doing some work on oyster mushrooms. The more I research on this topic, the more frustrated I get. Robin and I would like to carry out our research excellently, and we plan to concentrate mainly on different substrates for growing oyster mushrooms that will be best for mushroom growth and yield. However, the frustrating part is that we do not have an access to a large portion of materials that are required to carry out an accurate and reliable research experiment. For example, recently Robin and I made mushroom bags with a mix of different types of soil substrates and different ratios in each bag, vermicast and soil from the herbal garden. Right now, Billy, the social entrepreneur in charge of Kabutehan, is using cotton seed hull, and this is working fine in terms of growth and production. We are simply experimenting on alternative substrates that might be cheaper and more profitable. So, we made the soil bags and filled each one of them with about 250g of soil. However, the scale we used was not a scientific scale. So we cannot strictly control the amount of soil we put in the bags. The next step is to sterilize the mushroom bags. The way that they have done it previously is to borrow a Tita’s kitchen and stove top water in a pot and steam the bags for five hours. This certainly is not the best and scientific way to do this process, but resources and options are very limited here. Robin and I tried to create a fire underneath a large tin can outside, but we do not have an access to hard wood. The only thing available for us was rice straw, bamboo and small sticks on the ground. But, again, this is not an efficient way of doing this process. Although I have a biology background and some knowledge of carrying out research experiments, this process will have many errors and variable that we will not be able to control. It’s frustrating. I wish we had an access to a laboratory where we could do our experiments and research more efficiently. Anyways, I will try to do the best that I can, and I hope that our results will not be useless.

In other news, we saved a kitten, and I feel very happy about this. We were walking to the Bamboo Villa for Max’s  (a French intern) birthday bash when we heard a small but distressed cat from the jungle. It was night time. We shined a flashlight into the woods, and out crawled a tiny kitten. He was shivering from the rain and was obviously lost. We debated whether to just leave him in hopes that his mother would find him or bring him to Bamboo Villa with us. In the end, we couldn’t just leave him alone but brought him with us. For the past few days, he has been sleeping in the guys’ dorm upstairs. He is one of the most adorable cats, and people around love him so much. There was also a debate on what his name should be. I named him Dexter, but the others named him Luna. I simply did not like that name and stubbornly kept calling him Dexter. The rest of the group then decided to compromise and started calling him Lexter. Nonetheless, he will forever be named Dexter in my mind.

Today, about thirty students from Raya School arrived at the farm. They are about fourteen years old and have come to get a more hands-on experience about the work done in the farm. I was the team leader of a group of these students and today we weeded out a bed for about three hours and planted seeds. I was, however, very surprised to see that there was not much dissatisfaction and complaining amongst the young students. Instead, they kept on working diligently while the farmers looked on how they were faring. It was a job well done, I should say, and it inspired me that one should keep on doing one’s work despite some problems along the way. It also gave me some strength and optimism that persistent work is what should count more in such prolonged experiential research than any frustration I recounted earlier in this narrative!

Birthday, Chicken Slaughter, Mango Jam and more

On my birthday a couple days ago, I got a surprise cake from Morgan and the other IWU students here at GK. He pretended like he wanted to go on a walk with me and then led me to the GRK kitchen area where the rest of the IWU group was surrounding a beautiful fudge cake. There were also about forty French interns who were there to witness and sing along to my birthday song. It was very sweet of the IWU students to do that for me and made my day a bit more special.

The next day on June 18th, I experienced something that was a bit out of my comfort zone. I watched chickens getting slaughtered. There is no FDA approved slaughter house here in the farm so the farmers have created a space in the back of one of the houses for this purpose. Morgan was the first to hold the chicken down while the farmer cut the jugular vein and let the chicken bleed out. It was a bit gruesome. Afterwards, we all participated in the plucking of the feathers of the dead chickens. I got up the courage to do that and found it to be a very mechanical process. I did not, however, have enough guts to gut the chicken. Maybe next time I will gather enough strength to do that because now I feel like I missed out on an experience. Even Jessi, one of the other IWU interns, gutted a chicken. But Nate did not so I don’t feel too ashamed for my lack of nerve. That night there was a party at the Bamboo Villa. Tito Tony, the founder of GK, lives at the Bamboo Villa. It was a very fun night filled with dancing and singing. We also got to taste different Filipino cuisine and of course had mango shakes.

On Sunday June 19th, I helped with the making of mango jam. We had about 100 kilos of mangoes to peel and cut for the mango jam. It took us the whole morning before lunch and several hours afterwards. It was cool to be a part of the entire process from picking mangoes to actually making the jam that will later on be sold in other towns. That night we all went to the Sari-sari which is a little store where the French go to drink and hang out at night. There is also karaoke there. We hung out with them and played some cards which was super fun! I got a bit competitive. There was a lot of laughter and jokes shared amongst each other as well as French cheese and green olives.

Yesterday, we also helped more with mangoes and I met with Robin and Billy who are working in Kabutehan which is the mushroom hut. They are part of the mushroom social enterprise and are growing mushrooms in the hut. This is where I will spend half of my time. Robin is doing experiments on testing the pH of the soil for growing mushrooms. He is testing different types of vermicompost soil material and their effect on the growth rate of the mushrooms. Yesterday, I helped him test the content of phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium in the different types of soil. I am glad that I am finally involving in the project that I intended to be a part of before I came here. Attached are pictures of the mushroom hut.

First week at GK

For the past few days I have been attending orientations organized by our on-site supervisor. This past Tuesday, thirty new French interns arrived at the GK Enchanted Farm. Orientation consisted of some background history on the Philippines, speakers such as Tito Tony (the founder of GK), and creative workshops in which the interns tackled the problem of poverty in the Philippines. On one of the days, we sat around with the mothers who live in the GK community. I got to sit with Tita Raney. Through a question and answer session, our group learned the struggles in her life and her hopes for her children in the community. Her story was very touching and inspiring. She now works at a social enterprise in the farm called Plush and Play where she makes stuffed toys for kids. Tita Raney was extremely cute. She giggled so much when it was her turn to speak because she was nervous and also embarrassed at her English speech. I wish I could have spoken to her in Tagalog and assured her not to be embarrassed and nervous. We only saw her as a courageous and strong woman and listened on with great attention.

I also got to hear the leaders of other social enterprises such as Tito Alvin who founded the Golden Duck enterprise. The Golden Duck is a hard boiled egg that has been salted. It is made golden by the addition of a spice called turmeric. It is truly incredible to hear these sorts of successful stories by these entrepreneurs. For example, Alvin sacrificed so much to come to the farm and invest his life and time in this business. His story and many others like his makes me feel empowered to take the same sorts of initiatives in my life in the present and the future.

Today is my birthday. I decided to sleep in a bit. After I got ready, I went to the farm and found the rest of my group digging holes for coffee plants. The eight of us who were working had the task of digging thirty holes for the plants. It was extremely hot and humid outside. I am not used to this type of hard work and at first felt a bit faint. This was probably due to the lack of food and water. After drinking some water, I felt much better and helped in digging the holes. At the end, I felt happy to be helping in the growth of the farm even though it was a small contribution. The farm is truly beautiful in its entire layout. I can imagine this type of daily work to be routine and very meaningful. There are many enterprises that I can participate in here. I am supposed to work in the mushroom farm and will most likely start that this weekend after our meetings with the Agri group. There is so much to learn along the way and it has already been one week! Two months is definitely too short a time for our stay here and I wish it was longer so that I could see the change that takes place in the farm!

First Impression

We arrived at Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm yesterday and have been here for a little over 24 hours. As I expected, this trip is going to be filled with challenges for me. I am a person who cringes at every fly and bee that buzzes past me. I have an irrational fear of bugs. I even dislike butterflies even though they are very aesthetically beautiful creatures. I enjoy the luxuries in my life including air conditioning in the summer, heating in the winter, Netflix and warm showers. Here at GK, we are very in touch in nature. It seems like a large scale and long term camping trip packed with hard work and lots of sweat. Needless to say, it is extremely hot here in Angat Bulacan. The room that Jessica and I are currently sharing has air conditioning which is something that I will miss dearly when we get moved to our permanent living area in a few days. I miss Netflix and I miss having nothing to do every day. Having said this, I honestly would not want to be back in my room back home watching Netflix the whole summer. I have only been here for one day and I can already see myself spending my life in a place such as this one. It is so peaceful here even with the bugs and all. People live every day working hard to get tasks done to keep their community surviving and sustainable. I see beauty in the Filipino way of living and culture. The Filipino people are incredibly welcoming and a jolly group of people. Their strength of character comes from perseverance and strong survival instincts. It is truly inspiring and beautiful.
Today, we picked mangos from the mango tree. Without a doubt, the mangos that I have eaten here are the best that I have ever had. They are delicious and were served as cold mango shakes. On a hot day such as this one, a simple mango drink can change your whole outlook on everything. I also met Tita Juanita today and she is adorable. Not once did she stop smiling. She knew how to speak some words in English but we mostly communicated with gestures, smiles, and nods. I also met Tito Tony who is the creator of the GK Enchanted Farm. The IWU students at GK sat with him today and we exchanged visions and goals. We also were introduced to three of the kids that he has “adopted” at the farm. One of the kids used to live under a bridge and his family foraged through garbage to simply put something in their bellies. His younger sister died at the age of nine from leukemia. Having heard their life story, Tito Tony gave them a house here at the farm. Now they work, are fed properly, and have found a sense of purpose and hope in their lives. This story was told by the son Tito Tony had adopted. Sitting there and looking at him, I got a glimpse of just how much this young boy has been through. There are millions of stories like this all around the world. I have heard stories like this dozens of times but watching these boys tell their stories in their broken but beautiful speech was moving beyond words. I might have teared up a little bit. Hearing them lay out their lives for us was overwhelming and a bit frustrating as well. I just want to help. I want to do something that will take away all their suffering in life. Tito Tony’s vision is powerful and is being carried out but change is slow. This frustrates me but I can understand how having a unified goal keeps these people continually tenacious. I have a lot to learn from this Filipino community and I am anxious and excited to do so.

First blog post

Hello everyone!

My name is Suchana Chaulagain. I attend Illinois Wesleyan University and as of fall 2016 I will be in my junior year of my undergraduate studies! I cannot believe that half of my college experience is over. It feels like just yesterday that I was entering the CNS atrium, a mere fledgling trying to navigate the intricate world of college life. I never imagined that I would be blessed with so many opportunities for growth and learning. One of those opportunities is only a few days away! On June 9th, I will be getting on a plane that will take me to Angat Bulacan in the Philippines. There, I will be an intern of the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm organization.