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.