Written by: Kuya Carlos Romulo, Core Intern
On 24 September 2017, the Team headed to one of the marginalized communities in Barangay Wawa, Taguig City, where kids from Youth Mobilization were waiting to showcase their talents, skills and knowledge.
The program kicked off by having our volunteers introduce themselves and their celebrity look-alike. It was a celebrity-filled Sunday as Lisa Soberano, Juila Baretto and Jake Zyrus, among others, were in attendance. The kids and volunteers were then grouped accordingly so they can bond and share their goals and aspirations in life. Most of the kids wanted to be teachers, while some aspire to be part of the medical profession as doctors and nurses.
It was then time for the kids and volunteers to perform and put their dancing skills on display, as the program called for a dance showdown among the 5 groups. As expected, the kids and volunteers never backed down from the challenge. The kids filled the room with so much passion and energy as they exhibited traditional dance moves to the latest baby shark dance craze.
After the dance showdown, the next part of the program aimed to test the kids’ knowledge and performance in their math subject. It was not, however, your ordinary math contest, as the game required “critical and logical analysis.” Even the volunteers’ minds were put to the test as some even had a hard time understanding the questions. But the kids were not intimidated as they, through team work, were able to solve the problems. And to further bolster this, the last game of the program required the kids and volunteers to balance cheese rings in a straw and pass them to their teammates without using their hands.
Of course, our event would not be complete without the traditional kiddie meals which included Filipino Style Spaghetti and Hotdogs. The program culminated with gift giving of school supplies and pictorial with the kids and volunteers.
Youth mobilization is a non-profit organization founded in 2001, and is currently managed by its team leader, Mr. Mackie Custodio. The organization was formed primarily to cater the needs of children whose parents cannot afford to get them to school, by providing free access to basic education and use of technology.
With the advent technological advancements in this complex society where the marginalized is deprived access to basic education, it is our foremost duty, as citizens of this nation, to bridge the gap and become instruments of kindness and generosity. Indeed, poverty is not, and should not be a hindrance to an individual’s educational and social development.
Organizations like Youth Mobilization should serve as an inspiration and constant reminder that having limited resources is never an excuse in becoming a mechanism for change and development.
This event was made possible through the sponsorship of Ate Munmun Nath. Though circumstances kept her from being physically present, her desire to initiate change thru this event accomplished something special. Thank U as well to the 12 grade students of St. Paul Pasig for being such wonderful volunteer Ates.