Written by Vice President for Internal, Charmain Tan
Our partnership with Hospice de San Jose started in 2012. It is one of the oldest Catholic institutions in the country. It is the first social welfare agency in the Philippines and has been a home for orphans and the elderly. It is located by the historic Pasig River, accessed through Ayala Bridge.
Today was the birthday celebration of the adorable Icie, who turned three. Her parents Ate Aurora and Kuya Bong wanted Iece to celebrate with the kids of Hospicio de San Jose.
It was a busy morning as we had a game and a couple of workshops prepared. We first divided the kids and volunteers into groups so they can get the chance to know one another. We then did a balloon game where the groups have to blow the balloons to the size that we showed. For a group to get a point all the members of the team must blow the balloons to the correct size and they have to the be the first team to finish. It was a fun challenge as all the kids were full of energy as they tried their best to get to the right size the fastest.
The game was followed by the dance workshop. Our dance instructor Kuya Japox taught the kids dance steps to the song Dessert. The kids had so much fun dancing to the now popular song.
It was followed by an acting workshop by Ate Dyaly. The kids were given corresponding animals and sounds. When their group animal was called they had to make the sound their animal makes. The teams had to remain alert to make sure they respond at once if their group was called.
We did a group activity where the groups took turns being the “taya” team. The “taya” team were to tag as many people as possible. The catch is that everyone had to go around as the animal that Ate Dyaly asked them to be. For instance, the kids had to walk like a duck while going around and trying to avoid being tagged.
For the last part of the workshop the kids then to pretend they were trees. They first started out lying down on the ground as they were still seeds. Then the kids slowly stood up as the “trees” grew. They swayed to the winds and used their arms as branches. It was fun watching the kids enjoyed themselves.
The children prepared a thank you song for Ate Iece and her family. We sang happy birthday to Ate Iece. The kids were given gifts, school supplies, story books, and balloons. The kids hugged and thanked the volunteers for a wonderful morning.
