Isang OFW sa Dubai, na si Leo, may adopt-a-school program para sa mga B’laan kids sa North Cotabato. Alamin natin kung paano ito nakatulong sa kaniyang depression.
Mababasa sa ibaba ang transcript ng usapan ni Sir Vince and Leo.
Sir Vince: Hello! Papunta ngayon tayo sa Dubai at kakausapin natin ang mga Filipino.
Ayan makikita niyo po, medyo marami yata tayong kasama ngayon na bibiyahe.
Hello everyone! Kararating ko lang ngayon dito sa Dubai at very excited ako na interviewhin ang isang OFW na nagdaan sa depression. At ang kanyang solusyon dito, hindi pag-ibig, kundi pagtulong sa kapwa.
Tara, samahan niyo ako sa pakikipag-kwentuhan ko kay Leo at sa pagtulong niya sa mga B’laan ng North Cotabato.
Sir Vince: Hi Leo. Kumusta ang buhay dito sa Dubai?
Leo: Hi Vince! Masayang masaya.
Sir Vince: So can you tell us about your work now.
Leo: I’m part of Art Dubai. I’m part of the VIP team. So Art Dubai is an events organization that handles arts events.
One morning, for some unknown reason. I don’t know why. I’m happy with my work. I’m happy with my life. One morning, I feel so empty, lonely, single. And then parang wala akong sense of purpose.
So I contacted Vince. I contacted you to check whether I can do something special. Maybe I can help an organization. And then you connected me to Wimler Foundation. She recommends to do adopt-a-child-to-school program.
I made this risk to adopt not only the students but to adopt the entire school. So yung location ng school, it’s a remote school for indigenous people. It’s the B’laan kids or the Lumads which is one of the poorest communities in the Mindanao area.
I’m helping a lot in this initiative pero hindi naman nanggagaling sa akin lahat ng finance. So initially we started with 55, which is last school year. Last school year, we had 103 students na.
They know the opportunity for free education, bumabalik sa school. Nakapa-graduate na rin kami for the first time, grade 6 sa school, which is such an achievement.
And my friends who supported were very happy and pleased. At least meron talagang fruit yung generosity nila.
If you’ll ask me how much, so that would be PhP2,500 times 103 students. That’s the entire money I need for the school year.
Nagkaroon ako ng purpose, basically. Kasi helping people makes me feel happy. I was able to do something different, especially helping those in need, makes me feel good.
I visited last year. It was really nice to see the situation. Like when you see them sa pictures lang, parang ibang iba when you talk to them, when you meet them. You see how happy they are that you helped the community kasi no one helps them.
Nagpapasalamat sila in their own language, which is for me is a very sweet gesture kasi you see the sincerity of the kids, of the mother. The mother approached me and hugged me and said, “Thank you, thank you so much for the help.” And that is talagang priceless na yun.
What is good with Wimler, what is good with Leila, heading the Wimler Foundation, first, they are very credible. They are registered sa Philippines as an NGO. So yun palang is already a big assurance that you don’t put money into scam or into waste. And Leila is very transparent in terms of the costing, that we spent this much, we need this much.
We can suggest putting this much. So, open yung conversation namin with Leila, with the community, with the teachers, with the students so that we really know what the community needs. Hindi lang kami bigay nang bigay ng pera but we are really involved in terms of where the money goes.
May reports every expense. May picture, may documentation. And I’m 100% certain that the money goes to where it should go.
First, you have to be ready. Basically, you cannot give what you do not have. So ako, I’m not financially rich, but I have friends who are able to help me. And second, you have to think of credible communities, and partners, and organizations. And third, you really have to think yung kung ano talaga yung initiative that will work for you. Education is my passion, so find yours.
Sir Vince: So Leo, maraming-maraming salamat at maraming I think na-inspire sa trabaho mo at sa ginagawa mo para sa mga bata sa Pilipinas. So mabuhay ka! Thank you!
Leo: Thanks and welcome!
Sir Vince: Napanood natin ang aking pakikipanayam kay Leo na gumagawa ng isang scholarship program para sa mga B’laan kids sa North Cotabato. Hanggang sa muli, ako si Sir Vince, nagsasabing, ang pagyaman, napag-aaralan.
