Adopt-a-Child
Eto yung reaction ko para sa CWTS class ko na hindi ko naman naipasa dahil kailangan pala ay hand-written! Waaaaaaah! Nagpakapuyat pako rito parang lang sa wala?! Huhuhu!
Anyways, hindi ‘to mukhang reaction paper. ‘Di kasi ako marunong gumawa nun eh! Kaya ang kinalabasan, nagmukhang kasali para sa essay-writing contest! Waaaaaaah! Pagpasensyahan n’yo na, hindi marunong eh!
NSTP-CWTS/LTS Adopt-a-Child Program
The
Adamson University National Service Training Program – Civic Welfare Training Service and Literacy Training Service conducted an Adopt-a-Child Program last December 15th, 2007. Numerous impoverished children who live in various poor communities in Metro Manila were gathered in the university as part of the program. The program aims to let the children experience the essence and spirit of the holiday season. It also aims for us NSTP students to share what we have to the less privileged and to realize and understand what kind of life those children use to have.
That Saturday morning, as I went by , I came upon a group of children (some with their parents or guardian) emerging from the short bridge in Estero de Balete, just beside
Adamson University . I automatically had the idea that they were the children that we are about to “adopt,” and apparently, I was right. I walked together with them to Saint Therese gate and noticed that they were like “little soldiers.” They toddled very silently in a straight cue with tiny gate passes in their little hands, and I began to adore their disciplined psyches, which is very rare to find in children ranging in that age.
San Marcelino street
Ten children were distributed to each class. We had 7 boys and 3 girls, one of the boys a toddler. We started interviewing them but they were a bit introverted and too withdrawn to open up themselves. When they were finally lightened up, they timidly unbolted some information about them. They were not all from the “estero” because half of them were from some squatters’ community in Paco,
Manila . Some of them told us that their parents’ are pedicab drivers, laundry women, and even an “oyster” (probably they were referring to the Pulis Oysters in Metro Manila, the new designation for the old term “Metro Aide”). Some of them were already attending some public grade schools and preparatory schools. They even told us the name of their dear teacher.
That day I’d never eaten anything for breakfast so I tried to plead for food to my fellow classmate and friend who showed her enticing hotdog sandwich (she got so hungry too). We split the sandwich in halves and as we are about to put into our mouths our long-wanted shares, a girl stared eagerly at us, her eyes as if signaling, “Please give me some.” Although very hungry, I and my friend tried our best to shove off our hunger. I asked the girl, “Gusto mo?” and she just nodded meekly. We gave our halved sandwiches to her and then some other four more children noticed her tempting-red hotdog. We told her to share her little meal to them and she obeyed. The other five children then asked for food to her but obviously, that little sandwich can’t feed all of the 10 children. My friend then decided to share her peanut butter sandwich which she was supposed to be reserving for us two. With hunger deeply felt in my stomach, I just tried to burst out a joke, “Buti pa kayo, may almusal na. Kami wala pa eh.” They just smiled. Then I realized that at least, my hunger is just felt very rarely than them who feel the pangs of starvation almost every time.
Time for amusement, our classmates who are assigned for the games thought of some “stop dance” for the children. We played some Barney theme songs and nursery rhymes; no one ever danced. Then I thought, apparently, they’re not familiar with the song that’s why they didn’t enjoy the moment. The game moderators then maybe realized my same idea so they played some disco tunes. Suddenly, one girl danced lively mimicking the dance steps of the well-known Sexbomb Dancers. At that point, I remembered that when I was in the same age as them, I was already watching some child-friendly shows, imitating and following the songs and the dances of the mascots, puppets and child hosts of the show, not some dance moves of sexy variety show dancers.
The games went on, and the children received plentiful prizes, wrapped in gift wrappers. The little girl (the same girl who received the sandwich) asked me to keep her prizes. I told her, “Buksan mo na.” Then she replied “Ayoko. Sa Christmas nalang.” To encourage her to open the gift at the same time to spoil the surprise, I told her again, “Buksan mo na kasi ang laman niyan magandang laruan!” To my shock, she responded “Ay, ayoko niyan. Gusto ko damit.” “Bakit naman?” I asked her. Then she answered, “
Para gamitin ko sa school.” With her innocent and honest answer, I realized that these children thought of being practical at a young age. They thought of their needs rather than their wants unlike other children, unlike most of us when we were children, wailing and howling our lungs out whenever we couldn’t get what we want. When I told this story to my brother, he remarked that they were “mga batang mabilis tumanda.” And he was right. Mabilis tumanda ang isip nila dahil sa kahirapan.
After the games, it is now time to eat. We ordered spaghettis, fried chickens, rice, sodas and sundaes from a kiddy fast food restaurant. As part of the group assigned for caretaking, I started to pick up a child to feed. I took charge of two boys and started opening their styro-plates. Then one of the boys, about age 4, pointed the spaghetti and asked me, “Ay, ano yan, baboy? Muslim kasi ako eh.” “Ay, hindi. Baka yan.” I assured him. Once again, I got amazed with how these little minds work. At his age, he already shows importance to his religion and knows the dos and don’ts even though he’s away from his parents; another one of the “batang mabilis tumanda.” After many minutes or so, although he’s not yet finished with his meal, he closed and sealed his plate and told me, “Ibibigay ko ‘to sa Mama ko.”
After all the children were done eating, we gathered them up in a line then gave each other grocery bags with some canned goods, rice and other edible stuff, then we brought them back to their parents/guardians waiting at the quadrangle. I picked the “Muslim boy” to be brought back to his mother. When we got to the quadrangle, he eagerly tried to find his mother and when he found her, he greeted her “Ma!
Para sa’yo!” Her mother just greeted her back with a warm smile.
This activity taught me not only to share what I have and not only to realize what these children’s lifestyles were. The important thing it taught me was each of the child’s character; very different from other children I’ve known. These children made me realize that their young minds work more complex than what I thought. They are more matured than what they should be. Their innocence now lost. At their age, they became more practical, and they now know the importance of their needs, their religion, their parents, and many other things most children don’t even bother. As this activity taught me these realizations, it also taught the children what Christmas really means.
