Farewell to an Enchanted Summer

Hey everyone! Well, I'm home, and it is so great to see my family and friends here again. Now that I have been home for a couple of days I think I have had ample time to reflect on my experiences this summer and think about this crazy trip that I just had. It's weird, I was just in the Philippines, but it doesn't really seem like it. Coming back to the states, I had an insane mixture of emotions and feelings. 

As I got to the airport in Manila, I felt relieved. Relieved to start this journey back home to see my family again. I knew that this experience I had would one day come to an end, but until I actually got to the airport, I didn't think it would be so soon. I remember thinking as I parted ways with the people I've lived with over the past few months, "Damn, we're actually saying goodbye. It's really happening." Through the sad farewells, I was able to rest assured, however, in knowing that we would all meet up again in the future at some point or another. 

I also felt sad. I felt sad that I had to leave this place where I experienced life in a way that I know I will never replicate. The people I met, the students, the children, the Titas and Titos in the community all had an effect on my life and the way I will view things from now on. The other interns also brought many new perspectives to the mix and I can honestly say that this summer was one of the most multi-cultural Summer's I have ever had. In a way, I was sad that I was relieved to get to the airport, but I soon realized that it was just a natural feeling to have for me at the end of an experience. To many people, the fact that I was relieved to start my journey home would indicate that I did not have good time abroad. Actually the contrary is true, I had an amazing experience and I will never forget the memories I made in the Philippines. 

I felt proud. I felt proud that I was able to represent my country in the manner I did and that I was able to adapt to life on the farm so quickly. I knew that everyone there came from very different backgrounds, but I also knew that everyone was able to unite under a common goal: ending poverty of the mind and bringing hope and prosperity back to the poor Filipino communities we encountered. I know that this is a huge mission, but I believe that the fact that it is so huge made it easier for us to come together to chip away at it piece by piece. I learned so much from so many different people and I will never be able to express my gratitude to each and every one of them enough. The only way I can think to try and do that is to take what I've learned from them and apply it to my future endeavors so that, in a way, the ideals of the farm live on in my life through my efforts.

I also felt a little worried. I know that so much shit has been going on in the US while I was gone, and even though I was able to keep up with the news, I had no idea what the climate and the tensions would be like upon my arrival. I knew that I would always have a strong support base at home from my friends and family, but I also saw many people whom I considered to be 'friends' openly going against some of my most important values on Facebook and other social media sites. When I see 'friends' making light of issues such as the racial inequalities in our country today, how am I supposed to view that friendship? Is it true? Is it really how they feel? I was very uncertain of what I would come home to. A place where people still couldn't decide whether Trump or Hillary Clinton would be a better choice to run our country despite the fact that there is an obvious answer? A place where people continually deny that there is a problem with the justice system in our country and its systematic discrimination against ethnic and racial minorities? Though I was worried and still am worried about these things, my travels around the world have all taught me that these problems are not singular to the United States. Injustices occur everywhere, they just differ depending on where you happen to be. Another thing I have learned is that each of these struggles for justice, no matter how small or large, are completely worth the fight. If we want to make ourselves better as a human race, we need to seize our convictions and run like hell. We need to speak out and stop conforming to what is normal, if we want change. Many people are disturbed by political and social activism on social media sites but we are in an age where everything happens on social media! If that is our platform on which we can make change, then so be it! 

I got a little sidetracked with that last section, but I was having some pretty important thoughts so I thought I'd get them down. Anyways, let's talk about some of the things I've learned in my time here on the farm.

1. I learned to live simply. I can honestly say that these passed two months on the farm, have been the most simple I have lived and possibly the most simple I will ever have to live in my life. For the last week of the trip we had no running water in our building so we literally had to walk to fill up a bucket for our daily needs. I used to hear stories about people having to walk a mile for water, and I guess I really didn't take it seriously until I actually lived it. I realized another thing in this period of time. I experienced this for a week, but that's how some of these people have lived their entire lives. I will never forget how much we take for granted all of the blessings we've been given.

2. I learned to be patient. There were many times on the farm, where things didn't happen in the time we expected or the way we wanted them done. In fact, many people got frustrated at different time during our stay. I will admit there were times where I felt like there was no sense of time there at all and that my voice was really not that important at all. Over my experience, however, I had to realize that this whole mission was not about me. It was not about my time, my frustrations, or even my efforts. It was about the poor Filipino people and doing everything we can to make the dream of a prosperous and abundant Philippines, a reality. We all had to realize that, as interns, we are a part of a machine that has already been set in motion. We so often come into situations and try to speed up that machine, or even change its trajectory, but I've realized over the years that that is really just an exercise in frustration. We were on the farm to contribute our skills and knowledge, yes, but in a way that helped promulgate the dream of Tito Tony and the other visionaries of the farm. 

3. I learned to be present. I learned what it meant to be present. Not only, to be present in a physical sense, but to be present and engaged in interactions with everyone you meet. It would be easy for me to walk throughout the farm community and simply nod my head at people without learning names or stopping to play with some of the kids, but after seeing the effect that a simple conversation can have on ones day, I don't want to do what is easy. I can honestly say that the biggest thing I will remember from my time in the Philippines is the amazing times I spent making adobo with Dave or running around with Marvic and telling his friends to stop terrorizing us with spiders. I will remember ordering dinner from Tita Lolit and awaiting her delicious mushroom burgers, though she did like to change the price a lot😜 I won't forget how every time I passed Veronica in the kitchen she had the biggest smile on her face and enthusiastically said "Hello Nate! How are you??" I won't forget the three year olds in the class I helped in, and how they seemed so nervous and apprehensive when we first walked in, but as soon as they realized we were human beings like them, how energetic and uncontrollably happy they were. I won't forget Tita Brenda, her cooking, her authentiticity. She always was willing to stay with us 20-30 minutes after class and just talk. Not about anything specific, but just talk, and I will never forget that.

These experience were everything to me and I can honestly say that every person on the farm has impacted me in indescribable ways. This was a summer different from any other that I have had before it, but I know that it has affected and will continue to affect every summer from this point on in my life. 

Thank you to the GK community and all its members for opening up your arms and letting me experience two months of my life with you all. Thank you to my new friends from Wesleyan, who went through the whole experience with me. 

And finally,

Thank you, Philippines, for opening up your doors to me and treating me to such a rich experience and a human experience. Thank you for sharing your prosperous land and knowledge with me. Thank you for showing me a completely different view of the world and thank you for letting me leave my mark on the communities that I've been in. 

To my friends at home thinking about going abroad: Do it, you'll never be more thankful for anything for the rest of your life.

Peace, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Natedogg out ✌🏾️

 

 
        

The Power of Presence

Hey everyone! It's kind of hard to believe it, but we only have bout two and a half more weeks here at the farm, and I'm not completely sure how to feel about it. I have to admit, the notion of going home to familiarity and family sounds amazing, but at the same time, I have made so many meaningful connections with so many different people here and I know I will miss this place. I know that I won't realize it completely as I step back into an air conditioned house, but it will hit me. I remember thinking when I first got here, "Man, this is going to be a long 2 months," but it seems like it has all gone by so fast. I have experienced so many new things and in the pursuit of finding out more about myself, I feel like this place has really impacted me and definitely given me a more expansive worldview if not anything else. I have a couple more weeks, so I won't get into exactly how it has impacted me, but stay tuned 😉.

 

Swim lessons with the kids

Recently at the farm, Jessie and I have completed three of our social education documents for our meetings with Joni. We've been meeting more regularly with her and I believe we've definitely figured out the group dynamic. So far, we've created a roadmap for short term interns, one for potential social entrepreneurs, and a financial management course for the teenagers in the community here at Gawad Kalinga. We've also been working on the rice fields reinforcing the terraces and that has been a pretty dirty, but fun job. Though these jobs may not have been the most time-consuming tasks in the world, I know the impact that they could have on the future of the farm and that makes me extremely hopeful for the continued success of this place. It seems like towards the end of our experience here at the farm, many of the interns are getting disheartened or doubtful of our contribution to the community here. I have to admit, I was going through the same doubts for a while, but I believe that our presence here makes a lot of difference in the lives of the community. I'm not trying to sound self-righteous or anything, but I have really been impacted by the community members that I have met here, and I can only hope that I have had an equal amount of impact on them. I think it's very easy for us to be think one-dimensionally when it comes to productivity of an internship and I think that is very dangerous when it comes to an internship experience like this one. Yes, all the projects and goals we hoped to achieve may have not all been completed, but we are not just out on this farm to do our jobs, with no emotional connections, or interaction with the community at all. I think especially at a place here like GK, the goal is the opposite really. I believe we are here to complete our jobs but at the same time, inspire others, become inspired, and really leave the place not necessarily different than we found it, but leave a definite impact on it. What does that impact look like? It's different for every single one of us. For some of us, it is completing many small tasks around the farm and making sure that we can help out where we can. For others, it is focusing on one large project throughout the duration of the internship and really pushing on making a lasting physical impact on the farm. For some of us, it is meeting a new community member everyday and really having meaningful conversations with them. For a lot of us, we take all of these goals and mix them together, which may be a reason that our self-perception of our productivity is not equivalent with the Farm community's perception. We come from extremely different perceptual universes and that can greatly affect how we view the same thing. I think that is one of the biggest things I have learned in my time here. 

 

Cooling down in the mud after helping with the rice terraces

This past weekend we took another trip to Manila and got to see some places that were rather off the beaten path in the city. We went to a couple of speakeasy style bars and got to try absinthe for the first time. After doing a quite Google search we found a place that looked rather interesting. We walked into what looked like a fast food hot dog and burger joint to many people sitting down and eating. The food looked very appetizing. To our right, however, was a closet which looked a little out of place. We opened the closet door and to our surprise, we saw an old, classy, lift-style elevator, covered with red carpet and wood and gold metal interior. We stepped inside and closed the other door behind us. We knocked on the other side of the door and shortly thereafter we were greeted by a waiter who opened the door to welcome us into a very lavish parlor-style speakeasy. The floors were a classic black and white checked patterns with the walls adorning glass cases filled with many Italian and French imported liqueur bottles. We had the chance to try some authentic absinthe before going to a popular reggae spot on Sunday nights called b-side. It looked like an old foundry with plenty of graffiti murals on the wall. They had a nice street bar and live reggae music playing until about 2 am. After that, they had a dj play disco reggaeton out of a booth in a caravan and it was truly an amazing night! 

We got back the the farm early Monday morning and got a little bit of rest before starting our day. On Monday, Jessie and I were able to sit-in and participate in our first day at the school in the community. The sessions go from 3-5 pm each day and there a currently about 8 three-four year olds in attendance. The kids were very shy at first when they saw us, but they eventually got their kid confidence back once they saw Tita Brenda going about class normally. The class was a mix of practicing counting and learning letters in English and Tagalog. All of the excercises were done in a song form and were very interactive, which the kids really responded well too. We're going to start attending the classes on a daily basis so I'm sure we'll have more stories to tell pretty soon! 

 

The students paying attention to Tita Brenda

That's all I have for this time, but I'll talk to you guys again soon!

Thanks for reading. ✌🏾️

Spanish Bars and a Surfing Good Time

Hey guys, this has been another crazy week, yet very relaxing week! We've been working on more of the social education planning with Joni and also we are going to start up some swim lessons with the kids pretty soon! I'm excited to teach these kids but I know it'll be a lot on our plates. Before we actually started the swim lessons, however, we were scheduled to go on our MAD Travel trip to Baler, Aurora, Philippines. MAD (Make A Difference) Travel is one of the social enterprises here at the farm and they are basically an enterprise that does trip planning for groups to destinations throughout the Philippines. I was extremely excited to go on this trip because It'd be a nice break from the farm and I also would get to see a completely different look at the Philippines. So after a long night of despedidas for four of the French interns' departure, we reluctantly woke up at 7:45 for and 8 am van ride to silver heights. I was not completely sure about the itinerary of the trip but this came as a pleasant surprise for me that we would visit another GK site In more of a city setting. We arrived to silver heights in the morning and were greeted by a very warm welcome from all of the community members there, especially the welcoming committee appropriately named, the mabuhay ladies. We were eventually paired with a family to stay with for the night and my Nanay was named Nanay Giselle. She had three kids and a husband and they were very welcoming! Very similar to Tita Brenda's house here on the farm community, this home was very welcoming and cozy. They becomes for me to come in and leave my bags in the upstairs room. I climbed the narrow staircase and when I arrived at the top, I was in my room. It was a small room covered in colorful wallpaper on the wall, ceilings, and floors. I set my bag down on a mattress pad set up on the floor with a set of children's sheets and pillows on it. I figured that this was the room that the kids slept in. I remember pondering how amazing it was that they literally have their only actual bedroom in the entire house to me, a complete stranger. And I think that is very representative of many of the people and families I have met so far in the Philippines. If I walk into a home or even a business where someone is eating, the first thing they ask is, "Have you eaten already?" I have really noticed and been able to see the selflessness of these people in the GK communities, and it is truly amazing.

 

 Some Kids from the GK Mejares community and I

After a couple of activities with the silver heights folks the next morning, we got on the road and drove about 7 hours to Baler. The trip took a little longer than expected due to some unforeseen traffic and a flat tire, but once we finally got to the small surfing town, we were all very impressed. We stayed in a hostel called the circle and it was the most hipster, trendy place I could've imagined. There were hammocks, bean bag chairs, tables, cards, a wide assortment of board games, speakers, and extremely chill and friendly people. The thing that stood out the most, however, was the decoration of the walls and ceilings of the hostel. It was a hostel that was very open to the outdoors and made completely out of stone and bamboo, but the stone walls and bamboo floors and stairs were brought alive by the thousands of amateur paintings and sayings that were littered throughout them. This was hands down, one of the coolest things I've seen during my stay here. After walking a little further, I saw a sign posted on the staircase pointing to a bucket filled with assorted colors of paint. The sign read, "Leave your mark here! Grab a paintbrush and get creative! Just no name-tagging." In the middle of the main floor lounge, I noticed a large part of the floor dipping into the ground on a slant. In the back of my mind I had an idea of what it could be, but I knew that that would be crazy. Upon a closer examination, my initial suspicions were confirmed. There was a half-pipe skate ramp in the middle of the hostel. There was literally nothing about this hostel that was disappointing. 

 

The Main Lounge Area at The Circle Hostel

We put our stuff down and went out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant called "the good food" and my goodness, the title was nothing short of completely true. After eating we went to the beach, but that was short-lived because it was pitch black out and I'm not crazy. Later on we went to a couple bars and one of them happened to be owned by a man who had been raised in Tarragona, Spain. I was extremely excited to hear this because during my recent study abroad in Barcelona, I had spent a bit of time in Tarragona. I was able to talk to the owner in Spanish for a good amount of time and eventually when we switched back to English, the conversation moved the the extreme effects that the new president, Rodrigo Duterte, had had on the small town. If you do not know by now, Duterte won in a popular election recently regardless of his extreme vows to kill all drug users and drug dealers in the country. Many people believe that he is what the country needs to get it "back on track", and a common nickname for him is the "Donald trump of the Philippines." It has been reported that many people have already been killed over the passed two weeks, his first two weeks in office. The owner of the bar told us that two weeks prior two our visit, hundreds of drug dealers and addicts alike turned themselves into the police in fear of being killed. I found it very amazing how many people turned themselves in due to fear. Many people think that Duterte is very effective in his methods, but in reality, he is targeting the population of drug users/ dealers in the country who cannot afford to bribe their way into continuing their business. When you vow to end drug use, that will do nothing if corruption in the police force allows it to continue amongst the top 1 percent of the population. It may make them harder to find, but they will still be there. 

Anyways, the next few days were simply amazing, we went to two more GK communities and played with the kids and enjoyed a couple more boodle fights as well. We were able to surf,climb a waterfall, and even climb up/ go inside the largest balete tree in Asia. This was hands down a trip I will never forget and an experience that added immensely to my experience as a whole in the Philippines. 

Thanks for reading guys, and I'll hit ya with another one soon!

From Mentoring the Youth to Madness in Manila

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, but It's been quite a week! So things on the farm have been going really well. Another American intern, Diego, joined Jessie and I on the task of creating social education plans for the different groups at the farm so we've been doing a lot of brainstorming for that and it's extremely nice to be able to put three heads together towards the effort. This Monday through Wednesday, the American interns and a couple of the French agreed to help out with a sort of camp for some kids from the Raya school in metro Manila. This is one of the best prep schools in Manila and because of this, many of its kids are very wealthy. The purpose of this visit was to expose them to farming and sustainability because otherwise, they would not know about it at all. It was a very interesting experience and the kids were all pretty excited to be there but I think even over the three days that they were there, they were able to learn a lot from the experience. 

Helping some of the Raya kids skin and prepare a chicken for their meal.

On Friday, we all decided to head to Manila for the weekend. Upon recommendation from the French, we decided to stay in a hostel called the Jeepney Hostel. It was a very nice and cozy hostel which had everything we needed for our stay and it only cost us about 10 dollars a night. We visited a mall their called Glorietta 3. It was huge, and it was only 1 of 5 Glorietta malls in the city. On top of that their were SM mega malls and other shopping centers sitting amongst the skyscrapers in metro Manila. 

Our hostel in Manila, The Jeepney Hostel.

Upon arriving and driving around the city a little bit, however, I noticed another type of building thrown into the mix right next to these towering malls and skyscrapers. These 'other' buildings were significantly smaller but more crowded together. They were often made of wood and sheet metal with long tarps thrown over them carelessly. Rows of colorful clothing hung from the awnings of the second story of these buildings and barefoot children were running around on the street in front of them. It was amazing to me how the slums could be thrown into the mix right next to these towering skyscrapers. How could the wealthy walk home out of a mall or from work and literally pass through these slums and do nothing? Many people just walked nonchalantly through on their iPhones with their fresh haircuts as beggars (older people and young children alike) taps them and pulled on their bags begging for any spare change. It seemed crazy at first but when I thought about it more, it's not really that different in the states in our large cities. The slums may not be located right next to the malls and skyscrapers but they are pretty close. And it really just illustrates the wealth disparity between the wealthy and the poor in the world in general. It reminded me of one of the first talks we attended here at the farm where we talked about the economy in the Philippines and how some consider it to be the worlds fastest growing economy. This is true on paper but Chris, the leader of the talk also explained how much of that growth does not take into consideration the severe poverty that places like Manila face. Similar to the United States, the top one percent of the population owns a disgustingly large amount of the wealth of the country and these two instances are not in any way singular. There are many countries like this, and that is one of the reasons for much of the corruption, poverty, prostitution, violence, and general evil around the world. It was very interesting to see this firsthand as we were pretty close to a street that was littered with "nightclubs" and people selling literally anything to make some money. We had a man walk up to us and offer us drugs, a stun gun, and a laser pointer all in the same sentence. In the parking lot of one of the clubs we went to, I witnessed a woman walk past two police officers and slickly give them some money while masking giving them a handshake. Upon having conversation with some locals I learned that police corruption is a huge problem here and it became very evident as you pay more and more attention to the everyday occurrences in the city. It's very interesting because I feel like you don't really realize how real things like this are until actually witnessing them happening around you. And it's also something that doesn't have a clear and easy solution. It gives me a lot to think about however. That's for sure.

Well, that's all I have for right now! But I'll hit you with another one soon. Thanks for reading guys:) 

Community Culinary Treats and Cute Kittens

The other night we found a baby kitten in the forest. It was very dark while we were walking to the bamboo villa and we heard a very shrill me persistent 'meow' coming from the brush nearby. We looked and saw the cutest thing imaginable, and immediately knew that we had a decision to make. We could leave this kitten, who couldn't have been more than four weeks old, here in the cold rain to possibly die, or we could pick it up and find some way to take care of the adorable creature. We knew that there were many kittens and pups who die here because of neglect from their parents and the intense weather, especially in the rainy season, so we decided to pick him up and take him with us in hopes of finding some milk to feed it. We were able to find some condensed milk and rice and it has been going very well so far. We decided to named it Lexter, "Lex" for short, although none of us really agreed on a concrete name. We have been talking about passing him on to new interns as they show up and as we leave but I'm pretty sure we've all pretty much gotten attached. 

'Lex' the baby kitten playing with our room key.

Anyways, it has been pretty relaxed and calm here at the farm for the passed couple of days. After working on the roadmap of goals and milestones for the short term volunteers here for a couple of hours with Jessie, Tita Brenda invited Jessie, a French intern named Katie, and I to her house for dinner. I was very excited because this would be the first time that I would experience dinner inside one of the homes in the community. We went to her house around 6:30 pm and were greeted by her daughter who invited us into a small front room containing three chairs, a dresser which housed a tv and multiple pictures of family and friends, a fan, a broken washing machine, and a couple of desks with green and white checked tablecloths adorning them. To the left of us when we walked in were two doorways covered by large blankets hanging on a meal rod. I assumed theses were the bedrooms of the house. A couple feet in front of the second room I saw another door which I assumed led to the kitchen because that is where Tita Brenda brought out the food from. The food. The food smelled amazing. Heavenly. She first brought out a plate of rice, classic Filipino. After the rice, she brought out a plate of steaming fried eggplant, tantalizingly delicious pandit (a Filipino noodle dish) and some roasted chicken breast. After bringing it all out her daughter told us that we could start eating and we all served ourselves and had a heavenly meal. The meal was extremely informal, which I really liked. The news was turned on the tv the whole time and we all shared conversation while pretending to understand the Tagalog-speaking news reporters commentating the impending presidency of the new head of the country, Rodrigo Duterte, and his strict stance on drugs and violence in the Philippines. One thing that I noticed that was very interesting was that Tita Brenda's daughter, at 9 years old, was listening intently to the news and it seemed as if she not only comprehended the information but was interested also. It reminded me when we were walking with another 9 year old in the community a couple days before and she was telling us all about the current president Aquino, and the incoming president Duterte. She also explained who her favorite president was and why. I was very surprised because I know that at 9 years old I did not have a favorite president and I definitely couldn't explain why I had one if I did. Very impressive. 

Anyways, we finished having dinner and Tita Brenda thanked us for coming and we thanked her for the amazing food. Among our departure, we remembered that there was a special dinner set up in the community. We walked into the grassroots kitchen to see tables set up all around the room with banana leaves spread across all of them. On top of the banana leaves were all different types of food, from pandit, rice, mangoes, and potatoes, to chicken, fish, and a caramelized  banana crepe for dessert. I still had room in my stomach because I hadn't eaten too much at Tita Brenda's so the sight of all of this food really excited me. Eventually we all stood around the tables and they explained the rules to us. Everyone was supposed to stand next to someone they didn't know and eat with their hands until they were full. It as a great experience. Everyone was talking, eating, mingling, drinking, "spilling" and "dropping" food for the animals, and just having an amazing time! After we all are one of the Titos in the community brought out his guitar and we all sang American pop songs for awhile. It was truly a magical night.

The community gathering for a night of food and festivities.

Things are Slow Here, but I'm Okay With It

Today, we were supposed to have the meeting which has been postponed for about three days now. While it is a little upsetting because I feel like I may need to create my own internship experience because there is not a clearly specified path for me here, I am still optimistic because there is so much I can learn here and I am so so certain of that. 

This place is so interesting because there is such a relaxed atmosphere and people seem to make their own schedules and work on their own, yet at the same time people seem to be on the same page. It seems like the lax atmosphere and skewed concept of time would be a recipe for disaster in a place like this, but for some reason it works. This place functions well and flows with efficiency. I was talking to a friend about it and she introduced the concept of zen to me. She explained how they found something that works for them. They have reached such a state of peace that rather trivial and mundane concepts of time do not hinder them from doing amazing things here. Rather than having strict schedules and traditional ways of doing things, they let their problems work themselves out and are constantly making viable solutions as they run into problems. Of course there have to be some deadlines and we adhere to some timelines, but it seems to me like for the most part, the quality and disposition of the workers and volunteers here is really what makes things work. I have discovered from talking to many of the French interns that almost everyone who is here is not getting paid for their contributions to GK. It is interesting because the farm attracts so many knowledgeable and smart volunteers, but none of them are receiving compensation for their donations and input. I think many people here come because they are interested in GK and its mission to end poverty, but they are also looking to find a deeper meaning in their life. Personally that is the case with me. I want to explore my interests and discover my passions and I believe a unique place like this is the perfect platform on which I can hopefully do so. I believe that in my time here I will have a lot of time to reflect on who I am and who I want to be, and how that person can help others do the same. 

Skip ahead a day:
The meeting ended up happening yesterday and Jessie and I found out more specifically what we will be doing. Jonni said that she wants us to work on creating a program to outline the experience of a short term intern (2 months or less) here at the farm. We worked on it and I think it is really cool that we get to take on such an endeavor. Basically, we will influence the experience of all short term interns from now on. I think that it is an awesome opportunity to make sure that all of the interns really grasp the GK spirit while immersing themselves into both community within and outside of the GK Enchanted farm. We were also told that we will be helping out Tita Brenda in the day care center working with kids. This thought both excites me and scares me at the same time. I am excited because I have already connected with many of the kids here at the farm. I am fearful because I know they are going to run me under the table and I will be tired as hell for the next two months of my life. Mostly, I am excited for the opportunity because I have worked with kids before and as much as I hate to admit it, I believe I am very good with kids and they seem to like me as well. Here it is pretty easy to get theirs attention because they are all entranced by my hair. I have had multiple kids come up and touch my hair and ask if they can "borrow" it. Anyways, the kids are pretty cute and it feels great to know specifically what I will be tasked with over the next two months. 



Me with some of the kids in the community! Jarric and Dustin.

Talk to you guys soon! Thanks for reading.

-Nate

A New Way to Think About Poverty

Today we talked at length about poverty, what we think of when we see it, what it looks like, and some of the underlying causes of this terrible pandemic. Many of us have a very basic idea of what poverty is (the economic and literal definition we learn in school at least,) but today that idea was challenged for me. At the farm, poverty is viewed not as a lack of resources but as a painful crisis in values. This crisis is a loss of intrinsic value and dignity. They like to say here that it is not poverty of the pocket that is the problem, but poverty of the mind and soul. 

In America, we seem to have a very unilateral view of poverty, and it is hard for us to look past that. We see homeless people on the streets and tend to avoid them. We tend to think that these people are just lazy and have squandered the opportunities that we all have "equally". In one of our orientation sessions here at the farm, one of the questions asked was "What are some of the causes of poverty? Why are these people poor?" At first, it was difficult to answer, but as the group conversations went on and comfort ability barriers were broken down, answers started flowing from people's mouths. My group alone was able to think of at least twenty different causes, and the thing that we found to be overwhelming true, especially here in the Philippines, is that many of these causes are things that are simply out of our control. It is often very difficult to think about this because many of us find it hard to put ourselves in the position.

I wanted to understand a little bit more about this whole "poverty of the mind" and lack of dignity thing that they were talking about at the farm so I could really embrace it. Tito Toni talked about how many of the poor Filipino people are poor, and don't realize that they could possibly not be poor. He said specifically that these communities have lost the ability to dream and one of the main missions of the farm is to re-instill that ability in the minds of the people. This made me realize how important it really was to have the ability to dream, because without it, you become complacent. So now, you not only have the problem that you have no money, but now, you are okay with it and do not have the ability see past your poverty. This is poverty of the mind. In a way it is more powerful than the traditional poverty we usually think of. It is very easy to accept a situation and let it be, but the difficult part is initiating change and implementing that change. This is precisely what they are doing at the farm and I have come to realize how important it actually is. The people seem so happy and thankful. This is partially due to volunteer help from students like us and the French interns, but I think there is a bigger reason. They now have now come to the realization that they can be the drivers of their lives. They can use their knowledge and handiness to innovate, create, and spread their goods across the world. 

Many of the social enterprises at the farm have products being sold not only in the Philippines, but also in Indonesia and even some countries in Europe. The different enterprises here include but are not limited to a toy making enterprise called 'Plush and Play', a beverage called 'Bayani Brew', and duck enterprise called 'Golden Duck', and many more. The fact that these enterprises have been so successful is a testament in and of itself to the necessity for places like Gawad Kalinga. A place like this that instills hope and focused on the ability to dream could really help a lot of the poor communities we have in the US. We can learn a lot from the successes, and failures, of GK Enchanted farm. 

Thanks for reading! I'll hit ya with another one soon:) 

-Natedogg out 🏾

Blog post 1:

I've been here for a couple of days now and I am thoroughly impressed by what I am seeing. For months I have been unsure of what to say when people ask "what will you be doing this summer?" and finally I believe I am starting to gain more clarity on how I can respond. Today we met the owner of the farm, Tito Toni, and he helped explain to us the mission and goal of the farm. He explained how everyone has a purpose at the farm and that the farm strives to serve as a social enterprise for the Filipino people. Social enterprise is a business model where everyone strives to be successful, but at the same time they are bringing those in the community with them. They are working as a collective unit to build a self-sustaining environment of success while helping the local community discover and utilize the world's most precious natural resource: the human mind. The farm also is the world's first farm community university and we actually arrived yesterday during the first ever graduation ceremony of the first 35 students of the university. Today we met three students, two who just graduated yesterday. From the two minutes that they introduced themselves to us, I was able to hear their background, their age, their inspirations, their aspirations, and what they have gained from their time here at the farm. One thing that was consistent throughout all of their stories was what they discovered in the farm. They all said that during their time at the farm, they discovered their self-worth, and they were able to find hope for the future. It was very inspiring to hear where they came from and how they were able to take control of their lives and turn them around completely in pursuit of their newly discovered passions. 

We are given so many opportunities on a daily basis in America that these students could not even dream of before and I believe many of us forget that. Tito Toni talked about how when we were all introducing ourselves (the IWU students), we all mentioned how we were not entirely sure what we would be doing after graduating. He stressed that it was difficult for us, because we were given the means to get the best education and go to great schools, whereas it was easy for these students at Gawad Kalinga because they only have this one option. They can decide to study here and pursue an education in social enterprise or stay in the slums living under a bridge with no hope for the future. This idea really hit home for me. I think that many times in America, we have certain perceptions of these populations that we know nothing about, and much too often those perceptions are negative. This is due to how society portrays and propagates these negative connotations in the media. We see images of poor communities in other countries and unknowingly associate these communities as being lesser beings. Often we feel sorry for these communities and donate money, food, and water. Though these donations are helpful and make us feel better about ourselves, they pale in comparison to letting these communities know that they have worth far beyond being what they know. The Filipino country has been conquered 3 separate times by Spain, the US, and Japan and over those 300+ years, the poor communities have lost their sense identity. This farm works to return identity to those who have lost it and help them realize their potential and unlock their minds. I am very excited to discover more of what this farm has to offer and I hope that by the end of my time here I will have a more clear view of my purpose, just as these students have leaving the community. 

Well that's all for my first post, but Stay tuned because I will be back later this week with more insight into my enchanted experience at the GK Enchanted Farm. 

Thanks for reading! 

Hello friends and family!

This summer I will be embarking on a journey to the Philippines and I have the unique opportunity to intern at Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm. The farm is a self-sustaining community the city of Angat, in the province on Bulacan. I am very excited for this opportunity and to discover all that this community has to offer. 

I'm hoping that through this blog I will be able to not only describe my experience with words, but paint a picture of my time here in each of your minds. I hope I can achieve that and I also hope that by the end of my time here, you and I both have a better idea of what the country is like, and what this specific community has to offer in terms culture and general lifestyle. Stay tuned for some great experiences and I'll see you all later.

Thanks!