What is Project Kapwa?
Just recently at the end of July, our team of 22 members embarked on OVE's flagship event: a life-changing trip to Pangasinan, Philippines to teach and construct in Malokiat Elementary School. We taught lessons ranging from public speaking to environmental awareness, to village children ranging from 1 to 11 years old, while helping construct a new toilet wing.
Accompanying us on our journey were high school students from YMCA Pangasinan, who gracefully educated us on many cultural norms and helped ease the transition process into the beautiful tight-knit community of Malokiat.
There were countless firsts for many of us, with new food, new routines, and a completely different environment to adjust to. Facing these together helped us come out stronger, and the Filipino way of life is something we will forever hold close to our hearts.
What did Project Kapwa consist of?
With each lesson we carried out, the children’s eyes seemed to grow a little brighter. Honestly speaking, we were a little hesitant about whether the children truly understood our lesson plans, given the language barrier. However, our doubts quickly vanished when they started approaching us more often, even outside of classtime, asking endless questions. Their eagerness to learn everything and anything motivated us greatly, and rekindled something long forgotten in us - passion for learning. In teaching them seemingly simple concepts like area and volume, they in turn retaught us one of the hardest lessons to learn.
On the other side of the school, half of us took turns digging a 2m deep hole for the septic tank of a new toilet wing. Sharing spades and tamping bars with the Filipinos and digging tirelessly under the hot sun, while singing along to pop songs, kindled a unique camaraderie between us. Although they were only in high school, their stamina was astonishingly much greater. Whenever we slowed down even a little, they quickly and silently took over with a single tap on our shoulder. Although we, unfortunately, could not see the finished project, seeing the hole grow from flat ground to deep enough for our tallest member to be fully hidden was gratifying enough.
Not only that, our members had the opportunity to go on learning journeys to Peditros, a restaurant run by one of the ex-YMCA volunteers, the PHINMA University of Pangasinan, and the Caring For Future Foundation, an orphanage run by YMCA Pangasinan. We gifted Irvin's salted egg yolk potato chips to each of the organisations, and the university students gifted us Sugo honey roasted peanuts in exchange. Some of us liked it so much, we brought some back for our family to try! At Peditros, we tried some of the Philippines' famous dishes, and much to the Filipino's amusement, we definitely relished them.
Another highlight was performing a play with self-choreographed dances in tune with Singapore's iconic National Day songs, showcasing a brief overview of Singapore's past, and in turn, getting to hear the famous Filipino vocals! We also planned and hosted a friendship carnival for almost 100 children, getting creative with our limited logistics to create 5 stations of old childhood games - five stones, chapteh, and the like.
However, many of us would agree that the best part of the trip was the homestay. The hosts brought their personal bikes to Malokiat Elementary School to escort us to their Don Benito and Malokiat residences, immediately treating us as their grandchildren. They provided our every need, insisting we sleep on their beds and cooking our every meal, bringing us around to see the local sites and curing many of our homesickness.
Were there any hurdles?
Unfortunately, typhoon Carina passed by our region in the latter half of the trip, throwing a wrench into our plans. As the weather conditions worsened, our Filipino counterparts worked overtime to ensure our safety and comfort, updating us as fast as they could. As most of us were fortunate enough to grow up in Singapore for most of our lives, it was largely our first time experiencing the aftereffects of a natural disaster. This unexpected hurdle brought us closer than ever before, since everyone was in this together. We worked hand in hand with the Filipinos to adapt and ensure our service plans could continue as planned despite the lower student attendance and changed living conditions.
Ending off with the Singapore Food Festival Farewell felt particularly bittersweet as our host families trekked and biked across flooded roads and fields to taste the carefully prepared dishes, sweetened with gratitude. Overall, the trip was definitely a core memory for all of us. Everyone left a changed person - and many of us are contemplating coming back, just to experience this again. We are very excited to see where OVE goes next!
"I learnt to never underestimate anyone. As Publicity head, it was part of my job scope to keep an eye out 24/7 for moments to capture, and because of that, I noticed many things that may have gone unnoticed to the regular eye. I saw my quietest members step up and lead large, intimidating, groups. I saw lifelong friendships being sparked over fragile conversations. I saw my co-leaders solve mindbreaking problems and make difficult decisions in split seconds. I saw everyone silently grow and develop over the past year, with the best parts of themselves coming out during the fortnight I was fortunate enough to spend with them. We took off and touched down as different people, and I feel particularly blessed to have the opportunity to lead such a wonderful group of people, and to work alongside such capable and amazing leaders, both in Singapore and the Philippines. Thanks to them, not only was I able to give effectively, I also took home so much. Every YEP trip embarked on never fails to leave me with new lessons learnt, and more importantly, new friends! As I continue my undergraduate journey, I will always remember the shine in the childrens’ eyes and the crinkle at our homestay hosts’. These simple things never fail to remind me of the bigger things in life." - Ninette, Head PnP
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