A Fulfilling Experience, Part Deux
Continuing from the post I made the other day, here is my second reflection paper on our BS155 trips last sem. On the first one I shared my experiences on the first part of our trip last February 23rd, and now here are my thoughts and reflections on the second (and sadly, last) part of our trip which took place last March 2nd.
March 2, 2011. We had yet another one of our BS155 trips this day. This time, we went to Marillac Hills and Elsie Gaches Village in Alabang. Our first destination, Marillac Hills, is an institution operated by the DSWD with a mission to take care of girls who have been sexually abused and exploited as well as children in conflict with the law. We were grouped into 8 groups and had different activities for the girls.
For the first activity, we had them mold clays into objects which represent what they feel at the moment. In our group, there were 2 girls from the institution, both of whom molded their clays into balls, one used in basketball and the other one used in volleyball. At first, they said they made it like that because they love playing basketball and volleyball and that they couldn’t think of anything else to make. But when it was time for them to share their explanation, they said that the meaning behind that is not only because they love playing those two ball games, but also because they see life as a game that they will be able to win one day. The other girls also gave very heartfelt explanations for the objects they molded.
Aside from that, we also had a “cheer competition”, where we were asked to make cheers for our teams. At first, we couldn't really think of anything creative, so we just decided to use all the funny stuff that our group mates suggested and be “bibo” while doing it. It was funny and we actually ended up winning it.
After those activities, we all had lunch together. During the orientation, we were told not to ask them anything about their past as this might cause them to remember horrendous memories, but it was the girls themselves who bravely shared their stories to us. They were both sexually abused, but I really admired them for being so brave. I thought they’d choose not to talk about anything related to their past so that the memories will be repressed, or use another defense mechanism to handle the conflict, but the both of them bravely faced them head on. They also shared some things about their life inside the institution. I was happy when they said that becoming part of this activity has made them smile and laugh genuinely again.
We all proceeded with the next activity after lunch. It was a fashion show/role playing activity. All of us had fun because the girls were able to showcase their talents here. Some presented to us their talent in acting, some their confidence in modelling. Yet the others showed us their wit with the sayings and mottos they chose to share.
The others also showcased their talent in dancing after the activity. Two of the girls also gave us their warm messages. It was truly heartwarming when they extended their appreciation to us. And before we ended, we all sang a very inspirational song. I think only a few knew the song beforehand, but it was really fitting because the lyrics are very motivational. We decided to give our copies of the lyrics to the girls, and told them that when they feel down, they can look at those lyrics and have hope that things will be better in time. We exchanged hugs, shared group hugs and wished each other well before we left. Truly it was a very fulfilling and heartwarming visit.
Our second and (sadly) last destination for all our BS155 trips was the Elsie Gaches Village where they take care of people with childhood disorders such as mental retardation, autism and down syndrome. Most of the “children” we got to interact with were those with mild mental retardation. They were highly trainable and we were told that they had the mind of a child around 7 years old.
Our first activity was a getting-to-know activity where we sang an upbeat, cheerful song. Most of the participants were very delighted to interact with us, though there were some who were hesitant, including my partner for the day. After this, there was a story-telling activity, where we all listened to the facilitators’ story of a dog named Putot. The story was fitting for them, because in the story, Putot was a dog who had a short tail and thus envied the other animals around him. But in the end, he managed to see that he also has remarkable qualities. The dog’s situation in the story was similar to the children’s; they are all lacking in something but despite that, they also have qualities which are remarkable. Their innocence and cheerful view of the world are just some of those qualities we can see in them that are noteworthy.
The next activity allowed them to show their creativity and logic skills. They were asked to choose which activity they would like to do: coloring, clay molding, puzzle and maze solving. We became very busy during this time because the children we got partnered with mostly wanted to do coloring, and they were all asking for a different crayon each time. They really wanted to make their pictures colorful, especially the child I got partnered with. I was a bit hassled because she was getting mad when I couldn’t give her the color that she wanted. She also didn’t want me to assist her. Mostly she just wanted to be left alone to do her own thing. I guess it just wasn’t a good day for her.
After the activities, we let them have their merienda. Afterwards, they also showcased their dancing talents. It was fun seeing them being so happy and dancing their hearts out. When it was time to go, they all happily bid us goodbye. It’s nice to know that like us, they also had fun in our short interaction.
Both trips we had were very fulfilling and enjoyable. All of us gained delightful memories and experiences. Not only that, we also got to apply what we learned in class and even learned something new from our interactions with the people we visited. To be honest, I actually thought that we should’ve spent half or even a whole day in each of the institutions so that we could interact with them more. But because the semester’s nearing its end and we don’t have enough time both to prepare and to spend a whole day in each of the institutions, it couldn’t be helped that we made use of only two days to visit all four of them. Despite that, I could still say with much enthusiasm that we left the institutions feeling lighthearted and joyful. I’ve already mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again. It was refreshing to come into contact with these people. After our short interactions with them, I can say that I’ve once again broadened my horizon, and it’s a very wonderful feeling.
There we have it. School's starting in less than two weeks, and I remembered that to feel good about it, I'd just have to remember these trips we had. They were all indeed fulfilling, and I'm definitely looking forward to more experiences like this in the coming semesters.
March 2, 2011. We had yet another one of our BS155 trips this day. This time, we went to Marillac Hills and Elsie Gaches Village in Alabang. Our first destination, Marillac Hills, is an institution operated by the DSWD with a mission to take care of girls who have been sexually abused and exploited as well as children in conflict with the law. We were grouped into 8 groups and had different activities for the girls.
For the first activity, we had them mold clays into objects which represent what they feel at the moment. In our group, there were 2 girls from the institution, both of whom molded their clays into balls, one used in basketball and the other one used in volleyball. At first, they said they made it like that because they love playing basketball and volleyball and that they couldn’t think of anything else to make. But when it was time for them to share their explanation, they said that the meaning behind that is not only because they love playing those two ball games, but also because they see life as a game that they will be able to win one day. The other girls also gave very heartfelt explanations for the objects they molded.
Aside from that, we also had a “cheer competition”, where we were asked to make cheers for our teams. At first, we couldn't really think of anything creative, so we just decided to use all the funny stuff that our group mates suggested and be “bibo” while doing it. It was funny and we actually ended up winning it.
After those activities, we all had lunch together. During the orientation, we were told not to ask them anything about their past as this might cause them to remember horrendous memories, but it was the girls themselves who bravely shared their stories to us. They were both sexually abused, but I really admired them for being so brave. I thought they’d choose not to talk about anything related to their past so that the memories will be repressed, or use another defense mechanism to handle the conflict, but the both of them bravely faced them head on. They also shared some things about their life inside the institution. I was happy when they said that becoming part of this activity has made them smile and laugh genuinely again.
We all proceeded with the next activity after lunch. It was a fashion show/role playing activity. All of us had fun because the girls were able to showcase their talents here. Some presented to us their talent in acting, some their confidence in modelling. Yet the others showed us their wit with the sayings and mottos they chose to share.
The others also showcased their talent in dancing after the activity. Two of the girls also gave us their warm messages. It was truly heartwarming when they extended their appreciation to us. And before we ended, we all sang a very inspirational song. I think only a few knew the song beforehand, but it was really fitting because the lyrics are very motivational. We decided to give our copies of the lyrics to the girls, and told them that when they feel down, they can look at those lyrics and have hope that things will be better in time. We exchanged hugs, shared group hugs and wished each other well before we left. Truly it was a very fulfilling and heartwarming visit.
Our second and (sadly) last destination for all our BS155 trips was the Elsie Gaches Village where they take care of people with childhood disorders such as mental retardation, autism and down syndrome. Most of the “children” we got to interact with were those with mild mental retardation. They were highly trainable and we were told that they had the mind of a child around 7 years old.
Our first activity was a getting-to-know activity where we sang an upbeat, cheerful song. Most of the participants were very delighted to interact with us, though there were some who were hesitant, including my partner for the day. After this, there was a story-telling activity, where we all listened to the facilitators’ story of a dog named Putot. The story was fitting for them, because in the story, Putot was a dog who had a short tail and thus envied the other animals around him. But in the end, he managed to see that he also has remarkable qualities. The dog’s situation in the story was similar to the children’s; they are all lacking in something but despite that, they also have qualities which are remarkable. Their innocence and cheerful view of the world are just some of those qualities we can see in them that are noteworthy.
The next activity allowed them to show their creativity and logic skills. They were asked to choose which activity they would like to do: coloring, clay molding, puzzle and maze solving. We became very busy during this time because the children we got partnered with mostly wanted to do coloring, and they were all asking for a different crayon each time. They really wanted to make their pictures colorful, especially the child I got partnered with. I was a bit hassled because she was getting mad when I couldn’t give her the color that she wanted. She also didn’t want me to assist her. Mostly she just wanted to be left alone to do her own thing. I guess it just wasn’t a good day for her.
After the activities, we let them have their merienda. Afterwards, they also showcased their dancing talents. It was fun seeing them being so happy and dancing their hearts out. When it was time to go, they all happily bid us goodbye. It’s nice to know that like us, they also had fun in our short interaction.
Both trips we had were very fulfilling and enjoyable. All of us gained delightful memories and experiences. Not only that, we also got to apply what we learned in class and even learned something new from our interactions with the people we visited. To be honest, I actually thought that we should’ve spent half or even a whole day in each of the institutions so that we could interact with them more. But because the semester’s nearing its end and we don’t have enough time both to prepare and to spend a whole day in each of the institutions, it couldn’t be helped that we made use of only two days to visit all four of them. Despite that, I could still say with much enthusiasm that we left the institutions feeling lighthearted and joyful. I’ve already mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again. It was refreshing to come into contact with these people. After our short interactions with them, I can say that I’ve once again broadened my horizon, and it’s a very wonderful feeling.
There we have it. School's starting in less than two weeks, and I remembered that to feel good about it, I'd just have to remember these trips we had. They were all indeed fulfilling, and I'm definitely looking forward to more experiences like this in the coming semesters.