November 26

How Ambition Can Be A Driving Factor.

        Behind every movement there is a presence pushing you to go the extra distance for whatever it is that you want to accomplish in this world. Ambition is what people usually call that presence, it drives a person to work harder, think better, and do more. Ambition gives a reason to get out of bed in the morning. In the photograph of children in the Philippines making an attempt to get themselves to school, which here in Canada is a very simple thing for most it’s waking to your bus stop in the morning, the children are on a makeshift raft trying to get across a wide river. The photographer’s intentions with the peace draws attention to the three children aboard this tiny raft trying to make their way across the wide spread river in an attempt for an education, something that is preached to everyone as a necessary thing and something you need to be at, but here there is no attempts to make that journey any easier. 

   The child that is directly addressing the camera is a little boy with the look of pure determination and ambition, knowing he is in danger but seeing it as a normal childhood obstacle to be able to get over the  river on the makeshift raft so he can get on with his school day. By far he tops any parents story of “When I was in school in order to get there I had to…” and he seemingly does it with no complaint and not a worry in his eyes. He knows he is doing and how it in that moment is what he is supposed to be doing. Ambition leads individuals in situations like this because it is meant to guide a person to getting done what they really want/need and in this case it’s the need for an education to provide themselves a better future filled with more opportunities and possibly a lifestyle where their children will never have to endure the makeshift raft to get themselves to school.

      Children here in Canada have a very comfortable lifestyle yet, we still find ways in which we can complain. Like for example trying to get to school in the morning, you have to wake up , get yourself out of bed and ready for the day, pack a lunch and then boom you’re off to walk to a bus stop to catch the warm and safe school bus or even better a parent or yourself will drive to school and at the worst you would have to take public transportation. And yet somehow we still find time to complain about that. Ambition of having a better future or the ideal “American Dream” after high school and university is what pushes us out the door to more than likely get into a motorized vehicle where we are kept warm, displaying the privilege that we often experience. That little boy’s eyes however are no different than a little boy’s eyes that stare out of a window on bus, it’s a little boy filled with hope for the day, ambition to keep going and that dash of determination that gives them the hope for a good future. 

     Ambition can be present in many forms and the hope is that everyone has their own experiences and the hope is an individual isn’t intimidated by their own potential so that way they don’t stand in their own ways of trying to help themselves towards something better. You decide what happens next not someone else and so, even if you have to ride a makeshift raft to get an education or your have your own personal version of a makeshift raft that you have to ride to what you want, ambition can be your driver. But you have to be the dutiful passenger and navigate for it properly. 

Category: Erika | LEAVE A COMMENT
November 7

School- Visual

 

 

Image result for kids going to school in the philippines

 

 

Visual response: Creative

 

I hate school.

 

Everything about school makes me want to hurl because that’s how much I despise going to that building with all the people that I hate altogether in one place. This is my hell. I’m always trying to get out of going to school but my parents always catch me in the act and send me right back to school. It’s frustrating but life still goes on. My daily routine revolves around going on the bus, then going to school and then finally coming back home. My life is always about school and I never have time for myself because it’s in my way half the time. But one day, when there was a huge blizzard outside and snow seemed to have taken over the day, I stayed home due to bad road conditions and school was canceled. I laid on my couch, with my fuzzy socks and a warm blanket and turned on the TV to watch the news. That is when my perspective on school changed.

 

As I was watching the news, many visuals popped up and the reporter began to talk about it the different pictures on the screen. But what caught my eye was the candid picture of three children on what seemed to be a little rubber boat traveling across the water with their backpacks on. At first, I was very confused as to why these three children were floating on the water in the first place. But at that moment, I realized that these children were going to school. The two boys seemed to be looking at the camera but had no sign of worry on their faces. The little girl’s back was faced towards the camera so I didn’t know what she was feeling at the time of the picture. They all seemed to be hanging on as if their life depended on it because if they had made one wrong move they could have ended up in the water. They all risked their lives every day just so they could go to school and learn new things each day.  As I looked at the visual that was still on the TV, I wondered and thought, these kids in the Philippines go through many hardships just to go to school and trying to get a better education for themselves while I sit here, on my bum, complaining about going on the bus that takes me to school within an hour. 

 

After seeing the image on the screen, it made me think. It made me think about how in different parts of the world, kids go to school in different ways. I was ignorant when it came to the fact that kids in different parts of the world don’t have the luxury or privilege to have a school near their house. Like the three little kids in the Philippines, they go through many tough courses in their life just to do simple tasks like going to school. When I saw what happens in different countries throughout the world, it made me think about things from a different perspective. It also made me realize that I should be more grateful for what I have around me, and having the privilege of going to school on a daily basis,  and not having to worry about my safety when going to school.

 

After the snow day that we had and school began to run again, I gladly went without complaining or finding an excuse to not go to school. As I went on the bus, I remembered the picture of the three little kids on the boat trying to get to school and it made me feel a sense of gratitude that I was lucky enough to have the ability to go to school without having any trouble at all.

Category: Rania, Sept 2019 | 3 Comments on School- Visual
November 7

The desire to help

 


Visual Reflection: Creative

It’s been a year since my last exposition with UNICEF;my last experience with this group was amazing making such a large impact for such a small village in Syria. That mission was prioritized on the reconstruction of a school after recent attacks in that area. I was delighted to be able to help the families and children by bringing education back in to their lives. The basis to help people in need has been a goal of mine since the beginning. With that mission done I headed to the Philippines where I was able to face the problem first hand.  

 

The emphasis that the work being done by UNICEF can not be ignored. The impact that theses types of organization have on others can not be underestimated. With other individuals trying to correct another society’s ways and make it possible for their citizens to get an equal chance at a similar lifestyle close to these so called privileged countries. It should be pursued despite any circumstances for equality.

 

 The life that I have was not given to me; there were rough times that my family had to endure. With my trips all over the world I have seen the difficulties that these people face, I hear about individuals not receiving the small privileges that we take for granted, I haven’t seen first hand of the parallel of the difficulties between these countries is crisis. While I was in Syria I had only seen the remains of where the school was after the attacks not during. It was said it was a different atmosphere when faced with the issue and experience the horror that these people face. 

 

With the trip to the Philippines I had experienced that atmosphere first hand. I was told the objective of our work was said to build a bridge. I was one of the first to be sent there and assess the problem. With the team that was there we had begun our journey. We were directed to a river at the edge of two villages. As we arrived there had been a sight that I can not get out of mind. On the river there was an inflatable with three children on it trying to cross the river from the village to get to school. The atmosphere had changed at that moment for me, I was shocked by the predicament they faced. The problem of getting to school. As they reached the shore I was relieved to see that the children were safe. It was said that this has been an issue for a long period of time. The constant risk that these children take to get to school in clean clothes despite their lives only being held by an inflatable raft. This is a hardship that they face on a daily basis. I can’t compare because of how lucky I am to be able to grow up privileged and only having to take the bus to school, where they have to walk a tightrope. The drive that they possess so that can have a chance at a better life empowers me to ensure their safety and that they are able to get to school with a healthy mind and no worry of crossing a river. This made me think of the horror that my parents had faced when they decided to head to Canada. They had sacrificed their homes and their lives in India to try and give a better chance for their children in a better life. 

 

With this one experience I understood how these kids were able to cross the river, they had a goal that they desired and there was an obstacle that stopped them, but their will to succeed is greater than the threat, which motivates them to continue. The experience of this journey has motivated me to improve the lives of those who are in need so that they can reach their goal.

Category: Amrit, Sept 2019 | 2 Comments on The desire to help
November 7

Ignorance is Bliss

There is a certain privilege that comes with being raised in a first world country like Canada. We are able to get what we want, when we want, with little regard for people around the world who are less fortunate than us. But with that privilege comes ignorance. We are ignorant to the fact that children from across the world struggle to go to school having to cross rivers, like the kids in the picture, just to get an education. The luxury of being able to afford and attain a good education has been taken for granted by many students like myself. It is important to recognize these flaws and move forward with gratitude, with the intention to help people.

Through the evolution of this world, we have forgotten and left behind so many countries to their own devices, doing very little when something bad happens like bombings, girls being married young, and kids getting little to no education leaving them with a literacy rate that would have been what ours was over 100 years ago. How come we are in an age where technology is better and faster than ever before yet children go to school having to walk many miles, some of them never getting above sixth grade because they have to help their families. Being first generation Canadian I often struggle with the idea that if my parents hadn’t left Zimbabwe, I wouldn’t have the opportunities that I have access to. Kids like the ones in the picture have to gather on a small raft hoping and clinging for their lives to get to school; this is something we have all taken for granted. Every morning I complain that I don’t want to be here, ignorant to the fact that if I had been born a few decades earlier, I wouldn’t have finished sixth grade and would be married with kids at the age of seventeen. We often mistake the luxuries we have as basic human rights.

It saddens me to think that kids aren’t as fortunate to go to school everyday getting picked up by a school bus where there is a level of security that on your journey to school and back there is no chance of dying because you drowned holding onto a small raft with your two other siblings. Countries like the Philippines, Ethiopia, Ecuador don’t have that guarantee for the kids who go to school that they will return home safely and have a life full of opportunities where they are encouraged to follow their dreams. The western world has somehow blinded and even isolated themselves to these issues that the rest of the world has to face daily. It is my job as someone who is a child of immigrants, who moved away from a life like this in order for their daughters to get opportunities they never had as children, to educate those around me ignorant and blinded to the fact that not everyone’s life is a version of the “American Dream” many try so hard to achieve. 

The privilege we have received as Canadians is one that comes with responsibility. The responsibility to be gracious for what we have and to know the difference between luxuries and basic human rights and needs. It is with this knowledge we are able to move forward as a unified world. Ignorance is bliss until the realization that the power of knowledge can help change the world so kids like those in the picture don’t have to risk their lives crossing a river in order to try and get a decent formal education just to get half of the opportunities that Canadian students receive. As a student, I will try my best to be happy and thankful to be at school so when I am able to help others I can fight for the right to have good education at schools that are close to home with transportation for all students no matter their ethnicity, gender, or background. 

 

Category: Tyra | 2 Comments on Ignorance is Bliss
November 7

Hope Of A Better Future – Visual Response

 

Visual Response: Diary

Today, our flight back to Canada was delayed because of the heavy downpour that had lead to flooding in the capital city of Manila in the Philippines; the weather had also grounded most flights. Our layover in the Philippines was only supposed to be for two hours, but now we had been waiting at the airport for almost double. We anxiously waited to hear when planes would be allowed to fly again and if we’d be able to make our connecting flight in Toronto. As I waited in the lounge of the airport TVs showed roads submerged underwater and people unable to make it to work and school. One of the news segment showed a black and white photo of three school kids, with their school bags, on a small inflatable boat, on their way to school.

The news story said that the image was of three siblings on their regular route to school. Flooding was a recurring event in the Philippines every rainy season most remote and small rural villages got cut off by rain waters fooling roads, damaging houses and causing mudslides. It seems unfair how these events affected the most valuable families who didn’t have the means to recover. When I heard this, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of discomfort and sadness. Everyone was worried about something, but the children’s worries seemed bigger. My worries seemed to become insufficient to the struggle of the children for something most people take for granted, education. Although Their faces were expressionless, their eyes had hope, they shared the belief that they no matter what the circumstances they could still persevere. The image almost seemed symbolic of the children’s struggle, they were floating with their hopes of a better life in a river of despair and inequality. The image focused on the three siblings, with a blurred background, almost as if forgotten by the rest of the world and constrained only on their goal. But they had the belief that one day life will be better, which gave them the realists to face any obstacle head-on.

The siblings made the same journey to get to school every day, in the hope that they would be able to get a better quality of life and be able to achieve their goals. They lived in a little hut, with only one room in which they cooked their meals, studied and slept. The three of them would study together at night with only the tiny light of an oil lamp because their house didn’t have electricity. The children were from an underprivileged family and went to school because it allowed them to create a brighter future. The innocents of children, was represented by the image being black and white, with them being unaware of the obstacles they faced. They were oblivious to the disadvantage they faced because of poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to base needs like sanitation. This made me reflect on how I complained about going to school every day and hated how I had to get up early every day. It showed how when an individual is faced with obstacles that prevent them from reaching their goal, they will always persevere. But also showed the power of education and how it has the power to lift people up and empower them.

It showed me how privileged I was to go to school, and how privileged people were in the other news stories, who had to face a minor inconvenience. It made me feel grateful for the opportunities and quality of life I was able to enjoy. Our flight was rescheduled for the next day, and we were gonna go back home to Calgary.

Category: Ajitpal, Sept 2019 | 2 Comments on Hope Of A Better Future – Visual Response
November 7

Joys of Life

How is it that in my country we take buses and complain about school, but on the other side of the Pacific kids have to cross rivers and hike to get to school. I went to the Philippines on vacation as I thought it would be fun to go to a place and not the basic destinations for vacation like Mexico,Hawaii or, Los Angeles and it was half the price. So I packed my bags and headed to the Philippines, I was an avid photographer and knew if wanted to find the best pictures I would have to go far from the industrialized cities and into the forest. 

Once I arrived I found the first taxi willing to take me to the closest village away from the city, as we drove farther out from the city it became visible how bad and rough living conditions were here. The beautiful skyscrapers and malls hiding the true state of the Philippines, by modernizing their country they had left their own people behind. Once I arrived to the Village I felt as if I was in a new country, there was no running water or electricity. How could it be that an hour and a half  outside the massive city there was no basic needs being met, homes were made of mud and kids played with nothing but broken tires and sticks,somehow you could still find them smiling and laughing . I almost felt sick knowing people lived like this while their own government lived lavishly. I setup my tent for the night and tried to get some rest, I woke up in the middle of the night to children running and playing I checked time and realized it three in the morning. I peeked out my tent wondering what was going on and saw two little kids with backpacks on fooling around I was confused why were they up so early, why did they have backpacks on, where were they going? I decided to follow them and find out was going on I quickly put my shoes on and grabbed my camera. They waited until the 3rd child came out of the forest and followed him, he walked for two hours through the forest with only Crocs on I could barely keep up with no backpack and only proper shoes but no matter their condition they kept joking around with each other.Suddenly we came out of the forest and landed in front of a river. They grabbed a raft tied to the trees and headed down the river.

I waited for hours until eventually they reappeared, tied up their raft and went right back on their treacherous hike. I was so starstruck as their parents told me they had done this since they were five every weekday they had to do the same journey just to get to the closest school. I remember as a child complaining when I had to walk six minutes from my bus stop, saying how much I hated school and my how my life was unfair. These children were so dedicated to learn and study they would walk and paddle for 5 hours one way just to reach the nearest school. I was confused as the 3rd boy grabbed some water and a small snack and headed back into the forest I asked the other parents where he was going they said’home” I didn’t understand what they meant wasn’t his home here in the village? I asked the parents “ where his home was” they told me he lived in the next village down which was two hours away. With my pictures and story I headed home to write my new blog post about the three most bravest children I had met.

I posted my blog post creating a juxtaposition of the children here in Canada compared to the children of the Philippines. Even with this harsh daily routine these children somehow still had a smile on their face, unlike in our society where children sit in front of a screen and never truly find happiness. How is it that even with the worst living conditions seen people still find happiness and enjoy their lives, it’s not because of what they own as possessions it’s the memories and experiences they create. You can’t text or call anyone in that tiny village the only thing you have is to bond and connect with your family and friends, imagine spending more than 10 hours of your day with two other people how strong and connected would you be to them? You don’t need the newest iPhone or car to be happy having others around you is just enough, we have spoiled and filled our lives with nothing but items and wealth maybe it time we stopped and looked around at the beauty of others and ourselves.    

students journey

Category: Aazab | LEAVE A COMMENT
November 6

Motivation-visual response

Success and prosperity are the outcomes people desire from working hard. Working hard comes from motivation, and motivation comes from being inspired. Being inspired is how goals are achieved, and how fears are conquered. It is a motivational factor that helps individuals strive towards success. People experience inspiration from encountering hardships and obstacles to prove to themselves they are intelligent enough to overcome other situations that may come their way. Others may be inspired by looking up to their idols and wanting to achieve similar successes as them. Inspiration can cause people to take risks and try out different tactics in order to be successful. Life will have many suffering situations that individuals will have to face; but it depends on how the person will prioritize their goal and to what extent the individual will go to achieve them. Inspired individuals facing poverty and major struggles will strive for achievement by taking the journey to success, regardless of how dangerous the pathway may be, resulting in the desired goal being attained. 

When individuals are going through hardship but are still longing for successful results, they will proceed to keep trying. Inspiration is a self motivator that many people use to have triumphant outcomes, which is why these individuals have the tendency to struggle in life first, then live life in joy after. The people that have very little are the most inspired, yet are the ones living in poverty. These individuals have the most insight because they do not demand more, nor are they greedy; whatever is already provided to them is what they use in order to fulfill their desires. The photograph provided depicts how the less fortunate still manage to maintain joy and are still striving to achieve their goals. The photograph has three children on two different objects joined as one, crossing a river to get to school in the Philippines. These young children are thriving to get to school by taking dangerous pathways in order to have a set future. They are not wearing any safety wear to prevent them from harm’s way, their mindset is just on getting to school regardless of what may happen. From their facial expressions, they do not look fearful or worried, and this may be because they have been doing this for a long period of time. Them not using a boat or a different source of transportation indicates that they are not wealthy and are living a dangerous life. They are trying to reach their goals by inventive thinking, and whether the idea is dangerous or not, they are still striving for success because of what they set their priority as and how inspired they truly are. Everyone has the potential to achieve anything, but the only way this will happen is how much the goal is prioritized. Regardless of what resources people are provided with, they can reach success by effort and creative thinking. 

When there are circumstances that are not easy to handle, giving up or saving it for another day is what many people say and use as an excuse to not doing it. If the person is serious about being successful, the individual will do whatever it takes to make the goal become a reality, and not a dream. I can personally relate to this because I have experienced my little cousin losing her mother in a very tragic car accident. She was always wanting to get nineties in all her academic courses and when she really set her mind to it, she had lost her mother. This caused her trauma and depression which led to grades lower than her goal. When she realized there is nothing to do to bring her mother back, and realized how failing her courses would lead to more issues like a dead end future, she decided to get her head back into the game. She was still in a traumatic state of mind, but still strived for success because she was inspired by her mother when she was alive to do so, like the three children are doing in the photograph. Even though the children in the photograph are in a very dangerous and tragic situation, they are still striving for success. My cousin is still recovering from this devastation, but is not letting her desires be defeated, because she knows her mother would want her to still keep trying. Life has cruel ways of making people realize what to prioritize and how to do so, but the outcomes will be more benefitting and joyful to experience in the future if people work hard now. 

Life has many situations that involve trauma and destitution, but if the individual is inspired and motivated enough to achieve success, they will. Everyone will face devastating situations, but being strong and putting yourself first will result in joy in the future, even if you are struggling right now. Life has many things planned ahead, if people keep their eyes on the ball, they will have victorious outcomes to celebrate.

 

Category: Hanisha | 1 Comment on Motivation-visual response
November 6

Fear-Visual

 

 

Fear. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by our own beliefs that danger is near, likely to cause pain, or a threat. We as individuals encounter this theme at an early age, many of us risking a lot of things and gaining experience throughout life. As children, we are less fearful than when we become older and the reason for that is because as kids we don’t understand the consequences of our actions, but when we are older we learn that “you reap what you sow”. What this means is you will eventually have to face the consequences of your actions. When one faces their fears it makes them a stronger individual; although, it isn’t an easy process once they have overcome their fears it is an extraordinary feeling. This visual represents three Philippine children who are crossing the river on their way to school. They all have backpacks on and only two from the three have shoes on their feet. 

 

All three of them are on a small kayak which they don’t look very comfortable on because they are all kneeling on both knees with their heads sticking out to the side while the feet are touching the water. As you can see through the visual, the kid without the shoes expression looks scared and cold. Facing your fears can be hard at times; however, after one has experienced it their not as scared as they we beforehand. Through this, you can become a stronger individual. For example, many kids around the world don’t have school buses to get to school so they have to do things that we could never do because we are scared. In spite of that, kids around the world put their lives at risk just to get to school. Looking at the visual, none of the kids seem to be happy or excited. Instead, they seem to look somewhat frightened. Though they may be used to it happening every day in their lives, they are still at risk because of the possibility that the kayak may flip over. Also, the fact that they have backpacks on with no lifejackets makes the situation worse than it already is. The situation they face every day is extremely dangerous which many of us would be scared of doing because we haven’t experienced anything like that in our lives.

 

I have experience this theme multiple times in my life, but never as much as I do now. When I was a kid, I loved taking risks I always wanted to experience new things. But now that I have matured up I realized that every action has a powerful meaning to it, whether we endure it or not. Two years ago, during the summer I was on a family trip. We all decided to go boating, I was on the boat with my older and younger brother, we were in the middle of the river and my older brother and me decided to scare my younger brother by rocking the canoe back and forth. My and my younger brother were scared of the water due to, we didn’t really know how to swim that well. I decided to take a selfie and out of nowhere “SPLASH”, all three of us were in the water in a split second, I was panicking because water was my biggest fear. At that moment, I had no idea what to do all I saw was my brothers swimming away from and I was still there at that same spot. I had learned a really big lesson that day, it was that life is way to short and fast for us, we must face our fear today or else it’s too late for tomorrow.

 

Category: Adeeba, Sept 2019 | 3 Comments on Fear-Visual
November 5

The Power of Perseverance

Miguel M.

Personal CPU

 

     Perseverance helps individuals keep moving towards their goals despite having difficulties and obstacles that block their path to success in life. Individuals will not stop and try to find obstacles to clear the path, as they  really want to be successful in their life. People have these values and apply it into their life when they decide on a goal and will not pause or stop to complete it. If an obstacle appears to knock the individual out of the path, they will find ways to get back up to where they started. This goal has to be something really significant in their life for them to be deeply motivated for it, just like the Filipinos in the picture. In the visual created by Bullit Marquez, it shows how three children will not stop at nothing to get to school. When individuals have a goal they want to achieve, then an obstacle gets in their way to slow them down or potentially stop them, they will try and find ways to get around and overcome difficulties they have to continue their path to success.

 

     Despite difficulties that individuals have when striving towards their goals, they will still try to reach success as it would impact them significantly. This can be observed through the photo that is focused mainly on the three Filipino children. These individuals are seen to be squeezed on an unknown object that is floating through the flood, with their backpacks and wet footwear although it seems like they don’t express feelings of shock or sadness. This could be because they are already used to it and know directions of where to go towards the school. Individuals in the Philippines, no matter what the month is, are used to these types of disasters. Floods are a common thing in the area, due to the fact that most of its countries are islands, meaning people who have lived in the area for a really long time don’t mind it, and continue their daily lives, especially in schools. Children during floods will still want to go to school, as it is hard to find an education due to its economy. This truly reveals that children will stop at nothing to reach their goals. I have been to the Philippines myself, and I continue to learn more information about its way of life every time we go back there.

 

     Sometimes in travelling, I see individuals living their ways of life in a really different way to how people in Canada  manage their own ways. When I was little, we had traveled to one area that I never knew about, and witnessed a man digging through trash cans; eventually he finds noodles and eats it. I had to ask my father why, as I was disgusted, but never knew the standards of living in the Philippines during my childhood. As he explained, I later understood and was first introduced to homeless people. We always go to the Philippines every two years during winter break, and this is where I would always find something new. This time, as we travelled to an amazing island area called Boracay, our family had seen a man using a type of tube that he would insert into random places in the smooth, soft sand and remove it during the morning, and wondered what he was doing. Eventually, he caught something massive; which was a mix between a type of worm and a clam. He explains to us that there are some tiny holes on the ground that is used to find these creatures and is easy to search for them while the tide is low. After finding a hole, he likes to dig them and use them as a source of food. At this point in my life, I felt like individuals would also use perseverance as a way of surviving in life, as without this value, they would be laying on the street, depressed and hungry. I learned that individuals will not just find ways to find success in their life, such as gaining a career or completing a life goal, but also as a way to keep them determined to survive in life. Individuals really value their lives, and want to see how they would end up, as they push themselves to find food without money or even live without shelter from rain or floods. It is really important to keep being determined to reach a goal to at least survive in society, especially in places like the Philippines that are harder to survive.

 

     Individuals have a goal, or at least the will to survive, despite having many obstacles that can either be easy or incredibly difficult to overcome, but because of determination to see where the path can lead, they try their best efforts to reach success. This success will impact them in a significant way to a point where they will continue to create goals and use their determination. Even if it’s not just a goal, individuals will use values of perseverance anyway to at least survive in society. Without perseverance, society will find it difficult to function because nobody will seem to find the determination to reach a common goal of the community. If these values were lost, how would anybody become successful in life?

Category: Miguel, Sept 2019 | 1 Comment on The Power of Perseverance
November 5

Unity Enriches Us With Hope- Visual Response

Image result for kids crossing a river in the philippines
It was humid and warm morning, when my brothers and I were off to school, awaiting to receive an education despite the journey we had to go through everyday. For every single day we had to cross a river on a small tube, avoiding the reality of falling in or getting wet and ruining our stuff. But I really didn’t have to worry about something bad happening because my brothers were my keepers. Our mother taught us to remain united and live in harmony with each other, and to also live in a dignified manner too. Growing up in the Philippines wasn’t always easy we would practically face adversaries everyday, one of them being child trafficking, being infected with malaria, and all other crazy things. But us three, we had each other’s back no matter what, and we would stick up for one another. Especially for the fact that my youngest brother Simon was being bullied from time to time in school, by an older boy named Jax and Daniel was the one to always protect Simon.
In school it was tough because it had seemed that the society would look down on us, and we were considered to be outcasts. Other kids had lunches, good clothing, and proper understanding, well we… we took bread for lunch, we wore the same clothing and although we tried so hard in our education the results did not match. But you know what, all this did not matter because we were a family and we were driven hard, and we had perseverance. Every night in our small bedroom that all three of us slept, I had the ragged mattress and Simon and Daniel had the cold rock hard concrete floor with only a blanket and one pillow to share. We were a poor family. My dad worked late hours and was barely paid. Along with my mother, well she was in charge of food, however the fact was she was mostly dependent on luck of how we would feed ourselves the next day. I felt bad for my family as if we couldn’t get our heads above the surface of survival, but we managed because we remained strong and united.
However every night before we go to sleep, our parents used to tell us, “A whole life awaits you, because you have the strength and potential.” At the time I was seven and I did not fully comprehend what that meant, however, with Daniel being the oldest he understood as best he could.
That is why he was my hero, aside from Simon because he was still young and had a wild imagination, but that did not mean he did not look out for me too. It was just that Daniel was my protector when my parents were not there, especially in school or if we were to venture into the lush jungle that had a dewy mist that would accumulate on your forehead for each step of the way. But I would also say Daniel and Simon would just not only look out for me, but on their spare time after we would get back from school they would also help out my dad. Despite our young age it was inset in our minds that family comes first and charity starts at home. So they boys would help find firewood, bring water from the nearby river, and collect wheat and millet for our bread. While I would stay at home and help my mom clean and organize the house, which was actually a small shack that had two rooms for sleeping and a common area.
I know what we had wasn’t much, but it was all we had and we had to live prudently and stick together as one whole unit for the greater good. Some days I would imagine that ever so possible we would have the luxury of running water in our house, and a whole table full of food. However I was not worried that we will live like this forever, because I had hope and resilience.
I see that my family would no longer suffer and be able to live life properly, and not be worrying if we would have a meal on the table the next day. My siblings and I had the great level of understanding of the division between poverty, and prosperity because we were reminded that life will be hard, you will face trials and tribulations. But it all matters which step you take into this journey of life. Surely enough within four and a half years of working hard together we able to move into the City of Cebu were I was almost twelve and going to a proper school with my brothers. Whereas for my mother she worked part time at a bank and my father had a full time job working in accounting. We went from living in a shack to a four bedroom house just on the outskirts of downtown area.
I am thankful for this change in our life, that god has given us opportunity only with a gift of hope and unity. I look back now that we siblings now have proper education, taking the bus to school instead of crossing a river everyday. And that my father and mother are paid well, and not living in a laborious manner. Along with the fact we now have running water, and a fridge full of food and not worrying about what will happen the next day. But I am mostly thankful that my family stood strong together, instead of giving up in life, but that my brothers still protected me in the worst of times we faced while growing up.

Category: Kadin | 2 Comments on Unity Enriches Us With Hope- Visual Response