GK Youth Build Experience Explained

Watch Junnie and Michele as they share the experience of participating in a GK Youth Build

Venue was the launch of GK1MB in front of close to a hundred GK advocates at the Kalayaan Cultural Community Center in Mississauga.

Dylan Wilk launches GK1MB in Canada

Watch Dylan Wilk as he talks about the transformation of communities and transformation of the youth - the same mission of GK Youth Build - Building Communities. Building the Youth

GK Youth Build Joins GK Walk

GK Walk 2008
Yonge St, Toronto

"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."- Albert Camus

Got 15 minutes?, maybe later. But if you have, please read on

September 6, 2008 was the day more than a thousand pro-poor advocates from Gawad Kalinga, Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP), PIDC, Bukas Loob, Light of Jesus and the biggest contingent of all - from Couples of Christ, walked for 5,000 meters and practically closed the longest street in the world - Yonge Street!

777 is Just a Number, the Passion is More Important

It wasn't as grand as having 40,000 people during the launch of the program in October 2003, (watch this GK video which was the first video that hooked me into GK, it will do the same to you) but the commitment and dedication of the participants was close, if not more intense. We loved placards saying "Live Simply so that others may simply live". Ouch.

The walk was towards providing awareness to the nation-building projects of Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines, South East Asia and soon in Africa. All participants also raised funds walking for their family and friends towards building more houses and more villages for more poor, taking them out of poverty.

GK - the Gift of the Pinoy to the World

Inquirer wrote that after EDSA's People Power, Gawad Kalinga is the next gift of the Filipino to the world. So it wasn't a surprise that more than a couple of dozen walkers were GK advocates who didn't have a Pinoy blood in them.

Dylan - di lang Pinoy, bayani pa!

Part of the thousand-strong GK walkers included Dylan Wilk, one time 9th richest bachelor in England. As once said he came from GB to GK! or from UK to GK.

One thing other people don't know, he is an Internet Technopreneur, having sold, Gameplay.com, a leftie and owns a Red moleskine. Some things I share with him, but the most important of all our passion for Gawad Kalinga.

Will you join us in this endeavor and share the story of Gawad Kalinga to your friends?
NBA Star Gilbert Arenas, already did.

Please read how to volunteer.

GK Youth Build Goes Blue in Payatas

GK Youth Build joined Ateneo de Manila in their feast of St. Ignatius celebration with GK Bayanihan Build and here's their account.

The Ignatian Spirit Lives On!
GK Bayanihan Build for the feast of St. Ignatius

By: Leigh Hernandez & J. Michael Go

The notion of men and women for others was exemplified Last July 31, 2008 as strong rains and a school holiday did not hold back volunteers from the Ateneo to answer the call of service. Around 200 Ateneans worked with 200 Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries to build houses for the poor to celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius.

This is the first time for a GK – Ateneo Bayanihan Build to be held in two simultaneous sites. GK Molave (Payatas, Quezon City) in partnership with the Ateneo Alumni Association (AAA), was able to accommodate a community of Atenean nation builders and even prepared non-stop presentation for them. A ceremonial demolition of the Wall of Poverty was held as a highlight of the build. Picture a wall painted with the words "Garbage," "Stealing," "lack of Education," "Poverty," "lack of Unity," "Hopelessness," "Drug Pushing," and "Unemployment" was torn down by volunteers and beneficiaries as a symbol of a new life they have in GK.

The Ateneo volunteer contingent in GK Molave was composed of builders from the Office of Administrative Services (OAS), Psyche, Oberlin Philippine Immersion and Cultural Program 2008, Ateneo Residents-Students Association (ARSA), and GK Youth Build-Canada.


The other build was hosted by the GK Pinagsama Villages (Taguig City). This event marks the common journey of the City Government of Taguig and the Ateneo in building a first world Philippines by eliminating the gap between rich and poor. The grand vision of Taguig City is to compliment Bonifacio Global City with Taguig GK City. The Taguig GK City features a 10,000 strong socialized housing build the GK way this is the city's statement that they will not leave behind the poor as they pursue development.

Volunteers from Youth for Christ, the John Gokongwei School of Management and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business took part in a build of over 4 GK Pinagsama sites (GK Philam Doctors, GK Zonta of Makati, GK International School Manila and GK Jack & Jill).

The grand army of nation builders which Ignatius envisioned came to life in Payatas and Taguig that day. Although the sudden rain in the afternoon put most of the work in a standstill, the greater work was done early on with the impression made by the participants to the communities. Participants matched the efforts of the skilled laborers and beneficiaries with most continuing work under the rain – a true testament to GK's approach to nation building which is to leave no man behind. The Bayanihan Build did not stop even as the rain poured The bad is a blessing in disguise because it allowed the volunteers to build not only houses, but most significantly, relationships with the beneficiaries. The day ended with the volunteers and beneficiaries sharing stories and exchanging heartfelt thanks for the memories made. An Ignatian mass was held in both sites to cap off the day's events.

More than building structures that will provide homes for the people of Molave and Pinagsama, the relationship building which transpired during the feast of St. Ignatius has made a home in everyone's heart.

Day 5 : Going Home

Bye Marinduque


The Future Looks Bright


So it was the perfect time to go. Short but sweet would be the best phrase to describe the experience. We all decided to go back to Manila today Friday, instead of the planned Saturday. We upfronted the schedule of Friday to Thursday and met with the Dean of the Marinduque School of Fisheries in the morning to discuss the potential livelihood programs for GK Gasan and for the school to support the village's fishpond plans. The dean was so accommodating and the GK Careteaker team and the school will continue the talks.

Ruby, whose insect bite has now 90% dissipated, needs to see a real specialist. She continued to be in high spirits.

You will see it in this pic :)

Ruby was thankful for all the manangs who took care of her day in and day out, she said in her dedication to the village - "my birthday was amazing because of all your smiles. They touched my heart and you made a difference in my life. You brought importance and happiness in my life."

Sa mga bata, your energy was everlasting and I will never forget, I love you all so much and I hope to be back soon." Always, Ruby.


Eliza was as thankful as Ruby and was candid in saying that
"it has been a week that I will never forget and I hope I will be able to come back next year. Mahal kita lahat!"

With that our stay here comes to an end.


The manangs were waiting outside to see us off the pier and I'm sure just like last year, they will all be waiting for our next trip excited and waiting to welcome us again with their smiles, their potong dance, the kids energies, the manong's hardwork and of course Marinduque's beauty.

Here was our last pic - Junnie and the angels. A copycat of Charlie's Angels. Enjoy and til next year!

God will make a way for more youth to come and experience it. Please pray for us!

Day 4 : A Special Day and Treat for Everyone

GKYB 2008 Highlights and Out takes (on Video)
Press Play to Watch the Movie


Youth Build 2008 Version
Marinduque, Philippines

GK Youth Build - "Building Communities. Building the Youth
- and now Building Relationships"

Today was a special day. Via the video above, you'll be witness to a surprise party the GK Village Caretaker team hatched for our birthday girl - Ruby. (Click the movie above and see for yourself.)

The birthday party didn't end during breakfast, after finishing our landscaping of the model house, we continued doing jewelries with the manangs and played with the kids and prepared for the bigger party that night.

We had lugaw party with 60 kids and dancing and swimming and a lot of fun! It was a memorable birthday for Ruby, for the manangs and most especially for the kids.

Looking back at the GK Youth Build program, we were successful in many aspects that Gawad Kalinga has been known for - that is of building relationships and nurturing this with the GK beneficiaries. There is no one-time dole out nor plain outreach. There is a cemented relationship that can last for a long time.

Day 4's activities did a lot of relationship building and a lot of eating and dancing too.

Here is a slideshow of the lugaw party. Click here for the slideshow

Day 3 : Jewelry Making, Cockroaches and Paper Folding

Youth Build 2008 Version
Marinduque, Philippines

"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles." ~Sonja Henie - Olympian Figure Skating Champ

After the great make over of the Model House, we had enough time to plan our next afternoon's sessions with the Manangs and the kids.

Last year, Therese started with the basics of Jewelry design and vowed to bring back more beads using her influence and charisma to come up with a give-back project called "A Bag of Beads". She collected extra supply of beads from her classmates and had it shipped to Marinduque including pliers and magnifying lenses.

Our job is to follow through her legacy and review the manangs of their learned skills from last year. We were not disappointed. They were able to churn out as much jewelry from the supply given and were ready to go primetime with their finished products that they planned to sell in the bayan for Php 15 each. I had a grand plan of getting them financed through orders from Canada. The quality and workmanship is good and of course it's all for a good cause.

Let's see.

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We had a scare in the middle of the afternoon as Ruby had swollen arms and was breaking out from her right temple, nose and lips. Apparently she was bitten by a cockroach which prompted me to bring her to a doctor, fearing that it could be more than what we think it was. I asked her if she wanted to go home the next day so that she can get treated by a real city doctor. She agreed to stay if she will not get chills or feverish. She was given meds by the doctor, and we have to move out from our newly painted house to a resort across the street.

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Ruby's will to continue and her tenacity to finish the build sked and spend as much time with the kids was admirable. She inspired us to do more that afternoon and provide more quality time with the kids. Eliza volunteered to share her paper folding skills, giving each kid, numbering to almost 40, a paper crane each.

Tired after all morning of painting, fulfilled to see that the manangs can create masterpieces from their own hands, anxious with what bit Ruby, and happy to be around the kids til late in the night, all in one day.

It ended with an afternoon dip and night swimming. A well deserved treat for all the hardwork, and to take away the anxiety and trauma of a cockroach bite :(


Day 3 slideshow is here