ERNIE MAIPID, JR.
Far from building houses for the poor where GAWAD KALINGA (GK) started some 25 years back, the mission of GK has metamorphosed into liberating the poor from their captivity that they are limited, useless and without a future.
This, GK has dedicated itself to through Giving Care, exactly what the name GAWAD KALINGA means.
The work of Kalinga starts with a volunteer heart that seeks the poor. Yes, GK goes to poor communities. They don’t ask the poor to see them in the office. They go to where they are – their humble abodes, their plantation fields, their community centers. GK workers are busy daily moving around where the poor move.
This response of bringing presence to where there is absence, is the heart of mission – like the Biblical shepherd looking for the one lost sheep. The GK mission is very much faith-founded.
Once a connection has been established, relationships are built and deepened to the level of family, where these find strong roots resulting in sturdy communities where the poor learn to seek each other out and work together for their common good.
The whole concept of ‘caring’ is embodied in a philosophy of mentoring, where unlike what we understand of the term, a mentee chooses a mentor; in GK, mentoring covers the entirety of caring that GK makes available to the poor it serves. In this posture, mentors go seeking mentees.
There are 10 aspects of mentoring formation that accompany this transformation journey. First is the perspective of Blessed to Bless. GK embraces its mission as from God, Who calls and equips. Next is the consciousness of GK as a mission, An Invitation to Journey. This come-on is an opening to discovery of another’s world and relationship-building.
Third is Come & See, from Christ’s very invitation to those who sought His person. The genuineness and authenticity of purpose and intent of the GK mission is established here. Following this is the mentoring experience of Giving & Receiving, which best describes the exchange of two lives. The fifth session centers on Listening From & Within the Heart, which truly captures the truth of mission purpose.
From the finding of purpose, a response is invited. The process of Discerning a Response follows, highlighting the guidance of prayer. The clarification process is then embodied in The Courage to Ask, where the dare to understand doubts, misgivings, and questions to respond fully, wholly and intentionally to the demands of mission find answers.
The Hand of God acknowledges the influence of the Spirit in all of GKs movements. Into the Deep then seeks to capture the dive that we are emboldened to undertake discovering the faith that fires the GK process. All these find wholeness in The Mentor’s Prayer, where we ask that we follow in the path He took, Mentoring us, Caring for us: Journeying with us. Holding our hand. Assuring us. Cheering us. Holding us from a fall. Giving us reason to try again. Never tiring of us. And believing that if we can, we will.
This is at the heart of GK’s presence among the poor all over the country – a gentle presence that speaks quietly of care, strength and courage in our bid to end the poor’s poverty.
NOTE: PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF DARLENE PATILANO, EMAN VITOR, MARK GOMEZ, ANGEL ESPINO, AND CHRISTIAN SERVANDE.
I thought I recognized Jess Lorenzo, a youth volunteer in GK when I was a full-time volunteer in CFC and GK in 90s and the 2000s. He and his mom Sonia, now gone, are kindred spirits. They’re both patriots, always giving of themselves to their countrymen. Mayor (of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija) Sonia gave me a ride one day, from.a GK meeting in Ateneo. Feel privileged to have known both of them.