Eskermos
12:41 PMBeing the youngest child, maybe, is the reason why kids just have a special space in my heart. Today with the help of my crazy friends, I met an amazing child named... KIMO.
Several feet away from me, I saw a boy wearing a white-turned-dirty-white printed shirt matching with his long khaki shorts (or is it jeans?!) and a boat slippers (crocs style) full of mud. Around 7-9 years old, looking at us then looking away and two girls with him wearing a black shirt with Project Pearls print doing the same thing. After sometime of waiting at our meet place, others friends alighted from the cab and straight away fired "hi's and hello's" to the kids. Little did I know there were our guides...
Little Ways Project: Hapag Project (a feeding program) was organize by the mastermind, Lance. We partnered with Project PEARLS who focus outreach efforts in Ulingan, Tondo. It's a slum area in Tondo which sits on a dumpsite and surrounded with charcoal factories where most if not all make a living in these factories, and yes, including children (and can you believe children as young as 3??). They've started the initiative just this January and can only provide meals for the children once a week, every Saturday morning, due to limited funds. As we all know feeding program meals usually consists of bread, fruit and hot porridge. We give them not just an ordinary porridge. We give them a handsome bowl of white corn porridge which is really formulated for malnourished children especially to those in third world countries. In short the meal is good for the bone, brain and immune system.
This actually is a dream come true for me. Before I thought all of this are solely for rich people, celebrities and people with overflowing cash on their pockets. That's why I deeply appreciate my friends who showed me how a small portion of my hard earned money can mean a lot.
The path going to the Project Pearls hide out isn't an easy one. Due to non-stop rain all through out the week, mud are partying all over the place. Though we were advised to wear rain boots, we still rode on our favorite sneakers and flats.
Our little guides lead the way, and as we go on, then I realize that the slums are for real. Houses are like matchbox and people are looking as if we were from outer space. Some guys are walking around without any shirt on while holding a liquor bottle in one hand, drunk early that Saturday morning. While for the females, most of them are taking care of their kids while doing their house chores in their little cramped living space.
While I'm discreetly observing my surrounding a little guy walked side by side with me. I recognize him at once, he's one of our little guides. "Hello!", that was the first thing I said. He looked at me, and with those squint-y innocent eyes, he smiled and answered back, "Hello po!". I asked for his name, however I didn't understand. It's a very unique name that I asked him to spell it for me... E-S-K-E-R-M-O-S... "Ooooohhh! Eskermos!" Different ei?! But he said that we can call him Kimo (cute!). He said that his father thought about his name and he doesn't know the reason behind it. I put my arms to his little shoulders and ask few more questions, like, if he's studying?, what grade is he in?, his age, his siblings?.
Kimo is a ten year old boy but it seems that he's small for his age. He's in third grade and one of the scholars of Project Pearls. He has 12 siblings and when I asked him if he's the youngest, eldest or the middle child, he doesn't know.
After sometime about 15-20 minutes, we reached our destination. My favorite worn out sneakers is now covered with mud, but I just don't care. This was long over due, all that matters now are the kids staring innocently at us, as if waiting to be cuddled and hug, and a muddy sneakers is a nonsense at all.
As we arrive we were welcomed by the regular volunteers of Project PEARLS, headed by Sir Juan, brother of the founder, Melissa. It was just like a small pre-school or day care room, you'll have a black board on the other end and, on the side a wall shelf that contains several kiddie books and then tables are pushed on the side, with some big pots. Sooo here's where the feeding program come in...
Everything was set for the feeding program except the food that needs to be put in colorful cups to be distributed. We give a hand to the regular volunteers in preparing the food, and then several volunteers came in carrying two big plastic container full of bread. We were told that it was from Bread Talk China Town, they donate their unsold bread from yesterday. I joined the guys who packed the bread. We broke the bread in half since the kids can't finish one. We're almost done with the packing when someone hugged me from behind. Little dirty hands wrap around my waist, when I turned around, Eskermos with his wide smile. I found the gesture very cute and I thought that it's his way to show his gratitude.
I noticed that he has this a scar on his forehead not the Harry Potter kind of scar, it somewhere on the right side of his forehead just above his eyebrow. It got me curious because it seems that the wound was deep, (well base on the scar, since it is somehow big) I learned that he fell in a sewerage. Tsss... Tsss..
From feeding program, some grocery donations for each scholars, brain boosters (where we do coloring), and fun games as well, Eskermos was everywhere, and everytime he sees me he'll run to me, hug me or just sit beside me. He's just too sweet!
When I just thought that I'm just ordinary, too ordinary, I don't have an enormous wealth, I'm not a CEO of a big company, I'm not some big star that every one is going gaga about. Realization sink in, I'm not them because I'm me. Even without the wealth, position and fame with the kids smile and warm embrace, I'm still the ordinary me but with the extraordinary life. It's not who you are but what you do.
Eskermos made me realize that with just a simple deed, it can really mean a lot. It can change lives. We are here to serve one another. I may not change Kimo's life (maybe just a tiny bit) but meeting him changed my life. Thank you Kimo!
Kimo is a ten year old boy but it seems that he's small for his age. He's in third grade and one of the scholars of Project Pearls. He has 12 siblings and when I asked him if he's the youngest, eldest or the middle child, he doesn't know.
After sometime about 15-20 minutes, we reached our destination. My favorite worn out sneakers is now covered with mud, but I just don't care. This was long over due, all that matters now are the kids staring innocently at us, as if waiting to be cuddled and hug, and a muddy sneakers is a nonsense at all.
As we arrive we were welcomed by the regular volunteers of Project PEARLS, headed by Sir Juan, brother of the founder, Melissa. It was just like a small pre-school or day care room, you'll have a black board on the other end and, on the side a wall shelf that contains several kiddie books and then tables are pushed on the side, with some big pots. Sooo here's where the feeding program come in...
Everything was set for the feeding program except the food that needs to be put in colorful cups to be distributed. We give a hand to the regular volunteers in preparing the food, and then several volunteers came in carrying two big plastic container full of bread. We were told that it was from Bread Talk China Town, they donate their unsold bread from yesterday. I joined the guys who packed the bread. We broke the bread in half since the kids can't finish one. We're almost done with the packing when someone hugged me from behind. Little dirty hands wrap around my waist, when I turned around, Eskermos with his wide smile. I found the gesture very cute and I thought that it's his way to show his gratitude.
I noticed that he has this a scar on his forehead not the Harry Potter kind of scar, it somewhere on the right side of his forehead just above his eyebrow. It got me curious because it seems that the wound was deep, (well base on the scar, since it is somehow big) I learned that he fell in a sewerage. Tsss... Tsss..
From feeding program, some grocery donations for each scholars, brain boosters (where we do coloring), and fun games as well, Eskermos was everywhere, and everytime he sees me he'll run to me, hug me or just sit beside me. He's just too sweet!
When I just thought that I'm just ordinary, too ordinary, I don't have an enormous wealth, I'm not a CEO of a big company, I'm not some big star that every one is going gaga about. Realization sink in, I'm not them because I'm me. Even without the wealth, position and fame with the kids smile and warm embrace, I'm still the ordinary me but with the extraordinary life. It's not who you are but what you do.
Eskermos made me realize that with just a simple deed, it can really mean a lot. It can change lives. We are here to serve one another. I may not change Kimo's life (maybe just a tiny bit) but meeting him changed my life. Thank you Kimo!
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