One of the most memorable activities this summer was Padayon, a youth leadership camp sponsored by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) and Young Artists Fellowship for the Environment (YAFE), and coordinated in part by US Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). This was the fourth year of JCI/YAFE/PC Padayon, and it was held at my site. Six PCVs came to guide the leadership training for 14 youth, from my center GCM, from GCMTS our affiliated school, and from much wealthier communities in Manila. All the youth slept, ate, and bathed at our school, GCMTS, in true camp-style for the week. After a two-day leadership training, the youth “delegates” organized and led a 4-day camp for children living in the community. As the host of the event, I was especially able to observe the going-ons of the week.
Here are a few of my observations and theories.
1. When youth from poor backgrounds and limited education are placed together in a camp-setting with wealthier youth, fluent in English and vocal about their needs and problems, it initially causes a strange and uncomfortable power dynamic. This was our situation. Six youth from GCM, mostly from the very poor mountainous indigenous peoples, plus three shy but kind and hardworking GCMTS students, plus five intelligent, thriving, and proud youth from Manila, of moderate to quite wealthy backgrounds, equals a strange situation. The first day, the kids stayed within their comfort zones; through games and discussions and meals, they ate in their three distinct groups. The second day of training focused on team building activities, really difficult thought-provoking, body-intensive team building that forced the youth out of their shells and forced them to work together. The divisions of the classes, the three groups, were still distinctive, but becoming less so. But the lines did not really begin to blur until the underdogs, the lower classes, were given a chance to shine. I had predicted that once the children arrived for the day-camp, those GCM and GCMTS kids would start to become the leaders they were training to be. And, indeed my theory was true. Such was the power of Padayon.
2. The power of a comprehensive leadership activity is that, by the end of the event, backgrounds and histories do not matter. The only thing that matters is the great sense of accomplishment and bonding felt by members. When it was time for the delegates (from GCM, GCMTS, and Manila) to part, even the boys were left with damp eyes. From a group so segregated it made me anxious, they had become a group so thoroughly united in their experiences and successes over a mere week that they couldn’t bear the thought of possibly never seeing one another again. This was the power of Padayon.
3. A sense of empowerment is crucial for building self esteem, and empowerment is done best if personalized. This is best described by an example. Her name is Esperanza, and she was an unlikely candidate for this year’s Padayon. A resident at GCM, she was reserved and generally not very participatory. She floated under the radar for a year, as unremarkable and undistinguished. One life skills class, however, I noticed Espie, really noticed her for the first time. Her group was requested to present a role play on a topic, and all members were acting sluggish and dull. Whether out of sheer frustration or actual interest, Espie stood up, gathered them, instructed and organized them, and led the role play on her own. After that moment, I began watching Espie. I watched that whenever she smiled she hid her face behind a hand, book, anything to cover the fact that her four front teeth were missing. I watched that she rarely laughed, and hesitated to speak up during life skills or school classes, but that she would often whisper ideas to her friends who would speak for her. Of course she had friends, but I noticed that no one really seemed to notice Espie. So, I suggested she be one of the Padayon delegates. My supervisor was initially doubtful of her abilities, but gave way to my persistence and allowed Esperanza to be a part of Padayon.
For the first day and a half of Padayon, the part where the delegates were in the classroom learning what it means to be a leader, Esperanza could not have been more obstinate. She was clearly not happy being put on the spot, and took a great deal of warming-up to. During a number of activities she actually hid behind others, or walked out of the circle because she did not want to participate. The staff were sometimes a bit brusque with her, choosing not to see this as a deep-rooted problem of comfort level and self-esteem, but as sheer attitude without reason. Thankfully, one Peace Corps Volunteer was able to see through the attitude, and on the second night she finally went to have a talk with Esperanza.
I so admired that PCV’s courage in simply approaching and having a conversation with Espie that I, along with other PCVs, was encouraged to do the same. We discovered that, as predicted, Esperanza was sensitive about her teeth and that no, she did not feel beautiful. We listened, and we guided her, reminding her of her successes over just two days, and tried to help her to see that she was a beautiful person, teeth or no teeth. No person will be convinced so easily, but the mere fact that she was being encouraged rather than held in the background or worse, blamed and yelled at, began to have a positive effect on her. By the third day, I observed that when Espie went to speak in front of the group of delegates, she did not hold her hand over her mouth. And, by the time the day-camp had started, Esperanza was holding her own, leading around children through games and dancing with a coy grin on her face.
I wish I could say it was that easy, that she was a changed girl after that, but these things take time. But the fact that this girl, so clearly uncomfortable in her own (beautiful) skin, had taken steps to be a part of the group and later on to serve as a leader for the children of the day-camp, well those were small steps in a lifetime but hugely celebrated by her loving fans.
One night, one of the volunteers was talking to Espie about the possibility of getting prosthetic teeth, implants or removal prostheses. The price, we discovered, was a mere few thousand pesos at most, a sum of money any of us volunteers would have easily given up at that point for Esperanza. We continued to discuss the possibility, and finally settled on a plan. If Esperanza was able to demonstrate that she had truly learned leadership skills from Padayon, by serving as a leader at GCM home and while at school, we would sponsor her to get prosthetic teeth after my Peace Corps service had ended. This way, she would already have increased her self-confidence, and the teeth would merely be an added bonus to make her physical self match her newly-blossomed insides. Espie was thrilled, and assured us with a broad smile that she loved the idea and would live up to her end of the deal.
Life resumed after Padayon. Children went back to school, and old routines returned. However, the other day I strolled in to work to find Esperanza staring at me with a goofy, unbroken grin on her face. When she opened her mouth to tell me what was so darn happy on this gloomy, rainy day, it became immediately obvious. She had teeth! She had four, beautiful, straight front teeth, gleaming in her broad smile like stars. She had asked her father for help, and he had paid the 800 pesos (less than $20) for her to get prostheses. And that smile, it was endless and so contagious! I walked around work with my head happily in the clouds the rest of the day, absolutely amazed that this bashful girl had summoned the courage to confront her fears, and ask for help. That was the power of Padayon…
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The other highlights of my summer dull in contrast to the lessons and stories that Padayon encompassed, but they were also a lot of fun! I’ll include some pictures to make them seem fun to you as well. Grace Christian Mission’s annual Sports Fest is held every summer, as a chance for our 70 kids to compete with one another in Talent/Skills contests, ball games, “parlor” games, and native Filipino games. My favorite part of this exciting 3 or 4 day festival, besides of course observing the children having the time of their lives, is watching the native games. From tumbang lata to patintero, these games always shine in comparison to the others.
Tumbang lata is a game played with a lata or can. The can is placed inside a small circle, and a sandal, a chinelas, is placed on top of the can. One person from the defending team guards the lata while players from the opposing team try to knock the sandal off the can and the can out of the circle. Doing so scores a point. The defender must replace the can and sandal back in the circle before opposing members have had a chance to grab their own sandal and return to the starting line, where they can attempt to score more points. If a player is tagged by the defender, however, in this attempt to return to the start, well then the teams switch sides and the game continues.
Another favorite to watch is called luksong tinik. This is a game to basically test how high can you jump. In one version, it involves simply raising a rope higher and higher to see who can clear the rope without touching it. The more fun version involves the opponents serving as the rope. Two opponents sit facing one another, legs spread in front of themselves, one foot on top of the other foot. Once a player has cleared this height, they add another foot, then another, and then the hands. Players attempt to jump over this mess of feet and hands without touching them. Very entertaining in a biting-your-lip kind of way.
One of the most common Filipino games is called Sipa. It is quite simple, and involves a large metal washer or coin, through which small pieces of plastic rope or string have been tied. In hacky-sack fashion, the sipa must be kept in the air by a series of hits from the elbow or foot. Whichever player can keep the sipa in the air the most number of hits without it dropping to the ground is the winner.
That was Sports Fest this year! 
Our other main activity was a field trip to Manila with all the GCM kids. Visited a children's museum, aquarium, and park. Considering the fact that a normal day does not involve the kids leaving the street, let alone the barangay or going to Manila, they had a blast just being able to go out for the day. Best part was getting our feet cleaned by Doctor Fish, tiny fish that eat the dead skin off your feet!! Very very ticklish!!
Now, another school year. My schedule has returned to normal, for a while at least. Next month will be busy and fun, consisting of a trip to Thailand (yahoo!!!), an HIV/AIDS training of trainers, and our Peace Corps Close-of-Service conference (since our service technically ends in November, but I am unofficially and off the record extending my service until end of March).
And… that’s that for now!
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