So visiting the slums, or even acknowledging poverty in general, you realize a few things. The only things that matter are physiological needs, and very few safety needs. When you live with almost nothing, you have to think about what you're going to eat, drink, if your house is going to fall on you, where is your family going to sleep, etc. Very basic needs, no more than that, since life is literally money source to money source, and nothing was stable.
I visited my first Gawad Kalinga village today. I saw pictures online, the buildings are so incredibly bright, and compared to the slums, the ground was better and cleaner. All around, the Gawad Kalinga Village is a significant improvement over the slums. The houses are sturdier, the environment is cleaner, there's more opportunities for livelihoods and education for the many, many children. When we got there, I was in awe. It was like a beautiful community. When we got to the main square, I was totally floored. I wanted to leap out of the car and run to the incredible group of Drum and Lyre Corps, who were performing because Tony Olaes and our group were coming to visit.
The Drum and Lyre Corps was made up of students, ranged 8-16 years old, and they had 2 bass drums, 1 cymbalist, 2 tri-drums, and 4 snares, all the players were boys. A large amount of girls were on lyres and bells, and they were all playing, together. There was a little girl on a lyre and her mallet head flew off. She sighed, took off her lyre, and picked it up. I was so proud. If anyone knows me from band, breaking mallets like that is almost a rite of passage in my mind.
The music was cohesive, and incredible. I was in such awe, I had no idea that music was a priority in their education. IN ADDITION TO THIS GROUP OF MUSICIANS, WAS 7 GUARD KIDS. I'm not kidding. Guard babies. There was this FABULOUS boy named Mathew, performing his little heart out at the front of the performance. They had types of uniforms, but nothing really uniform. OH MAN I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THEM ABOUT WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BEFORE THIS POINT. I got to talk to all of them, and even though only about 3 kids could understand me, I felt so happy to be able to connect with them on a performance level. They were so welcoming and so awesome.
Upon being able to talk to these kids, I was overwhemed with such pride for them because they are all doing something that I have been doing all through high school and the fact that they were happy and enjoying it and planning to continue it made me so proud. The whole time I was watching them and interacting with them, I was struck with a powerful need to come back, and live with them for a month, and teach them everything I know about guard and percussion. I'm not an expert, but I could teach them so much more. I fangirled hard over these kids.
They handmade everything. I asked where their instruments came from, and the conductor told me he has a business making these instruments. The drums weren't uniform, and the mallets didn't match, but they made music together and enjoyed doing it. The guard flags were about arm's length, and they were hand made and taped. The uniforms were borrowed, and they want more than anything to just have a set uniform for everyone. That really spoke to me. I know that Filipinos ask for things often, but the fact that these people went from living in the worst environment ever to a small safe haven in the middle of craziness really gives me hope.
When visiting the slums, the people knew that they could do so much more, and so much better, but they didn't have the options or ability to. But in the Gawad Kalinga village, they reached this point where they are able to provide their own physiological needs, and safety needs, and now they can think about livelihoods, music, other things. These kids are so happy, and they're going to grow up so smart and incredible just because they live in a better community than most, and they have the options of learning music or guard. I connected. I fell in love. This is amazing.
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