GK and Rambo
The moment we entered the GK Brookside in Quezon City as part of the Immersion Trip of GK News Bureau Volunteers last May 14, 2004, we were welcomed by greetings coming from the residents of the area. With smiles, children playing in the alleys and the parents who gathered around in that Saturday morning, gleefully greets us “good morning”.
We were then oriented by the CFC Caretaker team of the site, Tito Jerry and Tita Malyn Alonzo, of the development and the history of the Brookside. Starting from the relocation of scavengers who used to live in the core of Quezon City, they were first brought to Bulacan but due to its far location, they force to live in this side of suburbs beside the brook side of a well known subdivision.
It was through the effort of Sister Mary of Mercy that they were taken care of and eventually through the collaboration with CFC and Gawad Kalinga, they were able to transform the said squatter colony into a small haven of bliss.
As we stroll the pave alleys of GK Brookside, the 37.9 degrees heat of the sun doesn’t hampered us to visit the decent houses painted with rainbow colors, school building (now houses the Stella Maris annex school intended for the students in that depressed area) and library (with computers and printer), clinic (ready to accommodate any baby’s delivery), playing grounds and courts, multi-purpose hall, chapel and small parks that will truly help them to build–up their sense self worthiness and give them the pride of living in a peaceful and productive environment. All of these were made possible through the partnership and unity of many corporations, institutions and individuals, local and abroad, who were touched and contagiously infected with the spirit of bayanihan and heroism.
During the orientation, we were awed by the site development plan of GK Brookside and how it become what it is now considered as the model of all GK sites. What touches us more is when two of its residents shared their stories. They are the parents of Rambo.
(May 14, 2005 happened to be the Lord’s Day Celebration of UST - Sto. Domingo CLP. One of the groups who will perform is the group that I’m handling in our CLP. And my group prepared a gag-con-newscasting-program. When I edit the script made originally by one of our participant, weeks before the Lord’s Day, I added there the portion of Rambo being interviewed about his condition living in the squatters’ area and their relocation in a new GK house. Little that I know, two weeks after that script preparation, I’ll be able to meet personally Rambo’s parents, and directly straight from their mouth reaffirms their plight before).
Mang Rolan told us how faithful God is to him. Despite of being a drug dependent for many times and giving so much pain to Aling Cora, his wife and their children, physically and emotionally, he was able to transform himself into a responsible father and husband. After being confined into a center for some months, Aling Cora took charge of rearing their children and courageously struggles for their daily living. Aling Cora narrated to us how she and her son Rambo pushes their cart under the rain in the wee hours of the morning, searching and collecting things from the garbage that can be sold in junk shop. Rambo would tell her mother why at that very moment they were scavenging for their living while others were already in their home tucked in and sound asleep. Aling Cora thinks and shares the same as with Rambo, and their tears would both fall down along with the rain in their faces. It breaks my heart hearing such plight of these mother and son.
After Rambos’ father was rehabilitated, they found themselves sheltered in GK Brookside. Mang Rolan and Aling Cora now serve the community in Couples For Christ, while Rambo continues his studies as a scholar. Although they still have their life’s struggle, there are now living decently and with restored dreams and dignity.
GK Brookside and many other GK sites in our country tells many different stories of ups and downs, of broken hopes but restored pride and dreams through the help of many souls. Detailed stories of pains and struggles that sometimes cannot be capture by cameras and videos can only be written and documented by paper and ink. And these are the challenge for everyone to become the herald of these stories, to inspire and become the living witness of how unity and bayanihan can transform the community of the depressed into a heaven of peace and development. This is GK. And we are called to become part of it.
We were then oriented by the CFC Caretaker team of the site, Tito Jerry and Tita Malyn Alonzo, of the development and the history of the Brookside. Starting from the relocation of scavengers who used to live in the core of Quezon City, they were first brought to Bulacan but due to its far location, they force to live in this side of suburbs beside the brook side of a well known subdivision.
It was through the effort of Sister Mary of Mercy that they were taken care of and eventually through the collaboration with CFC and Gawad Kalinga, they were able to transform the said squatter colony into a small haven of bliss.
As we stroll the pave alleys of GK Brookside, the 37.9 degrees heat of the sun doesn’t hampered us to visit the decent houses painted with rainbow colors, school building (now houses the Stella Maris annex school intended for the students in that depressed area) and library (with computers and printer), clinic (ready to accommodate any baby’s delivery), playing grounds and courts, multi-purpose hall, chapel and small parks that will truly help them to build–up their sense self worthiness and give them the pride of living in a peaceful and productive environment. All of these were made possible through the partnership and unity of many corporations, institutions and individuals, local and abroad, who were touched and contagiously infected with the spirit of bayanihan and heroism.
During the orientation, we were awed by the site development plan of GK Brookside and how it become what it is now considered as the model of all GK sites. What touches us more is when two of its residents shared their stories. They are the parents of Rambo.
(May 14, 2005 happened to be the Lord’s Day Celebration of UST - Sto. Domingo CLP. One of the groups who will perform is the group that I’m handling in our CLP. And my group prepared a gag-con-newscasting-program. When I edit the script made originally by one of our participant, weeks before the Lord’s Day, I added there the portion of Rambo being interviewed about his condition living in the squatters’ area and their relocation in a new GK house. Little that I know, two weeks after that script preparation, I’ll be able to meet personally Rambo’s parents, and directly straight from their mouth reaffirms their plight before).
Mang Rolan told us how faithful God is to him. Despite of being a drug dependent for many times and giving so much pain to Aling Cora, his wife and their children, physically and emotionally, he was able to transform himself into a responsible father and husband. After being confined into a center for some months, Aling Cora took charge of rearing their children and courageously struggles for their daily living. Aling Cora narrated to us how she and her son Rambo pushes their cart under the rain in the wee hours of the morning, searching and collecting things from the garbage that can be sold in junk shop. Rambo would tell her mother why at that very moment they were scavenging for their living while others were already in their home tucked in and sound asleep. Aling Cora thinks and shares the same as with Rambo, and their tears would both fall down along with the rain in their faces. It breaks my heart hearing such plight of these mother and son.
After Rambos’ father was rehabilitated, they found themselves sheltered in GK Brookside. Mang Rolan and Aling Cora now serve the community in Couples For Christ, while Rambo continues his studies as a scholar. Although they still have their life’s struggle, there are now living decently and with restored dreams and dignity.
GK Brookside and many other GK sites in our country tells many different stories of ups and downs, of broken hopes but restored pride and dreams through the help of many souls. Detailed stories of pains and struggles that sometimes cannot be capture by cameras and videos can only be written and documented by paper and ink. And these are the challenge for everyone to become the herald of these stories, to inspire and become the living witness of how unity and bayanihan can transform the community of the depressed into a heaven of peace and development. This is GK. And we are called to become part of it.
posted by The Chronicler at 4:08 AM
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