I loved CSO activity! :)

              Teachers asked us to get out of the bus because we arrived at the place. I thought they were stopping to ask the route to the people in “sari-sari stores” but we were actually going to feed the children of that location. The moment I arrived the village, it was “baho” and “mainit”. I was shocked that there were groups of people living together in that small area, far down and distant from the technological advancements and cities. I’ve heard from people and watched from documentaries or news about the people from remote areas, but experiencing in the first point of view was certainly overwhelming.

I think because I’ve seen those in TVs and newspapers, I was somehow prepared and aware of these situations. Moreover, I saw the kindness and innocence from people’s smiles. The way they greeted us, the way they smiled at us, the way they thanked us were more than just heart-warming. I was ready and inspired to help them. But at first, I was just eager to distribute food to poor children because that was my duty and responsibility. Then, I figured that I wasn’t just doing my job, I was helping the children from that small village to have a nice, tasty meal for the day. I wasn’t just distributing porridge, I was sharing our MITIS students’ effort and love for the kids. I wasn’t just giving food to random children from random village, I was being their little mom or cook for that short period of time and I was spending a happy breakfast time with the kids from different environment and cultures. When I realized this, I was so deeply moved and motivated. That enlightenment made me open my mind and heart for them. It wasn’t important that they live in a clean, rich, large city, it was important that they were little happy, kind children. Although I couldn’t understand everything they said and they couldn’t understand what I said too, we knew we liked and cared for each other. I even found out the names of the kids. One young girl even followed me and said “I love you” to me when I was leaving. It was such a touching, heart-warming experience. I hope we could spend some of our time to learn outside school for nobility of character and compassionate service, not only inside the classroom with books or papers for academic excellence.

             CSO was truly a very nice activity that inspired me to be a better person as well, not only a better student. However, it seemed like not everyone felt what I felt. It seemed like some people were more affected by the heat and the smell than the love we shared. Except for this little problem, this activity was really helpful to teach me an important, self-willed moral.