When you volunteer, you already have an idea of what kind of community you wanted to live in. You also have the volition to serve other people because of your unending love for your family, friends and village.
According to Martin Luther King, Jr., a renowned leader of civil rights movement, everybody can be great because anybody can serve. He also said we don’t have to have a college degree to serve. We don’t have to make our subject and our verb agree to serve. We don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. We only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
Volunteerism does not require how much you earned or what degree you’ve finished. If you have the heart and soul to serve, nobody can question your abilities to help others. Even if you cannot read or unable to walk, nobody can stop you to serve.
This is what Barangay San Jose of Donsol, Sorsogon showed when they were given the chance to create improvements in their village.
Barangay San Jose is a 45-minute travel from the Donsol town main business district through “habal-habal” or motorcycle ride, a mode transportation widely used when going to the village. One of barangay’s salient features considering its surroundings is the hanging bridge overlooking its beautiful sparkling river.
Other than its serene environment, the people of Barangay San Jose do not fail to flash their warm smiles as you cross the hanging bridge.
From the bridge, you will see a bamboo raft painted in color green with Balsa (raft) Basa (read) Project signage which is parked by the riverbank.
The raft is used to reach households living along the riverbank to teach children on how to read or improve their comprehension skills.
BALSA BASA PROJECT
Started in 2013, the Balsa Basa Project is a floating school and library to reach children in far-flung areas who cannot go to school or must walk for one-hour just to reach the school. During weekends, students of Barangay San Jose Elementary School called as “little teachers” help fellow children to read. They would bring books, supplies and food when going to the distant neighborhoods.
“Naisipan ko na mag-initiate ng ganitong gawain na mag-volunteer kasi nakita ko yung hirap ng kanilang buhay (I initiate this activity to help communities because I have observed the difficulties they have experienced),” Ryan Homan, 32, head teacher of San Jose Elementary School and founder of Balsa Basa project.
According to Homan, the children who benefitted from this project are also happy to come to school. He also said that they were able to encourage parents to allow their children to study and go to school.
“Nag-increase na yung cooperation ng mga magulang, almost 100% na through Bayanihan system (Parents’ cooperation has increased to almost 100% through collective action),” he added.
Karen Toledo, 13, student of San Jose Elementary School shared her experience as little teacher or volunteer for the project.
“Nagsimula ako maging little teacher nung makita ko yung mga bata na hindi pa masyadong marunong magbasa kaya nagpursige ako na matutong magbasa para ako ang magturo sa kanila (I started as a little teacher because I saw that there are children who don’t know how to read properly so I tried my best to learn reading to teach them),” Toledo recounted.
Toledo also shared her dream as a teacher.
“Gusto ko maging guro katulad ni Sir Ryan na nagtuturo sa mga bata na hindi pa marunong magbasa (I want to be a teacher like Sir Ryan who educates children who doesn’t know how to read),” she explained.
According to Toledo, she became more active as a little teacher because she saw how effective the project to children who wants to learn reading.
Last January, the first Balsa Basa Festival was organized in celebration of 5th anniversary of the project. It is a week-long event recognizing the efforts of the volunteers, parents, teachers and students who contributed to the improvement of their village.
Some of the activities conducted were Karera ng mga Balsa (race using rafts), Street Dancing Competitions, Musikang Pang-Kabataan (Music for Youth), Street Presentation and Motorcade. This is to promote tourism as well as inspire other communities that reading can be made possible even in impoverished villages.
Aside from the floating school and library, the village put up a vegetable garden upon entering the school premises. The vegetables were used during the feeding program of the school.
Located at the center side, a nipa hut was constructed for students when they read books in their free time. To appreciate the beauty of nature, a reading garden was set up for students who love flowers and plants while reading their books. On the other hand, a ship-like classroom called “Bangkaaraman” was built to cater to students in kindergarten on learning the letters of the Alphabet.
HELPING AS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER
To further help the village, Homan is also the Barangay Sub-Project Management Committee (BSPMC) chairman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS).
DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS is a poverty alleviation program which uses the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach to empower barangays or municipalities in achieving improved access to services and to participate in more inclusive local planning, budgeting and implementation.
The community experienced difficulties in traveling because of their muddy terrain. Seeing this as a need to solve, the village members decided to construct a concrete pathway through the program.
According to Homan, it was very tough to encourage people to volunteer for this kind of endeavor.
“Mahirap mag-convince, naghahanap buhay sila kaya wala silang time (It is difficult to convince people because they are working so they don’t have time for other activities),” he explained.
But the teacher realized that we only need one person to initiate the project to persuade others in helping for the community.
“Kailangan lang na may isang tao na mag-iinitiate ng isang aktibidad para maraming tao ang gumaya (We only need one person to start the activity so that many people will join),” the BSPMC chairman advised.
“May naka-kwentuhan akong nanay, willing siya na mag-volunteer kasi ang sarap sa pakiramdam na makatulong sa isang gawain nang libre para sa komunidad (I had talked with a mother and she is willing to volunteer because it is fulfilling to help for free in an activity that will improve our community),” he continued.
To Homan, it is important to inculcate to fellow citizens and youth the spirit of volunteerism.
“Nagkaroon ng mindset tungkol sa pag-vovolunteer na ito ay isang napakagandang kaugalian na i-inculcate sa mga ka-baryo at kabataan kasi ito lang yung kaugaliang Pilipino na ipagmamalaki natin para mapadali ang ating gawain at maging successful ang ating activity (The community realized that the spirit of volunteerism is a good value to instill to fellow barrio folks and youth because it is one of the values of a Filipino we can boast of for the success of any activity),” Homan stated. /ramsertan/
About DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS
Sorsogon has implemented Kalahi-CIDSS in 14 municipalities with a total implementation grant of Php 649,008,985.02 and local counterpart contribution of Php 14,435,890.96 from barangay and municipal local government units (LGUs) to fund community-managed sub-projects.
DSWD had allocated Donsol with Php 62,554,951.58 with a counterpart from the LGU of Php 468,806.00.
The construction of 450-meter concrete pathway has a total project cost of Php 572,588.00 which benefitted 35 households.
For more details about DSWD Kalahi-CIDSS, follow this link: