An Eye-Opener

I can still remember that day- the day that changed me…

It was in May 2011 and I was having my vacation in our province. Upon surfing the net, a particular post on Facebook caught my attention. It was one of the university-wide organizations in Far Eastern University called the Tamaraw Volunteers (TamVol) and that they were in need of volunteers to assist in the upcoming Brigada Eskwela in Payatas C. Elementary School. I was very hesitant then. I was afraid. I had a very low self-esteem. So many “What ifs?” lurked in my mind.

 “What if I’m not welcome there?”

“What if they’ll laugh at how I look like?”

At last, I got a handful of courage after minutes of thinking and so I texted the organization’s president by saying “I’ll go” though fear still was in me. To ease myself from discomfort, I pleaded my best friend to come along with me and it was a good thing that she said yes. I had a week more to beat the BIG day so I had my flight scheduled two weeks before the supposed date. The day came and off we went bringing rags, paints, newspapers, brooms and extra clothes. After that very day, I was so tired and numbed to some extent that I could barely move my legs. We painted the walls, scrubbed the floor, lifted chairs and arranged them back after, and many more! But after all, I was still smiling! As in big smile! You know that feeling when your body seems like it is tortured yet it is being compensated by something, good deep within that even pain could not match nor surpass? That’s what I felt! I was able to ignore the tiredness because all I was thinking was: “I WAS ABLE TO HELP.”

 Even in my own little ways, I knew I was able to bring a smile to those pupils who used to stay in the classrooms where we cleaned, painted, and everything else that made their room’s ambience livelier. That day on, I realized that there’s nothing wrong to be afraid of, to be ashamed of. As long as your intention is to help and not to hurt others, you’re on the right track.

After that, I got involved in many volunteer activities and youth organizations inside and outside the school. One of those is the Project PEARLS, an organization that helps less fortunate children residing in Ulingan, Tondo Manila. The first time I went there, it was I guess the turning point that gave me the thought of helping more, of giving more, of sharing more. The situation there is beyond my imagination. Young and old alike get used to live in an area plagued with thick smoke coming from nearby factories and of course from the coal that the citizens make for a living. Children are enjoying taking a bath in a sea full of others’ trash. It was way worse than I thought. But you know, after I spent several of my Sundays helping the organization to feed, to educate, to bring hope to those children in spite of their situation, it made me a better person who thinks not towards self-interest, but of the interest and goodness of the masses. It opened my eyes to the real world I never thought really exists. After all, It really feels great when you know that you are contributing to the welfare of the society, that you are playing your role as a part of it. Amazing isn’t it?

As a personal note, I would like to advise my fellows to never hesitate to help. Never get tired of it. Extend an arm if you must. Think not of what you don’t have because even just your time that you devote, it’s already a great assistance. It’s not all about money; it’s about the heart of serving your fellow people who are in need. Be an agent of change in our society. It’s not yet too late. Inspire other people, save our mother nation. At the end of the day, the concerted efforts are for our goodness’ sake.

A CSR Story by: Edwin C. Carpio, BS Accountancy, Far Eastern University