Yesterday, we finally had to end what we started—to harvest what we planted and sow the beauty of our actions. The fourteen days of the CFS initiative ended yesterday, but the last four days were not included in my series of CFS blogs because I was absent due to my fever.
To bid farewell to our beautiful little young ones in the camp, we planned to have a culmination day in the same tent with all facilitators from day 1 to day 14 gathered.
We made a program that would be the best of all programs we had ever made to make sure the kids were happy with our prepared activities and prizes. All facilitators had their own tasks so that the planning and preparation would be completed before 1:00 P.M. Everything, including prizes, snacks, juices, clothes, and loot bags, was finished and placed in the tent before the start of the program.
Our program started with a dancing activity—not to stimulate the minds of the children, but to entertain them at the very first moment of our program. It was not written, but Demon Hunter was the main theme of our program; hence, we danced to Golden and other iconic songs from this Korean animated series.
We also had a Freedom Wall activity where the children and facilitators were given sticky notes and asked to write a message for themselves. The message should be dedicated to the one writing, and we shared it within our own group while the other groups had theirs too. I had four kids in my group with @vivediary as my co-facilitator.
Afterwards, we chose one among the four who would represent our group and share his or her note in front of everyone. One by one, we listened to the kids from each group share their lovely and kind words for themselves, explaining to us why they had written them. It inspired the children and evoked a sense of hope within the tent.
We actually almost forgot about the certificates for the participating students, but we remembered them the night before. Even if it was late, it still gave us some time.
On the day of the culmination, we gave the certificates of appreciation to the kids to honor their participation and acknowledge their efforts and interest in joining the program—which made them the heart of it, letting us know them deeply through our designed activities.
This is our little family of growing and joyous kids whom I will always bring with me in all places I will visit as I make sense of my program in psychology.
Right after the program, which ended with the giving of certificates, we distributed the loot bags, souvenirs, and clothes we prepared for them.
The kids lined up excitedly, but some of them said they were also sad to line up since that would be the last time they would see us. But since we gave food, they still lined up chaotically. The girls were assigned to the souvenirs and food while others facilitated in keeping the line smooth until everyone received their share.
This was us beside them, assigned to distribute the juices. A DSWD facilitator also assisted us to make everything faster since the kids were already flocking behind me.
Then we opened two boxes of clothes for all genders. The kids just had to choose what could fit them and leave what couldn’t so that others would still be able to use them.
This little girl I facilitated from the start chose a lot of clothes and was very happy to be wearing a new set of dress in the camp while playing.
Everyone was happy and full of smiles as we ended our culminating activity. Some left after they had their food and juice, while some stayed to have small talks with us, savoring the moment while our paths still met.
I hope to be facilitating kids in the camp again soon since MERCY Malaysia said they would be training some of us for one week and then deploying us once a week in the following weeks. Only those who passed their assessment for facilitation would be given an opportunity to be trained by their organization, and I wish to be part of it.
As I close this chapter and milestone, I carry with me the echoes of laughter, the warmth of little hugs from the kids, and the quiet strength of children who have endured so much yet still found reasons to smile. The camp may have ended, but the lessons, love, and hope we shared will keep living within the walls of our hearts and in the stories we will continue to tell wherever life brings us—to do what we are meant to do. In that very little tent of CFS in San Remigio, a story was written by these children, and we continue to be carriers of this narrative, bringing it to light and using it as inspiration in all the days ahead.
You and your team are doing such a very helpful camp for the children that were victims of the earthquake. They may have different stories on how they got scared but your camping help them to overcome and still be brave and smile .