The Significance of Sharing our Blessings with Bahay Aruga (Service Learning - Post Event Reflection)

                                                                                   
Weekends are special  days that we all look forward to so we can be with our loved ones, family and friends. However, we should also find time to reach out to our other brothers and sisters in Christ and be men and women for others.

On Sunday, June 25,2017 was the  appointed "special day" that our DLSU MBA group for our Leadership, Ethics and CSR class converged  as  a team to share our blessings at Bahay Aruga in San Marcelino Manila.

Our DLSU MBA Team.
 First row, from left to right: Jennilyn, Zyrine, Marichu, Anne, Salia, Josh. Second row, from left to right: Liza, Mark and Apryl.

Bahay Aruga is a half-way house for pediatric cancer patients. Bahay Aruga  is the vernacular for shelter care. This is a place opened  because of the good heart of the founder, Ms. Mayette Bonilla. As Ms. Bonilla was not able to share her detailed stories about the founding of Bahay Aruga, I have gathered from  an article in the Manila Bulletin dated January 3, 2016,  by Monch Misagal that " It was Bonilla's exposure to a few relatives who succumbed to cancer that got her into thinking of putting up Bahay Aruga. Her niece and nephew died of brain tumor; a cousin died of breast cancer; and she lost her sister -in-law to leukemia. Before establishing Bahay Aruga, Bonilla was a regular donor of medical supplies and equipment to government hospitals and health centers. After she opened that facility two years ago, she relied on the Lord to help her meet the daily expenses and challenges."

Our DLSU MBA Team with family and friends joining us in our Service Learning Activity at Bahay Aruga.

During our "special day with the kids" Ms. Bonilla was busy with some urgent matter, thus we proceeded  at once to start the program with our DLSU MBA Team of nine classmates who also brought three friends, one daughter and one sister to help us in this sharing.

Here are the reflections of my team members as shared in our activity video:

Jennilyn: " The SL activity made me better appreciate life, especially the second life God has blessed me with."

Josh: " Nothing is comparable to what the parents of a child with cancer are going through. Truly blessed to have a day with Bahay Aruga family."

Mark: " It is more than the time spent but how we spent moments of our life to be with them and I think I just touched some of angel's hands."

Marichu: " It is not just the tangible gifts that you give but it is the joy in their hearts that you bring in .... Bahay Aruga experience was indeed a mission of extending the  young children's happy moments. #MissionFulfilled #HappytoServe"

Zyrine: " Spending time with the kids at Bahay Aruga made me realized that we should make time to do such activity more often. Happy to see cheerful and hopeful kids."

Liza: " We have our burdens which turns into blessings. At first sight it might be seen oblique but God is working towards our renewed life with Him. Keep the faith."

Salia: " This beyond words, let's continue helping the kids in our own little way."

Anne: " I was amazed by the strength of spirit and joyful hearts that our little friends at Bahay Aruga have shown us during our special day with them.  I will continue to pray for their healing and early recovery so they can truly be happy with their loved ones."

The DLSU MBA Team with the kids and their families.

Significance of the Games for the Kids:
The games that we have conducted for the kids
signified our heartfelt wishes and prayers

The Games Team posing for the camera with the game's winner.
 Standing from left to right: Sahlia, Anne, Liza and Marichu

for them to live a happy and memorable
lives. The games and the prizes that we have brought  were all meant for the children to enjoy and have fun. We know that they are in pain and are suffering because of the serious ailment that they have. But because of the joy and happiness that we have given them on that special day with them, we know  that even for a moment, they have forgotten about their conditions and have appreciated the time that we have spent with them. Likewise, we consider it a privilege for us that they were available to meet them personally and have fun with us especially those who are celebrating their birthdays in June.

The healthy snacks and cake served to the kids.

Significance of the Healthy Snacks and Birthday Cake: The healthy snacks that our Food Team prepared where all well thought of. We served bread slices with strawberry jam, fresh bananas, slices of cake and juices. All of these signified that we wish them healthy long lives, free from sickness and sufferings. These snacks also offers them a refreshing and healthy choice of food as we saw boxes of instant noodles in a nearby area.The birthday cake which was donated by one of the generous friends of one of the team members, signified long life for all of them and that we want them to continuously celebrate their birthdays until they reached their  old age. We want them to  count the many long years that they will still be enjoying together with their loved ones, family and friends.

Gardening Activity

Significance of Planting Activity: Ms. Bonilla requested for our final activity to be the planting of  vegetables for the vertical garden.  She wants us to plant vegetable seeds with the children so that we can have additional interaction with them. She wants the kids to experience how to tend and grow a garden while they are at Bahay Aruga. This signified hopefulness which all of us wants to leave with the children. We taught them how to plant the different vegetable seeds and then water them afterwards. We told them that they have to take care and water the seeds everyday. If they do this everyday then the seeds will grow and they can harvest and cook them. This will give them something to look forward to and remove their minds from their worries.

All of these activities were very significant to all of the team members and the children as these enjoyable activities bonded us together and the memories that were created will be in our hearts forever. Hopefully God will grant all our hearts wishes and prayers for all of our new small friends to be healed and live normal happy lives once again. May God bless us all!

Our Team's Donations

Our team has prepared and compiled a video of our sharing and reflections. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4v8rDmY3fM