Making it Real Global XChange Youth Volunteers Dare the Impossible

CEBU, Philippines - The older generations have this perception that the youth of today are the lost generation. “Naughty and silly generation.” They see the youths as having a blistering lust for freedom. “Aggressive and vigorous,” they spend their Friday and Saturday nights partying and living it up, so to speak. “Idealistic, full of dreams”, yet they are scattered and lost.

All too often, this is how the youth is assessed. They are often cited as being apathetic towards community involvements and social developments.

Well, last Saturday, August 7 might change all that.

Eighteen youths from the Philippines and the United Kingdom gathered in Cebu to make their dreams and visions a reality. These youths are taking the lead in affecting change in their community by promoting their 1Goal: Education For All Campaign held at the University of San Carlos- Montessori School grounds.

There were 9 volunteers from the Philippines, namely: Karl Benson Molina, 21, from Rizal; Dionell Chris Batoon, 21, from Rizal; April Karnette Maniacup, 21, from Pampanga; Anthony Ross Zuniga, 24, from Rizal; Desiree May Llanos Dee, 22, from San Juan; Christina Lucia Marian Palami, 24, from Leyte; Joseph Edward Laraño, 20, from Iloilo; Mark Aethen Agana, 23, from South Cotabato; and Margarita Victoria Caballa, 21, from Quezon City. The other nine from the United Kingdom are: Patrick Dougherty, 19, from Manchester; Dani Sempers, 23, from Leeds; Bridget Hutchings, 19, from Essex; Rachel Kitty Francis, 22, from Coventry; Michael Hoban, 19, from Newcastle; Neil James Thomson-Turner, 24, from Glasgow; David Thompson, 23, from Middlesbrough; Sam Rowles, 19, from Dorset; and Renata de Groot, 23, from Southampton.

They were volunteers of the Global Xchange (GX) program which is an initiative set up by the British Council of the Philippines, together with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Bahaginan.

The program believes that the process of societal transformation starts with the emergence of these young individuals who carry with them the seeds of the future.

Ms. Tessie Bugarin, GX Programme Supervisor, said that the company recognized the role of the youth in nation building.

“This is a youth program of the VSO Bahaginan. The volunteers are like between 18 and 25 years old. We have a standard volunteering above 25 years old, and then we have the mid- professionals, so this is basically for the youth,” she said.

Now is the time for the youth to change the status quo; now is their time for positive change, she added.

Organized by Karl Benson, the campaign aims to gather 30 million signatures to send 72 million children, who do not have access to education, to school.

The campaign is not something new. Global leaders and even ordinary citizens also envisioned to have this kind of campaign. However, what makes it more engaging is how they made their goal happen.

“We thought of introducing a football clinic here in Cebu, since sporting events like the 2010 FIFA World Cup is an opportunity to draw as many people as possible, especially drawing attention to World Leaders on the issue of unequal provision of education to everyone,” Benson said.

Coming to lead for the football clinic were the members of the Philippine National Football Team.

After the event, aside from their online petitions, the group was grateful for the 120 signatures of the people who came and witnessed the campaign.

“I was really enthusiastic about the number of signatures it reached 120, so far. Hopefully, it will make a big difference and a BIG, BIG impact to the world leaders,” Bridget Hutchings said.

Aside from the 1GOAL Campaign, they will also be doing several campaigns, as part of their Butterfly Effect project which is basically a campaign to promote volunteering in any form.

These youths are unstoppable. This only proves that they are committed to volunteer works with much eagerness and anticipation. This somehow proves that youths are not apathetic but instead, they are committed to the values of volunteerism, social transformation, equity and diversity.

They may be called naughty and silly, aggressive and vigorous, but they are also extraordinary, making the impossible possible.