Cebuano youths join GK in building homes

To help build the nation and address the worsening poverty that is whipping the country today, youth organizations have initiated a poverty mitigation project, which aims at helping the poorest of the poor by providing them shelter.

The Alpha Phi Omega-University of San Carlos chapter, in partnership with the Gawad Kalinga Foundation and some youth organizations and institutions, yesterday launched the “Kabataang Kalinga,” a local project organized to gather thousands of students or youth volunteers in Cebu who would complete the one million young Filipinos target participants for the nationwide Gawad Kalinga Isang Milyong Bayani program.

APO is a national partner of Gawad Kalinga, the reason why it continues to help out GK on implementing its programs and projects.

With the theme “Nation Building through Leadership, Friendship and Service,” the Kabataang Kalinga project solicits participation from different universities, fraternities and youth groups to join a house building activity that will provide shelter to the poor in Cebu at the same time will promote camaraderie among the youth.

Each top university and youth organization is to send one team of 15 members which shall represent them in the home-building activity and each team is delegated to build one house either at GK Amazing Village in Budlaan, Talamban or in Mananga, Talisay City.

The project would start on August 30 until 31 and every weekends until the culmination on September 28.

APO-USC president and Kabataang Kalinga project head Landon Ocampo said there are already 53 registered teams to join the building activity.

The project is also part of the Foundation Celebration of USC where the organizers are based.

All the materials for the construction, which are funded by GK partners from different parts of the country, are already prepared.

Some 5,000 youth volunteers are also expected to attend the rally and motorcade from Fuente Osmeña to GK Village in Talisay City that will culminate the program on September 28.

GK1MB is a global movement of nation builders practicing a culture of patriotism and living a lifestyle of heroism out of love for God and country.

It is the official volunteer program of Gawad Kalinga which carries out its various programs for community infrastructure, productivity, child and youth development, community health, environment, and community empowerment.

In tapping the youth, APO-USC believes that they are more responsible of the building a nation inspired by love, peace and patriotism and stewardship.

Ocampo said their generation should take charge of helping out the unfortunate people, help them dream of a good future so they would seek to uplift themselves from poverty. — Jessica Ann Pareja/WAB