The personal definition of “sustainable”
meant being able to start a program that can be replicated thus creating an
objective that shall support its long term goals.
We are therefore building a sustainable
future by implementing agricultural projects and empowering animal husbandry.
Through the help and grants selected families of Haduan Negrito
Families have been awarded sows (piglet) and kids (baby goat). These farm
animals are a test pilot and they were taken from within the community to make
sure no disease is introduced in the mountain.
At the moment we are still securing, farm
animals within the boundaries of the mountain range that Indigenous People have
lived for thousands of years.
Creating a sustainable program that is not
sanctioned by politicians or government is not without peril. There will always
be a threat from within and from the government itself. The area being
mountainous and heart of the community being inaccessible is considered haven
for communist or lawless indoctrination.
My view has always been empowering the IP
through basic education and supporting the children to finish their education
through aids and financial support.
Investing (sweat, tears and time) in a
program that can alleviate the lives of the IP is arduous, but having the
tenacity to continue is worthwhile because these projects can be a success.
Like a tree that can take years to take root but eventually bear fruit that
will sustain a family.
The basic social services are taking a
generation to be available in the mountain. Electricity alone is none
existent. It’s a good thing for a
technology of solar power lamps I can be assured that my scholars will be able
to have a better view of their books.
The reading room is now serving the
children as a haven for storytelling and a resource area (old books as
reference materials) and a bookstore (pencils, eraser and sharpeners area
available on weekends).
I was asked many times why I do what I do,
because I CAN DO IT and I always say
this, serving from the heart gives me peace and a certain satisfaction that a
chocolate does not satisfy ( I still eat a lot of them though hahaha). I
realize though, that I am not as strong as I was, the uphill trek to our
heartland (community kitchen, where we plant) used to take only an hour and a
half but now it is taking me two hours at the most with breathing exercises
along the way. The only dedicated time I can give to my programs and projects
is weekends or when there is no paid work to finish. Our programs are not yet
self-sufficient hence we are still dependent on donations and aids.
My worry has always been, what will happen
if the project is not yet finished, but seeing how enthusiastic Ericka is (she
wants to be a lawyer someday to fight for the mountain) , and how bright Tysee
(future engineer whose dream is to supply water and electricity to the 3500
hectares of ancestral land of their clan) has become I can be assured and I am joyful that the future is brighter than the last 50 years.
It may not happen in my lifetime, but what
is important is that the seed is already planted, an influence accepted,
awareness caught on, and that sustainable growth and socio-economic development
is within reach.
Humanism is not about the dictates of the
government, it is the relationship of the community with each other. It is
about the respect for the people towards the environment that provides the
resources so that they can live peacefully and contently.
The lives we live will always impact and influence each other's future.
