The Best Listeners Are Children

Last 2014, I co-founded a project "Bayanihan Para sa Kabataan: A Children's Environmental Campaign" together with one of the empowered women I looked up to. The project was born out of the inspiration from the teenager who spoke in front of the UN Assembly in the 80's and the need to take an initiative on how we can instill in people the love for nature and peace while promoting good moral values and love for one another.

Through careful discussions and good discernment, we decided to do the project to the children in the hinterlands of our province that are also conflict affected areas.

Start them young.

The project is in partnership with the army, police, schools, and various volunteer organizations. The project runs almost every other month and culminates in the month of December with a gift giving activity - Wish Upon A Star.

The Children's Environmental Campaign was one of the most fulfilling time I have ever spent going around schools in the hinterlands of the province for about 5 years giving lectures about the basics of the environment - what is it, its beauty, why do we need it, what human activities causes its damage, and what we can do as a person (kid) to our home or family, school, and community.

The sharing or telling of stories to the kids was the most fun and interactive. Finding a way to make sure their attention span is all the while glued to you. That way I'll go home knowing that they learned or got something no matter how small it may seem.

Kids we know are the easiest to teach and they learn fast. What better way influencing about loving the environment through them.

It is a whole day program full of activities that includes workshop on how to upcycle/recycle materials, tree planting and how to grow it and among others that also tackles other issues like peace and security, values formation, livelihood skills sharing for attending parents and among others.

The highlight would always be the boodle fight lunch with everybody else - kids, teachers, army, police, barangay officials and volunteers. This is a system of eating where freshly cut banana leaves are laid on top of the table, and the food are all carefully or meticulously arranged on it then everyone enjoys eating with their own hands without a plate.

There are countless endeavors I have been a part of and this is one of the most fulfilling knowing that kids listen and they learn from you.

Honestly, teaching old cows is stressful and tiring. Kids are the best students!

#iAmMoutara #volunteer #EnvironmentalCampaign #childrenasenvironmentstewards #children