My 1st Ever House Build..

This is me being told what to do..:D

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”. (Mark 11:24, NIV) --Through these trying times, I've learned a lot about my self and I thank the LORD for the wake up call. I indeed have a rare gift, the Gift of Kindness/Niceness in w/c very few have these days, I guess. Be willing to take a leap of faith with those who are willing to share their love and kindness with you ♥

Alaska Mambaling, going to the site early morning

That pretty much was one of my facebook status last week. It says a lot really, I have always wanted to do a house-build, countless opportunities came but was in conflict with either my plans, schedule and the like. But for over a year now, God has been doing his work, and has succeeded in making me experience this house build despite the time constraints.

Upon Arriving, we see these things waiting to be laid down somewhere

GOD indeed works in mysterious ways, recalling the many invitations I had to do house/school builds, I am truly amazed how our lives are being shaped by the almighty hand. I was even given a glimpse/taste of it during the recent GK Bayani Challenge 2011 last summer! Then my opportunity finally came, A HOUSE BUILD! OHHH YEAH! But this time around though, I was working hand in hand with Belgians, Dutch, Spanish & Badjao youth delegates under the Multi-Cultural Youth Exchange of RAFI.

This is what we used to make the blocks

So you put the raw material mixture inside the box area then execute some Physics

A Block, Tada~!

Some of the Bricks needed to be modified to fit, in corners and the like areas of the house

I was of course together with some of my mates in ALEx - Aboitiz Leaders of Excellence in doing some of the ground-foundation work. We even had a little friendly competitions with some of the Belgian-Dutch Delegates who can dig deeper and faster, others were well, doing other stuff like painting, brick/block making and laying and other construction stuff.

Some of us were serious (Rhyle), but we needed to be in order not to embarrass ourselves in front of our guests xD

European Youth with our resident ALEx-Site leader Vinder Singh :D

Digging Digging Digging

About the Multi-Cultural Youth Exchange:
CEBU City is currently hosting 25 western Europeans on a 20-day visit to learn about Cebuano culture. The visit is part of the Multi-City Youth Exchange program organized by the city government and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.

The delegation includes 27 guests from Kortrijk in Belgium and Haarlemmermeer in the Netherlands. The Dutch group includes 12 youths and three adults. The Belgium delegates include 10 youths and two adult leaders.

Okay, we had some fun here and there

Half of the delegates’ travel expenses was subsidized by their respective governments. The delegates paid the balance, raising funds by washing cars, selling recyclable bottles and walking for a cause as part of their counterpart.

Anchored on the sister city relationship between Cebu City and the City of Haarlemmermeer, the Netherlands, and Kortrijk, Belgium, the program aims to promote knowledge-sharing, cross-cultural understanding and cooperation, and development service among young global citizens.

About Badjaos:
Badjaos are an indigenous ethnic group in Southeast Asia who are mostly discriminated in the country with regards to education and employment. They usually live in small shanties along coastal areas.

Thanks giving

It was really tiring but at the same time, double satisfaction and stress since you get to talk always in english, interact with the youth delegates, eat lotsa food, build a house, and talk to the beneficiaries as well, all in one setting. After the build, we rested and played some games with the resident kids, did some singing, dancing and sharing of cultural practices and words!

Turn Over ceremonies

On the last day there, Ms. Evelyn-Nacario Castro, executive director of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc (RAFI), said during the turnover rites that at least four Badjao families will soon have a house to call their own, adding that the foundation is planning to construct more houses in the future. beneficiaries will be jointly identified by RAFI and the Bajao community in Mambaling. Each of the four houses costs Php100,000.00.

Dutch-Belgian & some Spanish Delegates

Also, there was a Filipina-Dutch youth delegate, Ruby Cumba-Langeveld said they have/will undergo more immersion activities that cover various areas, including environment, children, education, health, culture and heritage, and leadership.

Shared dances

weeeee

We are all done~Hep Hep, HOORAY!

ik begryp het niet sa akong gibati but I love it! :P