July 12, 2017
One Hope Project: “I Was In Prison and You Came To Visit Me”
There is always that fear, doubt and uneasiness whenever one is surrounded by a prisoner. The stigma is undeniably present. I believe that it is natural for human beings to be afraid of someone who gone into prison. Of course, the first question would be “What did this prisoner do to that led him in jail?” Some other questions would pop into our minds such as “Is she a bad person?”, “Did she hurt someone?”, “Why is she imprisoned?” or “Will she hurt me?”. However, I would also like to believe that there is a second chance for these individuals, that they can still change and that their lives can become better someday.
The truth is we cannot undo what they have done. We cannot control the consequences of their actions in the past. BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY CHANGE THEIR LIVES. We can give them more hope. We can make them feel that there is still a chance for them to turn around their lives and start doing something great. We can make them believe that life is still beautiful and it’s not too late for them to make a turn around of their lives.
For this reason, I have chosen to visit again the women detainees of the Davao City Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) this coming August The facility is now called “GK Ray of Hope Village” which houses female inmates. With the initiative from Gawad Kalinga and the Government of Davao, a humane and hopeful environment within a penal institution was created.
For my birthday last year, I went to the GK Ray of Hope Village to celebrate it with the prisoners with the sole purpose of making them feel that I am not afraid of them and that there is still hope even if they are already in jail. At the same time, I also distributed some hygiene kits to the inmates. As already mentioned above, I and my friends are planning to go back there so we can visit the bakasyonistas and give them more hope.
The visit is scheduled on August 3, 2017. If you wish to support this project, feel free to send me a private message. Give me an opportunity to explain why I have chosen the GK Ray of Hope Village as beneficiary for one of my charity events. You can also join me for this visit so that you can witness how these individuals’ faces light up as they see visitors who came for them and who are not afraid of who they are. Some of the bakasyonistas in the said penal institution are already abandoned, with decreasing hope for themselves and their lives. Let us make them feel that they are still loved and cared for.
WE CAN GIVE HOPE. WE CAN CHANGE LIVES.
“‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for
one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.”
Way to go, Algene! We were there with my grad school classmates last year, we conducted lecture on mani/pedi along with my Tesda friends. It's always a nice feeling to give back, Good luck!
This is a great initiative. I still believe that everyone deserves a second chance and its up to them if they will value it or neglect it. When we trust someone again, we give them new hope.
Bless you more…. Nice project!
This is such a great cause. Blessed you!
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It is nice of you to celebrate your birthday with them. Yes, there is always second chances.
This is such a great initiative of Gawad Kalinga, and I'm glad there are people like you who are actively supporting their cause. Good luck on your visit!