“Aku pulang dan melihat di bawah mentari,
bahawa perlumbaan bukanlah buat yang pantas,
peperangan bukan bagi yang kuat, tidak juga rezeki bagi yang hanya bijaksana,
kekayaan bukan buat mereka yang berpengetahuan, kemurahan hati bukan bagi orang yang terampil,
tetapi kesempatan berlaku pada mereka semua“
– Ecclesiastes , 9:11
From nothing to something to everything. That is in what way, I be able to portray how I feel throughout AYVP Philippines 2016. Before I attend this program, I have to admit that I have diminutive knowledge about Disaster Risk Reduction. And I never experience disaster before. Nevertheless, I always hold on the Latin phrase ‘Idyllium de Rosis’. It is the phrase that being a theme in a poem by Robert Herrick – To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time.
“…
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And, while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.”
I embrace the nuance of; to make the most of the present moment and I believe that I should start to get to know about it from that time being. All the way through this programme, I found that I have immersed myself with knowledge, skills and experience that I gain from engage together with friends from 10 ASEAN countries that I’ve met, DRR experts and local communities. Among the perks of being here, I’ve got to know a lot of people from different countries regardless of their age and gender. All of them have their own unique stories and distinctive experiences. I able to learn other’s culture and it flourishes mutual understanding and mutual respect.
I’ve been to Barangay Banaba, a village of San Mateo, Rizal. On the first day, the sadness that filled me was overwhelming and my vision was blurred by the tears that flowed like rain down my face. Some part of Barangay Banaba is considered as highly vulnerable group that are prone to disaster. Nevertheless, I’ve learned that they have Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. It is a proactive mechanism that emphasize more on to reduce vulnerability and to increase capacity of vulnerable groups in order to minimize loss of life, property and livelihoods.
My most memorable and worthwhile experiences are with Buklod Tao. ‘Buklod’ means bonding while ‘Tao’ means people. Buklod Tao simply means ‘People Come Together’. Many things I’ve learned from the community; from reinforce the capacity of communities to reduce disaster and meet their own needs. The Buklod Tao teach me how to enhance the relationship of communities with their environments and help them conserve their resources. The most important thing we learn to be humble and close to nature! This including learning to do organic compost from scratch by our own hands.
I found that, being a volunteer is challenging but at the same time, it is inspiring. This programme inspires me as the volunteer and actively engage me to contribute in the achievement of a vision of disaster-resilient communities. I take this opportunity to discover my passion, realise my purpose and unleash my potential to represent and the lead as the future leaders of ASEAN. Every moments here, I grasp wisely, hold close and I will embrace them in my heart. They are now in a permeate spot that I will never forget. There are things even though it is small, it makes me happy. The simple moments make the best memories because they are priceless.
http://www.ayvpukm.com.my/blogs/2016/08/22/from-nothing-to-something-to-everything/
