Building Homes, Improving Lives
How many families live on a shack or nipa hut and call it home? How many are left homeless when strong winds blow their palm roofs and walls made of plywood and cigarette boxes away? May it be one, few or many families in whichever community, the number matters.
While some people take their homes for granted and consider them only as a place to rest or plain shelter, the non-profit organization Volunteers for the Visayans (VFV), perceives a home differently. It sees families eating meals or watching television programs together, safe and secure secured. The VFV sees home as a haven, a place where parents and children talk about their day and share their joys and burdens.
However, not all families are fortunate to live and sleep securely at night in their homes. Thus, the VFV initiated a project that would somehow transform their lives, which is a no easy task.
Build a Home. In cooperation with GoAbroad, a travel company, the VFV accomplished its goal to renew hope, inspire, and change the lives of three families on August 2, 2007. Two sponsored kids who come from destitute homes and a GoAbroad staff member got lucky that day.
Mary Rose Fabella, a 7 year-old girl, was one of the two sponsored kids who were given such wonderful surprise. Mary Rose comes from a family of ten. Her father left all eight of them with their mother, who works as a housekeeper earning only Php100.00 (about $2.30) a day. This very small amount could hardly buy them all their basic needs, let alone fix a decrepit home.  The other sponsored kid was Ariel Ventura. Despite her mild psychological disorder, Ariel's mother manages to do laundry as a living and sometimes runs errands for their neighbors for a fee. They used to live in a nipa hut, which stood on a land that the local governement of Tanauan, Leyte owned. The small parcel was later given to Ariel's family where the GoAbroad staff and VFV's international volunteers built a small yet sturdy and comfortable house for them.
GoAbroad staff member Crispina Reynera was truly surprised when her colleagues knocked on her door, bringing building equipment and all set to renovate her house.
Besides bricks, cement, sand, pebbles and other building materials, the GoAbroad and VFV teams brought rice, canned goods, and other essential things these families could use. The volunteers didn't mind the manual cement mixing under the scorching sun nor did they complain of being tired. They lifted bricks, pieces of wood, shoveled soil and excavated garbage without expecting any reward for their toil.
But somehow they did get a reward. The heartwarming smiles, unfeigned surprise and sincere gratitude from all three families have compensated all the hard work. The feeling of fulfillment was beyond words.
For these beneficiaries, their lives will never be quite the same again. Their homes now serve as a constant reminder that there are local and international volunteers who truly care for their welfare. In addition, their lives have become an inspiration to their community.
The VFV has not only renovated homes but rebuilt lives as well. As long as there are volunteers who are willing to spare a few hours or days for the indigents, the organization will continue to build houses& inspire and improve lives.
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