The Force is strong for Payatas

MANILA, Philippines  — With the opening of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" this week, many people trooped to the cinemas to get their fill of the blockbuster franchise and find out how the story has progressed in the Star Wars universe.

One group of cinema-goers did more than just watch the much-awaited movie though; they helped feed hungry children in Payatas. How? Proceeds from their movie ticket purchases went to sponsoring The MEALenium Project.

What is The MEALenium Project?

The MEALenium Project is a feeding center in Payatas, which is more (in)famously known as the location of the country's largest open garbage dumpsite. What most people don't know is that Payatas is also home to more than 100,000 young children and their families.

Fr. Julio Cuesta, executive director of the Payatas Orione Foundation (PAOFI), shares, "The families, they don't have food to give to the children... They eat when they can eat."

This situation did not escape the notice of two high schoolers, Joshua Emmanuel Tan and Philip Sebastian "Basti" Belmonte, who visit the area for Christmas outreach programs with their families every year. They wondered how the kids there could survive—let alone thrive—if they had no access to food all year round. Thus, they felt compelled to do more for the children of Payatas. And that's how The MEALenium Project got its start.

The two friends set out to build a feeding center that would help address the nutritional needs of the neighborhood children. They discovered that at least P20 would be enough to provide a meal for one child. How many more could they feed with additional support? Reaching out to their family and friends, Tan and Belmonte came up with various fund-raising activities like a garage sale, an online auction, and the selling and delivery of organic vegetables. They even convinced their friends who had stalls in bazaars to donate a portion of their profits to the project.

Through determination and hard work, coupled with the goodness and generosity of people, what began as a mere idea became a full-fledged reality. An abandoned lot near the church in Payatas was transformed into a feeding center with the funds the teens were able to raise. In August 2015, The MEALenium Project finally opened its doors.

The MEALenium Project core team: Basti Belmonte, Javi Amador, Michael Singson and Joshua Tan with the kids from St. Benedict, Payatas during the opening of the feeding center.

With the help of community leaders and social workers from PAOFI, they determined the first 25 children (below 8 years old) that would benefit most from the nutritious food and vitamins the center offers. Why this age range, you might ask? According to child psychologist Sabrina Tan, Ph.D., "It's considered the peak years for the developing brain. And studies have shown that early malnutrition can lead to significant, long-term, negative outcomes... Just less ability for the child to maximize being able to absorb and learn from his environment and from formal schooling."

Image from Children's Investment Fund Foundation

In the past months, The MEALenium Project has monitored the development of these children and posted updates of its activities online. By October, the center volunteers were heartened to learn that 7 of the kids suffering from malnutrition had reached normal weight.

Encouraged by the positive impact of their efforts, Tan and Belmonte hope to accommodate more children in the feeding program. Currently, the two teens visit Payatas with their friends to also read stories to the younger ones, teach them how to read and write, play games, and instruct them in arts and crafts. For them, it's not just good and fulfilling, it's fun too.

Watch a video on The MEALenium project.

The founders have even bigger plans for The MEALenium Project. They envision it to go beyond addressing the children's hunger to feeding their minds as well with the establishment of a well-equipped study hall in the center. They aim to introduce college scholarships to deserving Payatas youth in the future.

But for now, their efforts are focused on finding more ways to raise funds for the feeding center, such as the recently held movie screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's a most apt film choice as the Force is certainly strong in these two boys. Even in the face of challenges, they never gave up on their dream.

If you think about it, Belmonte and Tan are basically just normal youngsters helping other youth. It's heartening to know that we don't have to be a certain age or have a specific educational attainment (or be Jedi Masters) to have a positive impact on people's lives.

This is their inspiring story. What's yours?

If you would like to support The MEALenium Project in cash or in kind, send them an email at themealeniumproject@gmail.com. For only P20/day, you can help feed a child in Payatas. Your P100 (or more) can go a long way! You can sponsor a child’s meals for a whole year for P5,200.  Visit www.themealeniumproject.com for more updates on their fund-raising activities.