Two weekends ago, my son attended the Gawad Kalinga (GK) International Farm Village Kids' Camp at the GK Enchanted Farm in Bulacan. It was his first time to attend such an activity (along with his dad) and it was a truly memorable event. My husband and I had been talking about exposing our 'city kids' (who, ironically, were born in a country that could be considered more undeveloped than the Philippines) to nature and the 'rural' life for quite some time, so the opportunity to attend the Kids' Camp was a great blessing.
According to the organizers, the Kids' Camp and other events like it are "designed to inspire future generations of leaders, social entrepreneurs and innovators by engaging young people through fun and exciting hands-on learning experiences."
Before I share about my son's experiences though, allow me to tell you a little bit about the GK Enchanted Farm Village, which I was also able to visit when my son and husband attended the Kids' Camp.
About the GK Enchanted Farm Village
The GK Enchanted Farm Village is a 34-hectare prototype farm of Gawad Kalinga. It is about an hour's drive away from Manila in Angat, Bulacan, though it took us approximately one and a half hours to get there from our home in Cubao.
The Farm was put up to become "a destination for social tourism, an incubator for social business and a community platform for social education." It was built and is being co-managed by an international team of social entrepreneurs and innovators coming from different parts of the world, and has become an avenue for learning about the realities beyond the classroom, especially when it comes to being a social entrepreneur.
Photo source: GK Enchanted Farm Facebook page
At the GK Enchanted Farm, you can interact with people of other nationalities and cultures, learn about present and future issues, and even create viable solutions with other like-minded people.
During our visit to the Farm, I was actually surprised to see so many Europeans -- mostly from France. Apparently, they are here in the Philippines to learn from us and, at the same time, help uplift the dignity and lives of the poor through the different social enterprises that they have set up or are still setting up.
Seeing these foreigners all fired up about being social entrepreneurs here in our country made me feel inspired and ashamed at the same time: inspired that people from other countries saw hope in the Filipino people and the Philippines, and ashamed that there had been times in the past when I had felt that we weren't going anywhere as a country and a people.
Needless to say, I left the Enchanted Farm that day with a greater resolve to be a better Filipino and to look for more concrete ways to help our country, especially the poor. My husband and I are even praying about what kind of social enterprise would be most aligned with our passions and skills.
We are also happy that our son was able to learn many things and meet new friends at the Farm Village Kids' Camp, the details of which you can read about at the end of this post.
Lessons learned at the GK International Farm Village Kids' Camp
Since I was not present during the entire Camp, I asked my son, who is 7, to take note of and write down the lessons he learned from the Camp, and what he liked most about it. Here's what he said:
"I learned about herb gardening and other things, like how to make stuffed toys. I liked the bonfire the most, because we got to roast marshmallows! I liked swimming too. I met new friends. I learned that farming is difficult but important work."
Even now, two weeks after the Camp, he still talks about certain people he met or experiences he had there. I'm glad that he was able to expand his horizons, even for just a little bit. Hopefully, the seeds of learning and interest in farm life and social entrepreneurship planted in him will bear fruit later on.
Meanwhile, my husband and I hope to nurture those seeds by exposing him (and his siblings) to more activities like the Kids' Camp, or by just taking more trips to the GK Enchanted Farm.
About the GK International Farm Village Kids Camp
For the parents out there who may be interested in having their kids attend the Kids' Camp, here are the details:
The Camp -- which will have several repeat runs, with the first scheduled for May 10-11 -- is a two-day, overnight event with different hands-on learning activities for the kids, namely:
- Learning about herb gardens
- Toy-making
- Cheese-making
- Chocolate-making
- Farm-azing Race
- Golden Egg Hunt
- Farm-to-table cooking
- Interacting with farm animals
- Learning about vermiculture
It is open to kids aged 6 to 12 years old and their parents, though parents are not required to accompany their kids.
The fee of Php 3500 per person (50% deposit required) includes overnight accommodations (in airconditioned dorms though you have the option to sleep in tents if you want), meals, materials, and transportation from Metro Manila to the GK Enchanted Farm. There is also a program of activities tailored for parents, which includes a tour of the Farm and a parenting seminar. The activities will be led by a team of Filipino and French entrepreneurs.
How to register for the International Farm Village Kids' Camp
Slots are limited so the organizers encourage interested parents to register their kids as early as possible. For registration and inquiries, please email info@gkenchantedfarm.com or call (0916) 225 3363. If you have kids older than 12, or want to experience a Camp at the GK Enchanted Farm yourself, log on to http://www.gk1world.com/enchanted-farm-summer-camps for more details.