MANILA, Philippines - Last Dec. 22, 2015, DreamMaker from Houston, Texas conducted an all-day Christmas event for the 82 girls of My Bonita Home for Girls at Papa Kit’s Marina & Fishing Lagoon and Estaca Bay Resort. Most of the girls had been abused and had traumatic experiences in their lives.
The event, called the “Making of Christmas”, took full advantage of activities offered at Papa Kit’s including zip lining, horseback riding, fishing, jungle obstacles and the hanging bridge.
Gregory Patrick, chief creative officer of DreamMaker, came with his colleagues to the Bonita home every other Sunday for a few months, each time with 100 different pastries that were made for the girls. One of the pastries contained a message that revealed an element of their “surprise” day, building their excitement as time went by and finally unveiling the full details of the Christmas celebration planned just for them.
They were joined by three nuns and nine staff from the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart and further assisted by a troop of enthusiastic adults ranging from 10 activity judges (Olympics), 10 officials of the “Build a Boat and Hope it Floats” regatta and two photographers and one amera crew graciously provided by ChannelFix.com and Rotary Club of Cebu Fort San Pedro. Local DJ Georgio Visitacion graciously loaned his fabulous talent in laying down rap beats for the 10-team “Write Your Own Rap” contest. The kids were asked to compose a positive message that communicated why each team was a winner no matter what challenges they faced in life.
The Bonita Olympics games included competitive contests mixing some popular American games along with the local favorites. After the first half day at Papa Kit’s, the children were transported a quick 10 minutes away to sister resort Asteca Bay where they devoured a feast of lechon, spaghetti and other favorites. Afterwards, they were off to a regatta where the kids had 30 minutes to build a boat from scratch complete with their flag and race these along the shore (and see which one sinks last)! A few hours of pool time (all 82 kids received new swim wear) and a rap contest followed to sum up their experiences on that memorable day.
Most of the girls, aged four to 24 years old, had been abused by their fathers, uncles or someone they trusted. Despite the traumatic experiences they had, they are wonderfully engaging on the exterior and a true delight to entertain.
The event sought to raise awareness for the My Bonita Home for Girls situated at Talamban, Cebu while giving the children a chance to experience a day different from their normal daily routine.
DreamMaker and its fellow band of merry well-wishers plan to make this an annual event along with spring and summer outings.
DreamMaker is committed to sponsoring a mission of trained counselors from the East and West Coasts of the United States to come to the Philippines and spend time counseling them so that memories of the present are the ones each child can look back on and hopefully bring a smile to their faces.