Despite being told to leave the camp yesterday because the other NGOs would take over the Women and Children Space, we were contacted today to go back and continue our objectives for the children in the camp. The best news was also relayed to us — we will be occupying the area for a straight one week and will be staying with the children until the facilitation ends.
MERCY Malaysia handed over the materials and refreshments we requested for the children, and they arrived earlier this morning with a car full of necessities. I am glad to realize how much trust they have given us after they asked us to leave the camp for two days since they will be visiting camps in Daanbantayan and Medellin. Our group of facilitators will now be responsible for the kids. However, I am also sad about their deployment because it means our PFA training will be delayed. Still, we have to accomplish our objectives in the camp and make sure we successfully operate with these goals while providing reliable reports about the children.
First things first, our head facilitator was too late earlier, and we couldn’t afford to wait for him because some of the kids were already waiting. The MERCY Malaysia individuals, some of whom I didn’t see yesterday, also needed to go to the neighboring camp right away, so we had an opportunity to start without the others. We took the kids’ attendance and divided them according to their gender. As a data collector, I also noted their hygiene — whether they took a bath today, cleaned their nails, brushed their teeth — and recorded everything based on their answers. But of course, we had to make sure we noted the truth since kids can sometimes manipulate their responses.
We let the kids play with some of the toys for 15 minutes while buying time for our facilitator since the next part of the program, a Zumba session, was his responsibility. We shouldn’t have handed them the toys earlier because toys were supposed to be opened in the next half of the program so the kids wouldn’t lose focus by having their eyes on them too soon.
A container full of toys — actually, two containers — arrived, filled with different play tools like Scrabble boards, badminton sets, Lego, cards, drawing books, storybooks, and others.
The program actually started with a stretching session followed by a Zumba dance to stimulate not only the bodies of the children but also their minds for the next activities.
A touching thing about this experience is how kids easily get attached to the facilitators. Earlier, each child was finding a particular person from our group with whom they had built a good relationship. Some were even crying because not all facilitators were present yet, and they thought we wouldn’t come back today. Debriefing is an essential part for us too because some facilitators can’t easily detach after each session. Perhaps they still can’t stop entertaining the kids because they are just too kind and graceful to turn their attention away.
Since we were divided into two groups — kids below 6 and kids aged 7–12 — our programs differed. I belonged to the 7–12 age group, hence our activities focused more on physical activities and exercises, while the other group stayed in the tent entertaining the little ones with various toys.
We started our games with the “Squid Game: Green Light, Red Light,” with our head facilitator acting as the overlooker. It was really funny because of how good he was at imitating the voice of the doll from the movie. The kids passionately and intriguingly moved during the game — not trying to breathe once and running furiously to save themselves. No one “died” in this game, if you’re wondering. LOL. Nor did anyone win a billion prize.
We also played the “Mickey Mouse Game” and the “Japanese Game.” For the first one, there is a guesser while the rest of the kids act out something they want to do. The guesser would ask, “What are you doing?” and the kids would respond, “Hello, Mickey Mouse,” then act it out before the guesser makes a guess. For the Japanese Game, two groups are needed, each with one base or object they must protect. They chase each other, defending and attacking, and anyone caught by the opponent becomes their prisoner. It was fun playing under the scorching daylight.
While we were playing, the kids below 6 were busy with their toys. Six facilitators were assigned to them, and I could say it was a bit challenging to facilitate that age group. Both age groups have their own challenges — the older ones resist sometimes because they already understand the flow of our activities.
Some kids played volleyball, badminton, or hula hoops, while others did jumping jacks for physical exercise. I guess they really enjoyed the toys since all of them were newly bought and unfamiliar to the kids.
Once everyone finished playing, the kids gathered inside the tent and under the tree for storytelling. Our group read Rosa Mistica while the other group told classic tales like Si Matsing at si Pagong and Learn to Care for Others.
They were all eager to listen, quietly absorbing each word with hope of learning something new. I also enjoyed the storytelling session — honestly, I think I enjoyed it as much as, if not more than, the kids.
The storytelling session could be done in groups or individually. The kids just had to go to the facilitator holding the book they wanted to hear. Rosa Mistica won the “competition” for the most listeners — even the DSWD and our dean listened! It was indeed a good story.
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While some kids were listening to stories, we led some of the older ones to the center ground with trash bags beside them. It was time for the “Clean-Up Drive.” We tasked them to collect as many pieces of garbage as they could and trade them for biscuits later. The kids immediately started collecting trash — on the ground, under the tents, near the unfinished fountains, behind benches, and other areas. I required each kid to put trash in the bags before allowing them to play again. Afterward, I called everyone who participated to sanitize their hands using my alcohol to ensure their safety and hygiene.
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One kid approached me with a toy stethoscope. He wanted to check my heartbeat, and I teased him by pretending not to breathe. He laughed, and I took the chance to teach him how to use the tool properly — in a child-like and fun way, of course.
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There were so many happenings earlier — from playing toys to the clean-up drive. But the coloring session once again took over the Women and Children Space. The kids gathered in the tent with their coloring books and materials, choosing colors according to their liking.
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These were their final outputs. Just like yesterday, we displayed them above the tent to make it look like an exhibit and show others’ works to inspire the rest.
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By 11:30 A.M., we were called to form a circle with the kids. There, we sang “Small Circle, Big Circle” as a goodbye song — a way for the kids and facilitators to part for the day. Some kids resisted, not wanting to end the day, but I’m glad patience stood beside me. The little girl I facilitated yesterday was beside me again. She didn’t join the activities today for unknown reasons, but she told me she would join tomorrow.
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We ended our program by giving snacks and prizes to the kids who participated and won the games. They were so happy to receive those refreshments, especially since they can’t buy such biscuits at this time of calamity.
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The second day of our PFA training and psychosocial activities was truly fun, fulfilling, and meaningful. The children made the whole experience more special — their laughter, their energy, and their curiosity gave color to every part of the program. Despite the heat, the rush, and the little challenges in between, the smiles we saw were worth every second. These moments reminded me why we’re here — to be with them, even just for a short time, bringing healing, hope, and a bit of normalcy through play and care.