makulay – speak soon

It was the type of wind and rain that thrashed and screeched; completely dismantling the landscape. The typhoon pounded the town for five hours straight, after it hit land in the morning, reports say. Their houses, sources of livelihood, the ageing trees, power lines, communication lines – all yielded to the typhoon. The people were no strangers to heavy storms, but Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda cleaved a whole new kind of wound.

That was the 8th November 2013 in Daanbantayan.

This may have been the hardest hit region of Cebu, off to the north of the island and right on the coast.

Five months later, we’re off to visit their children. We’re headed to Daanbantayan, Cebu Island next weekend! And by we, I mean the Buhay Makulay Children’s Project Inc! I’m incredibly grateful for another opportunity to visit a community hit by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, and to bring my beloved Children’s Fair to a new island shore.

We’re preparing for 100 children join us for an afternoon of creative play, music and learning! But as it is in these communities, there are not just one hundred, but hundreds of children we wish we could invite and share time with. Arrangements are finally taking shape, and for the first time, we may be working directly with a local government unit to bring our activities to the children. Every day we get more and more excited!

I’m mulling over an idea for a mural the kids can work on, with the same approach as we did in Roxas City in January. If you’ve got any ideas make sure to pass them on!

Where once was thrashing and screeching, we hope to hear laughter and see dancing.

Speak soon,

P.S. DONATE? If you’d like to share with these children in Cebu, or the hundreds of children we will play with as we go on the road this year, please consider making a donation in cash or kind. Sponsor one child at Php800/20USD/18euro.

Deposits can be made directly to the following account: Buhay Makulay Children’s Project Inc., acct number 0041-0339-24, BPI.

Donations in cash or kind may be dropped of at the Union Church of Manila, c/o Len Aritao. Corner Rada and Legazpi Sts. Legazpi Village, Makati.

Find the Buhay Makulay Children’s Project Inc. on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to stay posted.

Data on typhoon sourced from: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/524437/5-hours-of-yolanda-pounding-daanbantayan-town

A few weeks ago my mom had an idea.

“We’re celebrating the eighth year of the Buhay Makulay Children’s Fair this 2014… We should have eight children’s fairs this year!”

At that moment I could think of many reasons why this was maybe not the best of ideas: Not enough time to prepare. Not enough money. It’d be too much work. Not enough volunteers. I wanted to focus on something else for the NGO. Not enough time this year. That sounds like too many kids. We’ve never organized so many big events in one year. Etc. etc.

But from the moment my Mom spoke the idea out loud, I knew it was no longer just an idea. All my “reasons,” they were just excuses and lies. Those things never stopped us before. Those challenges have always existed, and we’ve said yes to the ideas anyway!

Eight children’s fairs in 2014. YES!

It instantly became one of our missions for the year.

The idea came on the tail of the practically-impromptu children’s fair we held in January just outside Roxas City, Capiz Island. Mom and I initially planned the trip in order to hand deliver the money we had raised for our friends and typhoon victims (through our Christmas pilot sale by Thread & Vine). But before we knew it, we were hosting a fair for 130 children! We can’t seem to turn away from the opportunity to bring children together to play, learn, and just be kids!

So we are going on the road! Roxas City was just the beginning.

This April we are going to Cebu island for 100 children. In May, to Leyte for 500 children. In June, potentially Iloilo. In all these places are little children who survived one heck of a crazy storm.

Even in January, I felt that God was preparing my heart for something new and uncomfortable. Especially in the wake of the typhoon’s devastation, I feel called to go into the broken places. Let’s see where this takes me! Another dream come true!

Stay tuned for ways to help support the Buhay Makulay Children’s Project Inc. this year, we’re gonna need all the help we can get!

Speak soon,

Tag: makulay

Next stop: Daanbantayan!

The Buhay Makulay Children’s Fair is going on the road!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: