There's this annual event in our school called Blue Christmas where children in depressed areas are invited for one day. Great initiative! But I have a bit of a problem with this project.
I think we should not only invite children from depressed areas. Blue Christmas should be for all classes - no matter how poor or how rich you are. I feel that the more well off children are being discriminated in these kinds of activities. Some children who study in the most expensive schools can feel more detached from their community - isolated that's why they are also cold to empathy.
If I had to be very critical, I sometimes think that we are just doing these out reach programs just to caress our elitist egos - so that we'd know that we are doing something - but do they need this? What does Blue Christmas really offer on the part of the participants and the facilitators?
We assume that these people need help so we give them temporary rays of hope. We slap to their faces that they are poor so let us help you. Benevolence can sometimes be the worst form of marginalization. We passively increase the separation between the rich and the poor by not combining both classes. Does the purity of the spirit of Christmas truly experienced by these kids? I can't help but ask myself, who needs Blue Christmas more? Them or us? I'd stop myself here.
Being an international relations org, we sponsored a flag making class. I wasn't an official facilitator so I just took some photos while the kids did their thing.
The classroom next to ours was doing this game called Pinoy Henyo. This class is sponsored by Yago's friend.
Different orgs/students/departments were sponsoring classes for these kids - each having their own activities. When I saw what other groups are doing, I kinda felt that flag making was way boring. Haha!
After lunch, everyone gathered in our field where there were inflatables and a program. The kids danced and sang. I rained a bit so they kinda have to cancel some activities.
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