(no subject)
Day 1 of immersion is over.
Immersion is one of those events which I have long expected to be a highlight in my senior year in Ateneo. Although the area assigned to me does not involve 1) going to the province or 2) sleeping in the area, I can still say that this immersion is just as enriching.
This is my second consecutive packed weekend - packed not because of schoolwork but because of some event. Last week was the Ateneo Inter-Collegiate Marketing Seminar, which was a tiring but enriching experience. First time to sleep in a hotel in Metro Manila! Only got to sleep for two hours in Oakwood though - felt more like a nap! This weekend is my immersion.
Our immersion site is located at the very heart of Manila. It's so accessible and it's within walking distance from an LRT station and an SM Mall. Our site is a juvenile detention center.
There were around 18 of us, and a similar number of kids. The people who manage the place told us that most of those kids are products of broken families, and of poverty. Their cases ranged from petty theft to homicide. It was my first time to visit a prison. I went there expecting to meet a bunch of delinquents with their criminal tendencies but the kids were not at all what I thought they would be. They were very nice actually. I just wished they would share more. I'm interested to know what goes into their minds and what pushes them to do those crimes. But I just didn't know how to ask. And I guess there's a communication gap with me - because I don't know how to ask them those things without hurting their feelings. I can't go on asking, "bakit ka nagpatay ng tao?" This is something I should build on for tomorrow.
Pao and Yay were telling us that they're supposed to think up a possible livelihood for the kids for their Eco-H class. I suggested soap-making. One of the comments I heard from the kids was that they were already bored watching TV all day. Soap making could be a possibility, although it defintely isn't the cure-all for them. It would raise their productivity and reduce the boredom that they experience. Being caged up all day can make people mad.
Day 2 tomorrow.
Immersion is one of those events which I have long expected to be a highlight in my senior year in Ateneo. Although the area assigned to me does not involve 1) going to the province or 2) sleeping in the area, I can still say that this immersion is just as enriching.
This is my second consecutive packed weekend - packed not because of schoolwork but because of some event. Last week was the Ateneo Inter-Collegiate Marketing Seminar, which was a tiring but enriching experience. First time to sleep in a hotel in Metro Manila! Only got to sleep for two hours in Oakwood though - felt more like a nap! This weekend is my immersion.
Our immersion site is located at the very heart of Manila. It's so accessible and it's within walking distance from an LRT station and an SM Mall. Our site is a juvenile detention center.
There were around 18 of us, and a similar number of kids. The people who manage the place told us that most of those kids are products of broken families, and of poverty. Their cases ranged from petty theft to homicide. It was my first time to visit a prison. I went there expecting to meet a bunch of delinquents with their criminal tendencies but the kids were not at all what I thought they would be. They were very nice actually. I just wished they would share more. I'm interested to know what goes into their minds and what pushes them to do those crimes. But I just didn't know how to ask. And I guess there's a communication gap with me - because I don't know how to ask them those things without hurting their feelings. I can't go on asking, "bakit ka nagpatay ng tao?" This is something I should build on for tomorrow.
Pao and Yay were telling us that they're supposed to think up a possible livelihood for the kids for their Eco-H class. I suggested soap-making. One of the comments I heard from the kids was that they were already bored watching TV all day. Soap making could be a possibility, although it defintely isn't the cure-all for them. It would raise their productivity and reduce the boredom that they experience. Being caged up all day can make people mad.
Day 2 tomorrow.