Written by: Jastine Rosit“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” It is one of Aristotle’s words of wisdom. Certainly, the heart and the mind are intertwined in the true essence of education. Feeding the mind with overflowing knowledge while leaving the heart empty would not capture what education is truly about. Thus, it requires a great sense of mission and dedication to teach both the mind and the heart. For thirteen years, Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid Foundation (2KK) is transforming lives and living out this holistic definition of education. 2KK is helping our fellow Filipinos in “realizing dreams through education”. This mindset motivates and propels every member of the organization to be an instrument of change for more than a decade. They enlighten the path of the underprivileged youths who are living in the shadows of poverty. They give hope through education; through education they build dreams; through building dreams, they build better, happy, and more empowered lives and homes. Let us take a look on one of the stories of hope - a small leap of faith that led to big ripples of change. Mickel Dublin ,19, is one of the scholars of 2KK. He is taking up BS Criminology, and he is walking through his childhood dreams of being a policeman. For this senior college student, “education is not only gaining knowledge. It is also [about] having discipline and love [with what you do].” Tracing back to 2008, Mickel has started his journey with 2KK. He was just an eleven year old child who viewed his dreams as unreachable stars; the clouds of doubt and uncertainty filled his thoughts. “Before, I don’t believe that I can reach my goals in life,” he shared. But through the help of 2KK, his outlook in life has changed. He has mustered every ounce of courage and optimism in his system. He has realized that there are ways to achieve his goals and he would not walk through it alone. He regains his strength and will power to take little steps forward. He carries his dreams in his pocket as his journey begins. It may be challenging and tough but Mickel is very eager and inspired to reach his goals. “I want to become a law enforcer someday and I will achieve it because 2KK is helping me,” he said. “It is also my wish to have a simple family and to live in a simple house, and get a permanent job,” he added. One of the most valuable lessons that he received from 2KK is to always set a vision and to always prepare himself to cross the path that will lead to his destination. No one can tell him that he cannot do it because he just needs to whisper to himself that he has the potentials to make it. He also realizes that he has his fellow kapatids who will guide and support him. “Thank you so much to 2KK for your love and trust, and for believing in us that we can achieve our goals in life and be a successful person,” he gratefully said. Just like how we define education that traces its core in the heart and the mind, Mickel personifies this meaning. He also wants to share the learning and opportunity that he received as one of the scholars of 2KK. This is his way of educating and imparting the life lessons that he obtained. “I want to serve the community. That’s how I’ll payback the help of 2KK to me.” Undoubtedly, he acknowledges that “educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” It is by continuously loading his tank of information and filling the spaces of his heart that he truly learns. He is our kapatid and he has been with us all through this time. It has been thirteen years of being in mission to educate (the heart and the mind), and every year, our family grows. In as much as we plant seeds of hope and inspiration, we reap dreams coming to reality. To be a YAPAK Sponsor, click here to find out more.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |