An Unforgettable Experience for the Acayin & Mendoza Family

In May 2018, Linh Podetti, director of OA, traveled all the way to the Philippines so she could not only greet our VA team but to participate in our OA Love Projects with the Tribu Ni Bro group. Tribu Ni Bro, is the organisation that we have partnered with for our OA Love Projects, TnB aims to help different tribal communities in the country by supplying them with food, access to clean water, and assists the communities to rebuild their broke facilities such as water tanks and fish ponds. Two lucky families Acayin & Mendoza, were invited out from Sitio Quinao to have a fun-filled day in the metro city with Linh, the TnB group and some of the VAs. This was their very first time leaving their homes in the mountains and they were so amazed by the hustle and bustle that surrounded the city. The young children enjoyed seeing cars, trucks, and buses while they were on their way to the airport. They were filled with happiness when they saw life-sized airplanes flying in and out of the terminal while waiting for Linh to arrive. They mentioned how they could never imagine how large an actual plane really is until seeing it for the first time. Upon arrival Linh stepped out of the arrival doors, her eyes were in tears as she saw the families especially the children approaching her. She was so overwhelmed that she carried the youngest girl, Hanna. She was asking if the children have eaten and if they had a long travel to the city. As she was expressing excitement, Linh handed down the slippers she bought for Hanna and a bunch of bags filled with clothes. As soon as the families arrived in the country’s largest shopping mall, SM Mall of Asia, Linh excitedly asked the children to change their clothes into the clothes that were given to them. The families especially the children were so excited as this was their first time to step into a mall and ride the elevator. It was lunchtime and the team of VAs who joined in on the day decided to eat in a restaurant that served fried chicken, which was well loved by the children. When the food was being served, Hanna’s eyes became huge as she was so excited and amazed to see the large 2-pieces of fried chicken she ordered. It was so overwhelming to see the families eat using utensils as they usually use their hands when eating back home. After lunch, we all accompanied the families to the department store to buy them clothes. While we were choosing clothes for the children, there was a toy section in the department store where they were asked also to choose what toy they would like. The children were so excited about choosing the toys as it was also their first time to play with the toys from the store. The girls picked up dolls and stuffed toys while the boys got toy cars and balls. The children were also given bicycles, which they have never experienced in riding with before. Nearby to the shopping mall, there was a bay. Being part of a community that lived up in the mountains, they were so amazed in seeing Manila Bay. They mentioned, they this was their very first time to see this much water. Honestly, this experience has really been an eye-opener for me and had made me realise that there are still a lot of people who haven’t experienced the basic everyday necessities that we take for granted. I am really thankful to be a part of the Outsourcing Angel’s family where I can give my time to help the less fortunate families and communities and make an impact on one community at a time. To find out more about our other OA Love Projects check out our blog posts and make sure you follow us on our Facebook page too.