7/28/2019 Gawad Kalinga EDITED

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Gawad Kalinga: Building on the Bayanihan Spirit

Most of us have heard or come across GK or Gawad Kalinga through some

friends who have, at some point, devoted their weekend lifting hollow blocks or

painting walls in a weekend GK Build. It is a movement built stronger because it banks

on one of our endearing traitsthe bayanihan spirit.

Gawad Kalingas founder, Tony Meloto credits his inspiration for GK from his work

with impoverished citizens when he was assigned as the Country Coordinator for

Australia for Couples for Christ (CFC). In 1995, when CFC initiated a youth development

program for gang members and delinquents in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, he

realized that ones environment could impact ones behavior. Living in slum areas

could turn people into forlorn and unproductive citizens, a perfect breeding ground for

crime and violence. Having found a way out of poverty through education, Tony

understood that poverty was not an economic, but a behavioral problem.

In 2002, Gawad Kalinga was established as a global movement aimed to

address poverty through building integrated, sustainable, and dignified homes with the

dream of turning the Philippines into a slum-free country. Upon its launch, 11 teams

implemented child and youth programs, health programs and shelters, powered by

volunteers from the Singles and Couples for Christ group. GK has since transcended to

soaring heights, gaining thousands of supporter- volunteers, coming together towards

one significant purpose: End the mindset of Pinoy poverty.

It has formulated a 3-tier developmental program to contribute to the countrys

roadmap to progress. These programs are geared to provide solutions to the problems

affecting Social Justice, Social Artistry, and Social Progress on a national perspective. It

is a 21-year journey that the group has embarked on, with the vision of achieving scale

and sustainability by developing the grassroots community along with key sectors and

partners abroad.

To date, Gawad Kalinga has successfully built over 2,000 communities in the

Philippines and even in other developing countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, and

Papua New Guinea. Driven by a strong commitment to help, Tony and his Gawad

Kalinga family continues to ignite the spark of hope that one day, not only our country,

but the whole world will realize the dream of a poverty-free society. It still is a dream,

but no doubt he will never get tired of keeping it alive with each house built, each

community established, each Filipino family now safely nestled under the safety and

comfort of a house built through the strength of bayanihan.