Gawad Kalinga


Here you can see down the road where the houses are lined up on either side.
A couple of years ago our club funded one of these houses, which today cost less than $2,000. The houses are 2 storeys and quite small,only 600 sq. ft., but they are leaps and bounds better than the squalor they called home before. There's a living room, kitchen, bathroom and the 2nd floor is the bedroom, accessed by stairs like the ones we have that drop down from the attic.

We were invited inside, and in this home you can see a clever hammock rigged up by one mom to keep her baby quiet while she's busy doing housework.


Families go through a lengthy process before being approved for a home. Gawad Kalinga is religious based and teaches ethics, which are expected to be followed by the recipients. Hands on work is also a must. So far, they have had extraordinary success.

There's still a problem for children going to school. Often they have to walk up to 5 km each way, a distance that would be unheard of in our country. And uniforms are required, including shoes. This alone makes receiving an education very difficult for the most poor.

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