You could hear the laughter through the walls of the Youth Advocates through Theater Arts (YATTA) Creative Space.
Nikki Cimafranca was leading morning warm-ups. Even early in the morning, he had all of the kids wiggling and giggling. “Ahhhh,” they shouted. “Eeeee, ooooo.” Feeling and acting silly with strangers was breaking down walls on day one.
The seminar was advertised as a Skills for Life workshop for youth organizations in the Dumaguete area. This is one of the key trainings offered by the Consuelo Foundation Life Skills Plus program being implemented by YATTA.
Participants from Little Children of the Philippines, Gender Watch against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE), and YATTA joined together to collaborate on how to be honest, courageous, responsible, etc.
Junsly Kitay, facilitating with Nikki, led a morning activity inviting four students to peel mangos four different ways. One with a fork, one with a potato peeler, one with a knife, and even one using teeth! This exercise was used to show the kids that if you have the right equipment, problem solving is much easier. If you have the right skills for life, you can ultimately make better choices.
A teenage boy from LCP told the group, “Frankly, I’m the type of person that when I’m forced or dragged I just go along. I thought it was going to be a boring thing but I was wrong.” Another participant even admitted that he was drunk on the first day of the workshop, but actually came and had fun. He came back the next day sober and excited for another round.
What made this workshop different from so many others was the interactive approach the facilitators took. As opposed to having only a lecture with participants taking notes, they instead learned by doing. Every activity had a lesson that could only be appreciated by participating enthusiastically.
The students learned about self-awareness by creating a diary. They used the pages to draw and write, expressing their feelings as they came. They also practiced interpersonal relationships and communication skills by telling a personal story about themselves to a stranger. Benjamin Franklin’s quote, “when you are good to others, you are best to yourself,” was a common theme throughout these activities.
On day 3, the students were presented several hypothetical scenarios of “bad situations.” They were asked to collectively decide how to make the responsible choice and turn it into a good situation. This taught critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills.
The initial goals of the program were to engage young people, families, the school or learning institution, and community members in creating a learning community of caring relationships. The facilitators hoped to set high expectations for positive behaviors and meaningful involvement. They also strove to provide opportunities for young people to learn the essential life and employability skills for a healthy and productive life.
Nikki and Junsly wanted to promote a safe, healthy approach to life, free from the harm of alcohol and other drug use. They hoped to engage young people in the practice of good citizenship through cooperation and service to others, and finally, to strengthen young people’s commitments to their families.
These marketable skills taught during this workshop were useful, but what was really remarkable was the camaraderie the participants created. On the first day, many students were very shy and didn’t know many people. The groups were very clearly segregated; LCP on one side, YATTA on another, GWAVE Teen Advocates huddled on another, MAVA in the corner. However, these barriers were quickly shed.
Honey Villamor, an LCP scholar, said she felt a change in herself. She became more open. “At first, I felt quiet because I’m shy. But after a while, I heard myself laughing- very naturally, and very loudly. I have just been spending time playing ping pong, but I realize now that I can do more than just sports.”
Brendo Antipuesto, MAVA, shared with the group that he had developed more awareness about himself and awareness to be able to recognize how we react. He discussed the importance of knowing what kind of things make you angry. “It’s also how you respond- not just in the positive but also the negative. It’s an important reminder for me. I hope and pray that I internalize all that I have learned so that whatever challenges I face in the world I can handle them better. It’s good to create a habit out of what we have learned.”
Junsly also mentioned making the lessons learned become habits. “It’s like biking; in the beginning, it’s difficult. But once you learn, it becomes a part of you.”
Nikki shared the value of the word “life.” The letter L represents living the way you want others to live. I means to be involved in your community. The F stands for finding ways to solve problems and finding ways to enjoy life. E brings all of the lessons together: evaluate where we are now and what we are now, so that we can recognize future actions we still need to take.
The conclusion of the workshop was bittersweet. Each student thanked the facilitators and their fellow participants profusely, continuing to praise the experience they had as a “blessing.” These students who were strangers mere days ago left with lots of laughter, hugs, and a shared experience they promised to never forget. (Abigail Kraft)
