Every day, women around the world play a vital role in the lives of their families, friends, and even strangers. They are mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, friends, etc. Let us join forces to be part of their struggles, and also to celebrate their power in mobilizing change for the good of our humanity.
In celebration of International Women’s Month, I dedicate this special article to the women of Bata ng Calabnugan.
Bata ng Calabnugan is an orphanage for girls, founded in 2010, and located in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.
This orphanage has been the home for many girls who have been orphaned, some who used to live on the streets, and others who were victims of neglect or abuse, or who have mental or physical handicaps.
Currently, the orphanage is home to 24 girls from four months to 16 years of age. The main goal for this orphanage is to give the girls a loving and safe environment where family-style living is provided with lots of love and individual attention.
The matriarch and co-founder, Flora L. Aguit (formerly a teacher in Dumaguete), along with her husband Francesco, dedicated themselves over 10 years ago to establishing Bata ng Calabnugan, with the vision of giving back to the community because of the many blessings they have received, as Flora says.
Flora has been instrumental in ensuring that the home they built for these girls will provide a healthy environment for everyone. Her endless patience and compassion for her girls is an inspiration to all who know her.
She says she has no goals or needs for herself; rather, her goal is to make sure the girls are provided the best education they can have so they can lead better and happier lives.
When asked what makes her happy, Flora simply answers, “When I see the children smiling and happy, then I’m also happy.”
Flora comes from a family of farmers in Calabnugan, and her mother continues to sell vegetable produce at the local market on weekends. Flora carries on this tradition in vegetable gardening and management of fruit trees, which she finds therapeutic, and which adds to the food sustainability and nutritional needs at the Orphanage.
Not only does she manage the day to day work at the Orphanage along with Francesco, including attending school activities with the girls, Flora also does the cooking for everyone’s dinner meals every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Other women also play a vital role at Bata Ng Calabnugan. These include the support staff such as the House mothers who work in three rotating shifts per day, providing 24/7 care, particularly for the infants and toddlers. Then the other women who help in the daily cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Then there are the women volunteers from the local neighborhood, and from other countries who assist in nurturing and providing attention to the girls’ needs.
Lastly, I dedicate this tribute to the girls themselves, who have been very brave, and are so determined to make their lives better from what they had known. These girls work hard to be as healthy and as happier as they could possibly be, and all who are able have their assigned chores, helping with the cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry.
But of course, their main job is to do their very best in school. Their perseverance, resilience, tenacity, and good spirits are an inspiration to all who have the privilege of knowing them, and working with them.
These are the women of Bata ng Calabnugan, who are driven to make a difference in the lives of others, and to improve themselves. Their acts of selfless love are not based on self-interest, nor on the pursuit of popularity, praise or power, but rather they flow from a spirit of compassion, goodwill, and self-reliance.
You can get more information about the Bata ng Calabnugan orphanage from their website www.islangbata.it. Or email them at [email protected]. Postal mail address: Barangay Calabnugan, Sibulan 6201, Negros Oriental, Philippines. Mobile 0915-392-5107; 0916-754-3528
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Author’s email: [email protected]