14-day Writing Challenge

SUPACA #childrightsPH 14-day Writing Challenge

Since our last monthly meeting, I've taught my "kids" about how powerful social media is as a tool to effect change.  We learned about twitter, about facebook, about slideshare and about how to make their own personal blogs.  They were given a list of topics to write about and I am happy that they seem to be taking this challenge to heart.  As I read each write up, no matter how short or how much they seem to be struggling, a good motto would be to "just do it" and to keep on doing it because practice makes perfect!

I realized that writing on their personal blogs help them track their progress and be proud to share their work!  All of this is original.  Check out #childrightsPH on twitter where they share links to their blogs.  I would appreciate kind words of encouragement, it can go a long way!

So therefore, in solidarity with them, I join in and catch up with the 14-day writing challenge!

Day 1 - Take a selfie and say something about yourself!

I am Helen, Sleepless in Cebu.  I am an obstetrician-gynecologist infectious disease specialist by profession, taking care of women living with HIV.  I am a researcher, child rights advocate and a teacher by heart.  I am a social media enthusiast and I am willing to do new things and enjoin others to learn by experience.

I have never given birth, but I feel connected to the kids I mentor and the residents I train.  I can't cook, nor draw, nor paint... but I can take selfies and groupfies and do a lot of things with my laptop and have a lot of ideas for research.  

Day 2 - Bucketlist: Name three things you want to do before you die

1.  I want to have a farm.  My dream has always to have a big tract of land with a small kubo in the middle and cultivate an integrated sustainable agricultural farm - with one aspect using the waste of the other component.  I'm thinking of the vertical integrated pasture system where you have goats or rabbits on top, poultry in the middle and vermiculture at the bottom.  I'm thinking of aquaponics where fish poo provides nitrogenous fertilizers to plants in a growbed, and the plants filter out these wastes to provide fish with clean water.  I hope to have fruiting trees, rootcrops, vegetables and herbs.  I hope to also have a carabao, goats, rabbits, dogs, pigs, chickens, ducks and quail.  I pray that this is not too far in the future.

2.  I want to develop a training center for the youth.  I have always found ways to push through with trainings for youth development and empowerment despite little to no budget.  It would be great to put up a training center facility where we can minimize cost of these trainings (most of these due to venue and food expenses) to ensure that youth advocates have team building, leadership training, public speaking workshops, spiritual retreats and even sporty events.  This would be something I hope to save up for, to make a meaningful impact on the lives of our children, in an effort to empower them to become morally upright and productive citizens of the world.

3.  I want to travel through Europe with my mom and my darling niece Krissy.  I am so poor at geography, but I have always wanted to see Lourdes and Fatima, and visit Lisieux where my favorite saint Therese of the Child Jesus spent her heaven praying for souls on earth.  I hope to see more of the world so that I may have a different perspective of other cultures and how we can strengthen and be proud of our own heritage.  Travel makes your soul richer.  I want to walk in another man's shoes.

Day 3 - Write a poem about your expectation of the Sangguniang Kabataan

You who are called to service, serve.

You who are chosen to lead, lead.

You who have, give.

You who can, do.

You who believe, love.

The future of the country depends on you.  

Be the best you can be, achieve your full potential.

Follow and join our SUPACA 14-day writing challenge on #childrightsPH!

Day 1	May 19, 2018	Take a selfie and write something about yourself
Day 2	May 20, 2018	Bucket list:  Name three things you want to do or places you want to go to before you die
Day 3	May 21, 2018	Write a poem expressing your expectation of the sanggunian kabataan (SK council).
Day 4	May 22, 2018	Describe to us your most memorable experience.
Day 5	May 23, 2018	UNCRC and Children’s Rights:  Choose one of the rights of children which you think you have already claimed for yourself.
Day 6	May 24, 2018	True Love Waits: Suggest ways to know the difference between infatuation and true love
Day 7	May 25, 2018	Child Labor Trafficking: How do you make sure you won’t be working as a slave to anyone?
Day 8	May 26, 2018	Online Safety: how do you guard personal information and chose what to show the world?
Day 9	May 27, 2018	GGGADS (guns, gangs, gambling, alcohol, drugs and sex): How do you advise adolescents on critical thinking skills for issues such as addiction, violence and risk-taking behaviors?
Day 10	May 28, 2018	Mental Health: Why do we get sucked into bad habits like alcohol and drugs – gateways for addiction?
Day 11	May 29, 2018	Sexually transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS: How do we reduce risks of transmission among the youth?
Day 12	May 30, 2018	Materialism: How has gadgets and new technology affected the manners and courtesy of young people today?
Day 13	May 31, 2018	Barangay Council for the Protection of Children: What is the role of the youth in their BCPC and how can they participate?
Day 14	June 1, 2018	Write about your hero.  How can you emulate the traits of your hero?