Through the Cold Winds, the Children Still Came For The 8th Day of MERCY Malaysia Initiative

Coming to the camp for the 8th time is fulfilling and tiring at the same time. With all energies left from the previous sessions, I headed to the CFS tent at 8:00 in the morning to continue what I have started. Little did I know there were only a few of us today, and I was not recharged for controlling a crowd of energetic children. But with no other choice, I entered the tent confidently because the children awaited me.

A new set of DSWD facilitators greeted us this morning for a quick turnover with the former groups. After the turnover, we headed to the Child Friendly Space tent to commence another session aimed at building emotional awareness in the children through a series of activities.

Unlike yesterday, the session this morning happened in stormy, cold weather. What was once a vibrant and warm Bayanihan Village turned into a place of non-walkers—as in no people walked around the village because of the bad weather. I was also doubtful at first that today's session would proceed because the weather could stop the parents from sending the kids to our tent out of worry. But the kids dispelled my speculation; gradually, they arrived with smiling and hopeful faces. The weather may have changed, but the kids didn’t allow it to interfere with their daily participation in CFS.

I roamed the area while waiting for the kids to search for the toilet of the village. Nature didn’t call me, but I searched for it to confirm the survivors have their comfort rooms and are not disposing in nearby bushes or woods. Their comfort rooms are easy to spot because they stand with different colors corresponding to specific sex.

In some parts around, mobile toilets are also provided, and that is where the people get their water and take their baths. I also spotted a fresh drinking water station but wasn’t able to take photos since I left my phone in the tent. The important thing is they are provided with toilets and water both for drinking and tap.

When I arrived at the tent, I saw some kids already inside, most of whom I knew by face and name. We were waiting for the other facilitators to arrive in order to start the program, but only two of them came, prompting us to start the zumba and physical stretching without any knowledge of choreography.

I would be honest that this zumba session is one of the worst dances I ever facilitated because even some simple steps of the Girl In The Mirror song our group couldn’t formulate. We tried our best to stimulate the kids’ minds through this session so that they could perform flexibly in the next activities. I tell you, it was literally chaotic but fun and energizing.

We wanted to do a Draw Me A Picture activity for the children, but since the facilitators are new to the recognition of the children, we had a Group Yourselves game to split the whole group into six groups so every facilitator has kids to own. This game is actually stimulating for me since it exercises the decision-making of the kids and their quick thinking in situations that need immediate response. This game is not for hard feelings, and not being chosen by your friends is not a determiner that they don’t want you. LOL.

We started our drawing session, and I had seven kids in my lap. Most of them are 7–12 years old children who can resist my instructions. A little bit of intimidation would stop them from making unnecessary movements, but I try not to be overly intimidating so that the connection and trust I have already built with the children won’t vanish.

My co-facilitators and I decided to draw each other while waiting for the kids to finish theirs. Rest assured we still assisted the kids with their inquiries despite us doing another job. The kids were laughing at our drawings because of how inaccurate the illustrations were and how exaggerated the details we put on each other’s drawings.

When all of the kids successfully illustrated their present imaginations, we instructed them to form a big circle for the sharing and reflection of the activities. The drawings came from the mood of the children in the present moment, and they were to draw a thing, object, or situation that best represents their emotions earlier. During the sharing and reflection, they were tasked to explain how the illustrations reflect their emotions to observe how aware they are of their emotions despite living in this state of calamity.

One by one, they told their perspectives, and such answers are symbols of hope and participation in our own little tent in Bayanihan Village.

The last part of our activity is free play, where kids are grouped into two according to age groups of below six and seven to twelve to make sure they play what is appropriate and applicable to them.
I was on the below-six age group earlier, and all we did was play with educational toys with varying targets—one for critical thinking, one for memory recall, and another for balancing and decision-making.

We also decided to read two books for the children. At first, they wouldn’t listen, so I decided to bring the biscuits in front of them for positive reinforcement, and there they listened carefully to the storyteller. We were actually told not to apply reinforcement in our activities, but we broke the rules because this concept is developed to be applied in the situation, not to be confined just because the DSWD doesn’t want us to set the standards of giving prizes, and they worry the next facilitators couldn’t reach the standard we have already made.

Today may not be the smoothest day in camp, but it’s another reminder that effort, laughter, and connection outweigh exhaustion. Even in chaos, we still made meaning. And sometimes, that’s already enough.