Hope Lives

ERNIE E. MAIPID, JR

The countdown to the end of 2020 came. And not too long from now, 2021 will also be coming to a close.

The strong feel in 2020 was that many, if not most, could not just wait to push the toughest, most heavily challenge-laden year to the depths of oblivion!

This situation, even as HOPE, while flickering, steadied itself to stay and comfort.

Within personal distance,

-I listened to our Kapitbahayan leaders in GK, recently involved in holiday gift-giving to poorer communities in their surroundings, share in cracked but joyful recounting how it touched them that worthless though they saw themselves, they could give from their own to those with greater need.

– I heard Fr. Ben Nebres of Ateneo talk about helping the farmers, who lost their land’s yield to nature’s wrath through the provision of seeds and interest-free loans.

– I encountered concerned individuals and groups banding together in what they call ‘Walang Iwanan Alliance’ to alleviate our worsening hunger situation in Metro Manila.

And, of course, the ‘virus’ of concern had lingered, not far from home. 
It all started in midyear of 2020 when at the height of the corona scare, many poor fathers of students at the Padre Pio Sibol School in Bagong Silang, Caloocan, lost their jobs.

As a result, there was this possibility that 12 grade 6 students would not be able to graduate that school year. The urgency of this plight brought me texting friends, who I knew, would be in a position to quickly run to the rescue, help sponsor a child through his final elementary year. Within two days, we hit the target.

The victory gave impetus, as I became confident that ‘Good begets good!’ And that many are willing to help; they just are waiting to be tapped.

I tried writing a few friends to support our massive campaign to feed the young, so they would not lose their chance at a bright future because of malnutrition. The children’s growth and development were imperative. 

Surprisingly, my niece in the US distributed my letter to her circle of friends and contacts. She rounded up 50 sponsors, who will each sponsor a child with nutritious meals for four months.

And as if that was not enough, I get re-connected to a high school classmate, lost for 50 years, who suddenly greets me on my birthday. All in a day, through social media, we get updated on our senior circumstances. A necessary feature of my spiel is my involvement in the uplift of the deprived. 

Repeatedly tugging at me on how my classmate, Reggie Francisco, could participate beyond just giving help on time, I encouraged him to be a BRIDGE, facilitating opportunities for the poor to realize their dreams. Quickly, Reggie acted, rounding up his circles, and counted hunger sponsors for 33 children on the late evening of that same day of our re-connection. The following day, he counted a running total of sponsors for 70 children. 

Always, Reggie would write me, ‘Ernie, we’re feeding more hungry children!’ He sounded to me by his words, considerably astonished at how God has empowered him to help. As of this writing, my friend and his fraternity brothers have banded together to sponsor 170 children! 

Miracles were happening right in front of us! A good intent coaxes the good out of many. Is that a natural law? 

Only several months back, I was about to write, ‘Wreaking Havoc on Hope”, on hearing the plight of farmers being miserably cornered by middlemen and exacting every ‘pound of flesh’ on them. Also included in my writing was a poor woman unjustly imprisoned for ten years, even as her case rolls on in ‘I-couldn’t-care-less’ fashion.

But now, I see.

It’s been a year, and hope has thrived each day. Reviewing the week that just passed, God gave me seven blessed days of mentoring our young leaders to feed the hungry. I listened to their stories of how the children they fed would break into excitement with brightly lit eyes, broad joyful smiles, and a jumpy heart at the awaited arrival of the food van.  I can only be grateful that God does not sleep!

He continues to sow hope! It is new every morning.

Indeed, HOPE LIVES!