# ULOG Charity Diary | Gift In Kind PH goes to Banawen Primary School | June 9, 2018

A day in the life of Gift In Kind PH where we for months have planned for this activity that would show our love and support for the Barrio of Banawen and all the indigenous children that we are supporting.

Before leaving Manila we watched the weather news with trepidation as it has been raining since Wednesday last week.

This was the first time in five years that we were experiencing rain during our outreach program but we had faith that there would be a break on the clouds and we would be able to go to Banawen and surprise the kids.

The night before the outreach program it was still raining and we were faced with a difficult decision of cancelling the event. In our 12 years of existence, we have never canceled even if it was hot, raining or even when we lacked funds. We always found a way.

This was one of our memorable outreach as the wooden bridge was swept away and the option was to cancel or hire boats that would ferry us and the supplies to the other side.

Two hours before the tractors would arrive while having breakfast the whole organization was discussing the plan for the day.

There are two ways of getting to Barrio Banawen. The first one which we often took was the dry river bed but because of the non-stop rain we expected that it would be full of water and even if we are using the biggest tractors we could find today it could not possibly use that route.

The second way was to use the mountain path and although it would not be deep like the river what we would expect are landslides and fallen trees. This was the path we used last year and it wasn't even raining!

Majority of the volunteers wanted to go even if it was still raining. They looked forward to bringing smiles to these kids and they did not want to disappoint them.

The final decision rested with the core team and it was hard to decide. In one hand you don't want to disappoint the children but on the other, you were holding the lives of 25 people who had families.

What would you have done in that situation?

Adult life is all about compromises. Majority of the volunteers were talked out of going to Banawen Primary School because it was too great of a risk for them.

The school supplies would be delivered and a few people would accompany them to turn it over to the school and do a very short program and head back. There was no point in endangering all the lives of the people.

We loaded up the tractors and they would be followed by another vehicle.

Some went back to sleep, some decided to talk and make further plans for the day as we would be going to another school and with the organization split, we would need others to step up and do some of the program.

An hour after they left, we received a call that they had to turn back. There were just too many trees and landslides that they encountered on the mountain path.

They tried their best but had no choice but to come back to HQ.

We knew most of the folks were disappointed as they were looking forward to seeing the kids but their kindness will be given albeit at a later time when the storm has subsided and the path clear.

The supplies and medicine would be a few days late but they would still contain all our love, hopes and dreams for the children.

So yes we were not able to go to Banawen this time but we hope to go there again before end of the year and see the kids.

We want to show you their smiles and show you as a donator, upvoter and resteemer that you made a difference in their lives.

Steem is a dream builder and enabler for a better future for these children. Next stop is Sagpat Elementary school!

My video is at DLive