You Are Inspirational, Ms.Kara David

It has been a long while since I last wrote about inspirational people who went out of their way to help and bring inspiration to others. I have decided to start "You Are Inspirational" again. This time, I will try to feature people and their projects which can bring inspiration and even help others to start their own inspirational projects too.

Our guest for today is ms. Kara David. She studied Broadcast Communication at the University of the Philippines (1990-1994). She then pursued a career in journalism at GMA Channel 7, the Philippines’ foremost TV network. Kara has since then been a field reporter for the daily news while also doubling up as an investigative journalist / documentarist for I-Witness and as host for OFW Diaries. (taken from http://www.karapatria.com)

Project Malasakit (Compassion) is a scholarship project founded by Ms. Kara Patria David in 2002. Despite the growing cynicism in the country, Project Malasakit believes that Filipinos are naturally compassionate. The Filipinos just need a credible, concrete vehicle to channel their“malasakit”. It is their mission to bridge the gap between Filipinos who want to help and Filipino children who need to be helped.

(source)

Question: What made you start with project malasakit?

Kara: because of the nature of my job, i am always sent to different areas in the philippines. marami sa mga lugar na ito ay mga remote communities, sa mga malalayong sulok ng ating bansa, sa tuktok ng mga bundok, sa mga lugar kung saan walang kuryente at kalsada, mga lugar na di pa nararating ng karamihan. ive always believed that everything happens for a reason -- hindi tayo dadalhin ng Panginoon sa isang lugar kung wala siyang misyon para sa atin doon. dati, akala ko my only mission was to do documentaries, videotape people's poverty and report them as truthfully as i can. pero once you are exposed to the poverty of the countryside, once the cameras have stopped rolling, once the director has shouted "cut! pack up!"... the pain in your heart remains. parang di ko magawang iwan ang mga tao. dinadala ko hanggang pagbaba ng bundok ang pain, ang bigat ng kanilang hirap.

compassion is the capacity to feel other people's pain, enough to move one to action. compassion "malasakit" is different from sympathy or "awa" -- ang awa kasi nananatili lang sa puso, pero nakakalimutan din sa kalaunan. ang malasakit -- pakiramdam mo nasasaktan ka rin, thus moving you into action. this is the reason why i started project malasakit. i knew that God wanted me to do something more -- to use the media as a vehicle of compassion. maging tulay ng mga taong gustong tumulong at mga taong dapat tulungan.

at hindi mahal magpa-aral ng bata -- it takes only 1,000 pesos per month to sponsor a child. what is 1,000 pesos? a pair of jeans? a movie and dinner date? a pair of shoes? maliit na halaga pero malayo ang mararating sa buhay ng isang bata.

Question: How did you start it?

Kara: it started in 2001 with one scholar named myra demillo of mindoro -- her story is on my website (how we started). myra is the subject of my very 1st documentary -- gamugamo sa dilim about remote communities that have not seen light -- meaning electricity. myra has now graduated from college and is now sending her two sisters to school.

Question : How can other people help you achieve project malasakit's goals?

Kara: there are many ways to help project malasakit:

you may sponsor a child (1,000 pesos per month -- or less if you dont have that much; others naman give us a lump sum amount) -- you may donate via paypal accessible thru my website; via bank BPI katipunan Project Malasakit Inc. savings acct 3083-7033-92; we will also soon launch our text donate campaign

you may volunteer in our outreach programs which we do every two months, help in repacking goods, or help in distributing them to the communities

you may donate school supplies, rice, slippers, etc to the communities we help

my email is karapatria@gmail.com or my assistants cheeneerola@gmail.com and jjeeiiaahh@yahoo.com

Question : Can you share a message of inspiration to others who would like to start
their own socio-civic groups to help the community?

Kara: hindi mo kailangan maging mayaman para tumulong; hindi mo kailangan maging malaking tao para makapagdulot ng pagbabago; hindi mo kailangan maging martir para tumugon sa mga hinaing -- kailangan mo lang buksan ang iyong puso sa malasakit. share your blessings, share your time.

much is expected to whom much is given (luke 12:48).
let us change the world, one child at a time.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Kara and for being an inspiration. As for everyone who is reading this, let us do our part. We are all inspirational in our own way.