When Thomas Graham began his journey with Gawad Kalinga, he never imagined the world that would open up to him.

>When Thomas Graham began his journey with Gawad Kalinga, he never imagined the world that would open up to him.

“Come alongside the poor, befriend them, partner with them, and you will discover their potential. But don’t take my word for it – experience it for yourself.” –Tony Meloto, Gawad Kalinga Founder

 

When young British journalist Thomas Graham paid Gawad Kalinga (GK) Founder Tony Meloto a visit with a clipboard of inquiries concerning poverty and economic growth in tow, he never imagined that an entirely new world would open up to him – a world that called him to “ditch the shirt and tie” and the realm of theory to discover through lived experience what Meloto fondly alluded to as the genius of the poor.

But there was one question that continued to linger in Graham’s mind: “If there is indeed genius in the poor, then why are they poor in the first place?” As Graham struggles to grasp this elusive genius, he seeks to transcend the utter disconnection between the middle class and the poor by connecting to the realm of the grassroots.

 

Built Upon Bayanihan

From the once-desolate streets of Bagong Silang to the innovative breeding grounds of the Enchanted Farm, Graham collects a range of poignant and sometimes humorous encounters with GK community members, volunteers, servant-leaders, and nation-builders. As he navigates the backstories of former gang members, criminals, inmates, and flood victims, Graham gradually uncovers the cornerstone of social transformation: a spirit of service and bayanihan that leaves no one behind.

“No one is too poor that they cannot share,” shares Adeluna of GK Missionville. As Graham's travels confirm, community after community is transformed through the collaborative efforts of residents and volunteers unified in one vision to bring poorest of the poor out of poverty. “The big idea is not doing good, it’s doing good together,” says Luis Oquinena, GK Executive Director.

Hope is instilled by those who believe in the potential of the poor – who are thrown into the direst and most challenging social and economic conditions – to take up their crosses and change their lives. “The key to this transformation was the presence and partnership of others, who came alongside the lost and marginalized and gave them the confidence and belief to rebuild their lives,” writes Graham.

 

Partnering with the Poor

Building houses marks only the beginning, as GK’s mission to end poverty for 5 million families in the Philippines by 2024 illustrates. One must allow the initial spark of volunteerism to grow and anoint all of their actions. “[Building] a more cohesive nation requires a far more enduring commitment than a one-off venture into the life of the marginalised,” writes Graham.

As Suwani, head of ground operations in GK Indonesia, articulates, “[Gawad Kalinga] is not charity – it’s about partnering with the poor, about truly loving and caring for them.” This partnership with the poor, as Graham learns, is about tapping into their creative, collaborative potential to identify their community’s most urgent needs and developing and honing their skills to build a community that is uplifted and empowered.

As a young man named Emong, who Graham meets in Bagong Silang, shares: “Even if you’re a drug addict or criminal like I was, you can change in a minute if you realise that you can help others. We need to give people a chance to help others and do good. As soon as you realise that others care about you, you gradually begin to care about them, too. This is the basis for change.”

 

Channeling the Genius of the Poor

“The poor are rarely given the opportunity to realise their full potential in this individual sense,” writes Graham. “Nonetheless, there is a certain ‘genius’, I believe, in the underlying connectedness within the communities I have visited.”

Social enterprises and entrepreneurs rely on and channel this genius of the poor in developing sustainable livelihoods and creating original products and marketing strategies to create a positive impact on poor communities. Graham explores the efforts of these various enterprises and businesses – from Golden Duck and Gourmet Keso to Bayani Brew and Human Nature – to move beyond the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) notion of the poor as mere beneficiaries, and actually partner with the poor in business.

As Graham learns, there is much to be discovered in partnering with the poor and delving into their way of life – above all, a certain authenticity in living and realizing goals that they can identify with and call their own, and with which they can together raise a community of immense hope and resilience from the brokenness of social inequality.

Graham writes:

“Genius, I have discovered, lies not just in individual brilliance in some area of human activity, but in a supremely positive, humane attitude to life, to its ups and downs, to its unfairness and its opportunities, and above all to other people – family, neighbour or stranger. In this respect I gave glimpsed genius in the impoverished [communities] […] And in the process I have been taught, not how to pass an exam or appear intelligent, but simply how to live a more authentic human life.”

 

 

“The Genius of the Poor” is now available at Human Nature’s online store and Flagship Store:

463 Commonwealth Ave
Barangay Matandang Balara
Quezon City
(02) 224-2222/ (02) 224-2223
customer.service@humanheartnature.com

 

Photos courtesy of Gawad Kalinga's Facebook Page