Affirmation, Sharing, and Celebration with Cartwheel Volunteers
Cartwheel volunteers and team members come together to affirm each one's contribution and commit to continuing the culture of sharing—all for the cause of our partner indigenous Filipinos.
In thanksgiving and celebration, Cartwheel Foundation, Inc. recognized the invaluable contribution of its volunteers on the organization’s 17th founding anniversary. A Volunteers’ Appreciation Gathering was held on October 1, 2016, also the first day of National Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) Month, at Advocafe-Mendiola with Cartwheel Team members and several volunteers in attendance.
This simple coming together was a time for kadagwayan (Binukid* term for “affirmation of the good and beautiful”) as indigenous Filipinos’ inherent strengths were recognized, so were the unique contributions of volunteers in advocating for IP education.
It was also an opportunity for dalit (Binukid for “sharing”), as the volunteers’ generosity in talent and resources were acknowledged, and individual stories of indigenous roots were shared with the group.
Finally, it was joyous kaamulan (Binukid for “celebration”) for the 17 strong years of Cartwheel’s work and mission, journeying with those of like minds and hearts to keep on in nurturing Filipino indigenous heritage through culturally relevant education.
Cartwheel team members (seated, in red) from the Talaandig tribe of Miarayon, Bukidnon lead the opening prayer ritual
Cartwheel Executive Director Pia Ortiz-Luis shares about Cartwheel’s mission and warmly welcomes attendees
Volunteers trace their indigenous roots as far back as they can and enjoy sharing interesting trivia about each of their families
Volunteers look through Kadagwayan: Book of Affirmation made personally for each of them, as a simple gift in thanksgiving for their generosity
Cartwheel Administrative Officer Berose Tacal (leftmost), Project Development Volunteer Arjane Sotto (center), and Education Coordinator Bricks Sintaon share with the group a traditional Talaandig courting dance
Berose and Bricks share stories about growing up Talaandig in the mountain community of Miarayon, Bukidnon
Cartwheel is deeply grateful to all its past and present volunteers whose generosity of spirit has shone throughout the years. Many of our partner indigenous learners are inspired by your service; they are one with the organization in recognizing the good fruits your work has bore in helping harness their own self-sustaining capacities through education.
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*Binukid is the language used by the Binukid ethnolinguistic group who lives in Bukidnon north-central Mindanao, southern Bukidnon, northeastern Cotabato, and Agusan del Sur. Binukid speakers mainly live in small barangays in the northern municipalities.
Source: “Binukid.” Ethnic Groups of the Philippines, 5 Oct. 2016, http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/people/ethnic-groups-in-the-philippines/binukid/.