Most Significant Change

From time to time, Simon staff members interview beneficiaries about how their lives have changed since they started receiving Simon services. They then compile the answers into a Most Significant Change (MSC) story and send it to our major funding partners in Australia and Germany.  This is a story that I have been wanted to share for a long time, and my couterpart surprised me by completing this MSC about one of my favorite people at the SKSC Village. I am copying it as written, including grammatical errors for the full effect.

PICTURING A THOUSAND WORDS

Contact Details

Name of Story Teller: Ryan O. Boter

Relationship of the Story Teller to the client (PWD): SKSCV Coordinator

Name of person recording the story: Ryan O. Boter and Socorro Llarena

Location of interview: Primoy’s Grill, Rizal St., Sagpon, Daraga, Albay

Date of interview: April 22, 2014

Background Information of PWD

Name: Benjie Nerbes

Age: 21 years old

Sex: Male

Disability: Cleft Lip

Under which SCCRDFI project: SKSC Village

Has been a client / beneficiary of SCCRDFI’s program since: 2008

Benjie and his family lived in a small house in Bascaran, Daraga, Albay. Their house is made up of light materials and thus was not able to stand the wrath of Typhoon Reming when it hit the Province of Albay in 2006. Because of this, they lost their home during the typhoon together with whatever amount of property they have.

Their family was left homeless during that time and thus, had to live with their relatives for the meantime. Until one day, a woman who introduced herself as a volunteer, came to their family and told them that they are qualified to apply for a housing unit with Simon of Cyrene, a Non-Government Organization, since they have a member with disability and they lost their home to Typhoon Reming. Benjie’s family then made all the necessary actions to make sure that they were able to get the grant. His family submitted all the documents needed and patiently waited to be interviewed. After a year of waiting they finally got the good news that a unit will be awarded to them, with Benjie as the beneficiary. The unit was awarded to them in 2008 and since then Benjie’s family has started to dwell in the village together with other awardees.

Benjie’s disability has greatly affected his life most specially how he socialized and interacted with people around him. He seldom shows himself to other people. He just stays at home and does his best to isolate himself from his peers. He is ashamed of their social status and specifically his disability. He felt that being poor served as the barrier for them to be disregarded. His difficulty with his speech and language added to these barriers. Being bullied and played on at school did not help him and thus he decided to stop schooling at the age of 7 years old, thus being able to finish Grade 1 only. Benjie knows that life was not easy and thus instead of going to school he decided to engage in several odd jobs to help his father who is the sole bread winner of the family. This did not help him become more open to others thus he continued to isolate himself.

This did not change even when they first came to the village. Since Benjie was new to the place and to the people, he continued to be aloof and distant from the rest of the residents. However, being the industrious kid that he is he continued to help his family. The big change in his life came when programs for the youth started to be implemented in the village through the facilitation of US Peace Corps volunteer Rachael Sparks. Through these activities Benjie started to become participative to the activities and open to his peers at the village. He joined the photography club, tutorial lessons, running club and other activities of the youth. He also takes part in the youth organization and renders his service as volunteer in certain activities like the medical mission and the village anniversary. More importantly, he has now associated himself with peers and has developed friendship with people at the village.

Benjie thanks Simon for all the help that it has rendered to him which surely have changed his life. Among all of these, he values the skills and the attitude that he have developed because of all the activities that he was able to take part. He now sees himself as a person with leadership potentials and can someday help in the development of the village. More importantly, Benjie has come to realize that his disability was not a hindrance for him to achieve his goals in life. He even mentioned that he is lucky that his disability is minimal and that he can still do a lot of things regardless of his impairment.

Presently, Benjie is working at Primoy’s Grill as a helper. He was able to get the job through the referral of the Village Coordinator (Ryan). Since his employers’ sees that Benjie is industrious and hardworking they are trying to help him by teaching him how to read and write. Benjie is so happy to share that he is now starting to learn how to write his name. And as he improves with these skills, his employer has offered to send him to school and make him their scholar. Benjie relates that by small steps he will achieve his dream to be a professional photographer someday. That through pictures he will be able to communicate what his lips have difficulty to express.