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In
1995, Fr. Kit Bautista, a newly ordained 35-year old jesuit, was sent
off to his first assignment in Mindanao. After almost an
entire day’s gruelling trek, Fr. Kit arrived in a
beautiful farm land nestled between Mt. Kalatungan and Mt. Kitanglad in
Bukidnon. |
He
was
welcomed by the rosey-cheeked Lumad children and farmfolk of the
Tala-Andig (meaning
mark to be emulated) Community, which was to become his new
family. Unaware that Miarayon would be his home for the next four
years, Fr. Kit, surrounded and almost paralyzed by the poverty of this
Jesuit mission area, decided to take on this assignment and journey one
step at a time. Inspired by the hope of this God-loving community, he
was challenged to find something in the "nothingness" surrounding him.
In the old Miarayon "convento" his nights were spent by
candlelight
writing on his journal and envisioning the future of this quiet little
community.
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He dreamt of
the place bustling with schools and livelihood. In 1997, he built
Sta. Teresita High School for the youth of the area, where the common
practice was to revert to farming and marriage after 6th grade, due to
the absence of secondary schooling.
A young teacher and former Jesuit Volunteer, Gina Alfonso,
stumbled upon the place during one of her soul-searching breaks and
retreats. Fr. Kit immediately joked her about setting up a school
for
the young children in the area. Gina's immediate reaction was to
decline, not wanting to make any impositions on the community. |
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Fr.
Kit
responded quickly by calling a community meeting on the same day, where
the village leaders shared their concerns about their children wanting
to learn, but having no place to start. Being a
Mother Teresa fan, Gina
knew she had to try putting her drop in the ocean. So she said
yes.
In 1999, a year after Gina's visit, Sta. Teresita Pre-School run by
three Tala-andig
teachers was born. It was the fruit of a fusion of two visions -
Father Kit's
passion for the community, and Gina's desire to
provide as many children in the country with equal access to quality
education.
Initial teacher training and financial support was given by Gina's
friend Gigi Go and the Learning Child School. In 1999, Fr. Kit
and
Gina decided to incorporate in order to generate more support.
Its
initial board members, Nanette Lorenzo-Santos (who came up with the
name Cartwheel), Lisa Gokongwei, Fran Yuyucheng, Ria Nunez, Noey Lopez,
Felipe Alfonso, Maricel Genzola and Joey Cruz helped paved the way to
get Cartwheel on its feet and where it finds itself today. |
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