Today May 5, marks the first day back in the Philippines after 14 months. It's been a long journey. A year ago, I came with a simple mission: Reconnect with family for the first time in 28 years. My uncle gave me a tour of the school he runs in the outskirts of Manila. We walked the schoolyard full of children practicing for their year-end graduation ceremonies. I felt overwhelmed with the excitement that filled the air: the smiles, the giggles, and eagerness to start summer. My family was making a difference in the world by educating hundreds of kids each year, keeping them off the streets, building a foundation for success that might someday help these kids break the mold of poverty that plagues countries like the Philippines.
Little did I know, that day planted a seed within me to grow my desire to give back with my own passion: the love of storytelling and video. It's been a Since my first trip back in March of 2010, I've spoken with dozens of people about what will become the Thrivera project.
Today, I meet with the principal of our partner school (Immaculate Concepcion School of Baliuag) to design the curriculum of what will become our two week workshop teaching video storytelling to the youth of the Philippines. But first things first, we conduct a handful of home visits to interview the families of our youth. We'll have a chance to get to know who they are, their personal story, their hardship, their need. These kids will be the first class to go through the Thrivera project later this year.
