Advocacy

I am not a superhero nor am I a mutant of some sort. Thus, I do not have super powers or special capabilities that can save the world in an instant. I am but a normal human being. But what differentiates me (and those people who stand with my belief) is my non- indifference to the necessity of Earth. I care.

However, this single fact cannot change the world for the better if I won’t do anything about it. So I acted on it.

I am one of those people who grew up bringing home packets of candy wrappers and scratch papers so I can properly dispose them in the trash can or segregate them in the recyclable bins. My father is a non-passive observer and wanted me to just throw my trash out of the car window while driving along the Highway. I cannot do just that, and I highly refused doing so. There was a time when he took my candy wrapper away from me and threw it out himself, but, nevertheless, he can’t stop me keeping those “trash” for better disposal.

Luckily, mid last year, I stumbled upon an opportunity to take on an upcycling workshop. The training course was a collaboration between SOS Training Center (Lipa Chapter) and our local parish church, the San Sebastian Parish Church, together with the Pondong Batangan. The Pondong Batangan sponsored four individuals to attend the said workshop and I was chosen as one of them.

The training course lasted for two weeks. It includes introduction to the workshop and what it stands for, the lesson proper, hands-on activities, a photo shoot and, finally, a fashion show at the end of the course. During the graduation ceremony, we were challenged to spread the knowledge we gained in the training. At first, I really thought it was an easy one, but with time and effort, I was proved wrong. As a part of this challenge, instead, I wrote this article hoping that people will see the opportunity upcycling gives to people.

To give you a background on what upcycling is, it is the process of turning recyclable and sustainable materials into items that are of greater value than they were previously made. Thus, the process gives some breathing time for Earth to replenish its resources and digest the wastes it took already. It involves creativity, ingenuity and expertise in creating.

Here, you will see that are made out of old magazines, plastic bags and worn out metal pieces. 

I just wanted to share these photos to give people ideas on what they can do to help make Earth a lasting place to live in. For as long as people have the will to create and to change, this advocacy will not be lost in vain.