Team GK QC : Building the 300

[Date Created: January 16, 2014]


by Eena Meloto

Building up a team of volunteers is no joke. It requires persistence, faith and a great knack of good times. No one knows this better that Team GK QC. They started out in January 2010 with only 5 members. all college students except fro Justine Cruz, then a GK full-time worker, who got them all together. All had been volunteering quite regularly in GK builds but then as a tea, their goal was to build up 300-strong volunteer force to raise a city of nation-builders.

It was not easy as they thought it would be. The first step was to come with a core team. Bringing people of different backgrounds and keeping their different schedules in sync was tricky. There was no doubting the youth have for our country but reality is that there are many things competing for attention.: school work, family commitments and other hobbies.

"What I first did was to dedicate Monday afternoons to converge young radicals from universities and colleges around the Katipunan area." Justine relates of their beginnings. "Then we started inviting leaders from schools on QC and that was when a major breakthrough happened. A group of ladies from Miriam College through the leadership of Mixie Rivera, then the student council president, became actively involved and showed real commitment. Their regular presence during the Monday meetings gave more life and attracted more attendees." The core group steadily grew to 15 people coming from different schools. As a team they started initiating events and builds, each of them inviting their own network through calls and texts. Meeting new people would always mean mentioning GK in one way and getting them to join a coming build on the next Monday meeting.

Roxanne, a student from Miriam College, feels they have gelled together like one big family, thanks to the friendships built. "In the team, even if we are not told, we just go ahead and do what is needed. When there are events or activities, we assign roles for each of us takes initiative and offers what we can, even if we can't be there."

A year and a half later, they have over 300 volunteers participating in their monthly activities (with exciting photos and stories shared online!). Besides their core team, there is an even bigger group of all-the-timers who help in spreading the great news about their work by writing, taking photographs and continually inviting new people to join in. While Justin puts their strategy of growth in three simple words: fun, friendship and freedom -- it is the last that deserves a pause and serious thought on how teams are made and build to last in GK.

"Freedom is about trusting people. It is more than passing the task. It is allowing them to take part and bring value in their own way to the work of nation building. It is about believing that each one of them is key to making dream happen."

To know more about the different activities of Team GK QC, visit  Bayani ng Lungsod Quezon Facebook Page.

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"Team GK QC : Building the 300" was featured on Page 32 of THE COURAGE TO CARE: GK Annual Report (January 2011 - June 2012). You can download the full report here.

Gawad Kalinga (GK) is too big a story for one person to tell, and it wouldn’t be complete without the partners who have been with us throughout the years. You too can be part of this mission of ending poverty. To be on call for GK, click here.