Fine Points
“Builder of Dreams” picks up where Habitat for Humanity leaves off
A Book Review by Lydia V. Solis
From a gang member’s suicide, to his future son-in-law selling a BMW to house 400, to accolades from three Philippine presidents, Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto’s journey as the “Builder of Dreams” is a moving memoire of how one man removed a mountain, replacing it with a nation.
“Builder of Dreams” beautifully details the birth of “intentional communities” where the colorful homes lining the streets in each GK village reminds one of the rainbow covenant made to Noah, promising that new possibilities come from the storms of despair.
Meloto recounts anguishing stories including the suicide of Edwin, former Bad Spirit gang leader, who killed himself after learning a trade and giving up his criminal ways, only to discover that without an infrastructure in place, he couldn’t support his family.
But “Builder of Dreams” is a mostly hope-filled journal that also includes testimonials from individuals such as Jed Sy, an inmate at GK Ray of Hope, the first such village inside a prison facility, the Ma-a City Jail in Davao City, and Alexis Elinon, a 2008 Special Olympian, who lives in GK Bagong Pag-asa (New Hope) for paraplegics.
“One day I hope that people with disabilities will no longer be seen as burdens to society or less important,” Elinon writes. “I also dream for our country and our people.”
The 450-page book, with scores of color photographs, show that after spending time with Meloto, people tend to become inspired.
Brit Dylan Wilk sold his brand new Beemer, planned to write a $100,000 check to Gawad Kalinga and stay in the Philippines for a few weeks to see how his money would be spent.
“How could the only Christian nation in Asia look like this,” wrote Wilk, whose impression of the Philippines at the time included Smokey Mountain outside Manila, the infamously large trash heap where scores of the poor lived and made a living.
Wilk stayed for a year and married Meloto’s eldest daughter, Anna. They launched “human (heart) nature” organic personal care products that are made in the Philippines.
Wilk’s memories are among dozens of recollections included in “Builder of Dreams” written by GK supporters radicalized by Meloto’s gentle hopefulness.
Fil-Am Joel Coronel borrowed $50,000 to help typhoon victims.
“I can always work to pay for that loan, but the poor in my country cannot wait,” Coronel told Meloto. “They have suffered long enough.”
“Builder of Dreams” also includes an accolade from former President Cory Aquino who, in a 2004 speech, stated: “Gawad Kalinga is people power and people power is Gawad Kalinga.”
Speeches from former President Fidel V. Ramos and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo show their involvement and personal commitment to the cause.
Meloto even moved multinational companies in the Philippines.
Shell Philippines saw that traditional charitable donations didn’t lead to corporate social responsibility, but sustainable development and productivity and livelihood centers for storm victims did.
Shell Philippines donated prime property in Batangas City, and employees volunteered to build two Gawad Kalinga villages. The company’s largess was followed in kind by Petron Aramco and Chevron, then Smart, Globe, Pfizer, Wyeth, Boehringer, Unilab, Glaxo Kline, ABBOTT, Procter and Gamble, Unilever, Colgate, Palmolive, Nestle, McDonald’s and Jollibee.
So Meloto has removed Smokey Mountain as the impression of how Filipinos treat the poor of their country and raises up a Philippines promising to be the model of compassionate nation-building.
It would be a challenge to anyone who reads this collection of Meloto’s journal entries and other individual testimonials not to be moved to do something to help Gawad Kalinga in whatever way possible. You may shed tears reading “Builder of Dreams,” but they will be those of joy in realizing a dream builder lives inside all of us.
Gawad Kalinga (“to give care” in Tagalog), is a global organization that not only builds homes for the poor anywhere in the world, but the infrastructure for an entire village to exist including job centers, rehabilitation and food programs. For more information, see http:www.gk1world.com or e-mail info@gk1world.com