College Libraries

De La Salle Visits Green Hills

On Saturday September 25, 14 year 10 students and three staff boarded Qantas flight QF19 bound for Manila. It was the beginning of the Cultural Exchange with La Salle Green Hills in the Philippines. Ahead lay two hectic weeks of experiencing a snapshot of life in a third world country. We experienced the life of a Filipino student, lived with the comfortably rich, shared the poverty of a rural community, spent time with children rescued from the streets of Manila and distributed food parcels to a community that lost everything in a typhoon three weeks previously. We took in some of the cultural delights of the Philippines and learnt about their rich history and contributed to their economy by taking advantage of the many and varied shopping malls in Manila. ‘Staying with a Filipino family for the duration of the exchange gave us the opportunity to experience their way of life but we soon came to the harsh reality that not all Filipino people live as comfortably as our host families.’ ‘I realized that the Filipino people are in a difficult situation. They are fighting an uphill battle against the government, against the rich and sometimes even against themselves.’ ‘Seeing the kids at the Kuya Drop-in Centre made me realise how extremely lucky I am. Those kids had next to nothing yet they were the happiest kids I have ever seen.’ ‘What surprised me was the way the people welcomed us with a smile and a wave even though we were part of their lives for a fleeting moment.’ ‘The whole experience was one that I will never forget. The poverty stricken streets, the time spent with street kids, spending a day in a rural village in Antipolo, and delivering food parcels to families who had nothing.’ ‘The things we take for granted have become so much clearer to me. Knowing how old I am where I came from and who my parents are and where my next meal is coming from.’ Mr Murray Enniss