FEATURE
The Courage of the
Past Pupils of the FMA By Ms. Kathleen Iza Pagkalinawan
W
hen NCR was placed under community quarantine in March 2020, we felt like we were trapped. The Association had existing plans and projects that we wanted to implement, but we didn’t know where to start and how to mobilize. The pandemic has impacted all aspects of our work. Running programs, acquiring partners and financial support, collaborating with other past pupils and volunteers all proved to be difficult. Despite not wanting to sit back and stay safe in our own homes, we were left with very little freedom because of the protocols in place. Even then, we would always think about what we can do and how to ensure that our projects will find a way to our beneficiaries.
The challenges brought by Covid-19 paved the way for us to think about innovative ways and new opportunities to reach out to our past pupils and continue on with our mission. The challenges brought by Covid-19 paved the way for us to think about innovative ways and new opportunities to reach out to our past pupils and continue on with our mission. Once we have set our minds into not letting this pandemic stop us from doing what we can do, we needed only to put faith in God who has always provided, our
Lady who has always interceded, and to heed the words of St. Mary Mazzarello to have courage to withstand it all.
FUND DRIVES
The pandemic has shifted priorities of people and organizations to help. While funding and support may be limited, the needs and the work continue to pile up. Since our funds are sourced mostly from individual donations, we had to rethink of how we connect and how we support our connections. Much effort was exerted in personally contacting past pupils and donors through instant messaging, emails, and social media. Through St. John Bosco Today | April - June 2021
21
