20 plus days , 200 plus houses, 1000 plus people, 1 community, 1 goal
One of the objectives for our second exposure is to gather primary data by doing house-to-house survey.
“ If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come.” The Dalai Lama
At first I thought it would be an exhausting routine of asking the same questions, over and over again, in a dialect I have a hard time conversing in. And it was. But with this activity we were fortunate enough to hear their stories and somehow, even by a little, build rapport with them.
More than 75% of those surveyed were below poverty line, with some earning as low as 200 pesos a month. But these people didn’t look defeated or depressed with their low income; they always managed to fix a smile on their faces and would offer us food even when they have so little to spare. When asked if their income is enough for them, most would smile and say ‘okay ra man’ with some adding ‘ga tan-um man ku utan’. Fulfilling their most basic need was enough for them. They were contented with living simple lives.
These people’s sense of contentment made me appreciate what I have and what should be important in life. The Dalai Lama once said, “If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come.”