Following the educational proverb of “learning by doing”, the grade 10 students of Bannister Academy have immersed themselves (literally and figuratively) in a painting activity at Gawad Kalinga (GK) Shaw-Keegan Village in Barangay Escopa III, Project 4, Quezon City, last September 21, 2015. Literally because the students enjoyed it so much that they did not care whether their arms and shirts brushed the newly painted walls or droplets of the flat latex splattered on their heads and faces as they worked the ceilings, and figuratively because as some of them said, “This is more than painting houses, this is painting the life of a community”.
We were met by kuya Noel, the GK coordinator of the area, and ate Izza, the president of the community, and provided us instructions on what houses to paint and what the dos and donts are of painting. Upon seeing what was happening, some of the residents assisted the students with the distribution of paint and gave them a crash course on brush and roller strokes.
The activity was supposed to last until 2:00 PM but since the 2 buckets of paint were consumed earlier than anticipated, the group decided to have lunch in the community. Some of them bought from a nearby karinderya and some ate their packed lunch in the renovated basketball court. When it was time to go, the students bid farewell to the residents and to those who helped us in the activity. It was a picture-perfect sight, seeing a community being slowly painted by fellow citizens working together for the betterment of society.
Each year, Bannister Academy continues to advance its mission of producing graduates who are not just steep in the humanities and classical education but who also possess good hearts and are capable of using their freedom wisely and responsibly. Through its community-building initiatives, many lives constantly being changed for the better.