Text by Pete Mar Yves G. Villalino
The Infomediary site that we went to was predominantly a rice farming community, and even though that area is literally surrounded by rice, the school still struggles to implement rice-farming activities into their curriculum. Therefore, only a minority of students is driven to pursue agriculture in the future.
Although the place is easily accessible and students were mostly ‘okay’ in terms of their lifestyle, I think most of them do not fully understand the whole context of the importance of community work yet. Hence, the sense of them being on the field and getting into real work hasn’t really got into their mind. As if the phrase ‘reap what you sow’, that every hard work that you do will be worth it, is not yet fully grasped.
While most students still have to appreciate the significance of agriculture, I observed that there were still some students who value its importance every day. They know it’s impact, how it works, and the benefits and opportunities that comes along with it.
In line with that, I think the youth should know how to be empathetic as supposed to just being sympathetic. You don’t just stand there feeling sorry for a person or a community. Instead, you should go out there and try walking on their shoes. You’ll probably trip on the onset, but at least little by little you’re one step ahead into helping the community.
I believe that the only way to help other kids is to inform them about the values of solidarity in terms of assisting each other regarding their right to be informed, especially in the subject of agriculture. And with information, students will now have the capacity for critical thinking, as great idea starts with a question. Those ideas, like a seed on a fertile soil, would later grow into something big and fruitful – something that would certainly be beneficial for the whole community. And the only way we can start doing that is by asking the right questions.
That’s what I see in the Infomediary Campaign, the creation and movement of ideas. Ideas that every students should have an access to so that in return, it