“What I realized from the mentorship sessions is that anybody can be a hero even if they don’t have any super powers. Even ordinary things done in ordinary or extraordinary circumstances can make a big impact.”
This is what Meyanie, 15, shared during the Day 2 of the mentorship sessions in August which centered around heroes, both sung and unsung.
Since August is the month when the country celebrates National Heroes’ Day, FundLife organized this mentorship session, focusing on paying tribute to the country’s sung and unsung heroes especially during this pandemic.
Day One of the mentorship focused on knowing the country’s national heroes who fought for freedom from colonizers. It was a fun learning activity enjoyed by the participants. They were also made to imagine themselves as heroes and what superpowers they want to have.
At the end of the session, they learned that even if they don’t really have superpowers, at a young age they can also become heroes in their own way. They have the power to inspire, educate, and empower the people around them such as families and their community.
Day Two focused on appreciation of unsung heroes, people who do great things or deeds who receive little recognition for them.
As the day two progressed, the participants had a deeper understanding about heroes. That heroes are not only the ones found in books or superhero movies, but they can also be anyone. They could be garbage collectors, medical front liners, sidewalk vendors, janitors, delivery riders, shop clerks, security guards, farmers, fisherfolks, and many more.
The participants each had something to say about how thankful they are for the existence of these unsung heroes.
They even had a role playing as a tribute to them. One group paid tribute to shop clerks, while the other group chose to give their token of appreciation to FundLife coaches for being their heroes in this time of the pandemic.
“For us, we consider FundLife coaches as our unsung heroes. And we are very thankful to them because they don’t hesitate to take risks to help us grow into better versions of ourselves. And for that we are greatly indebted to them,” Jhouls, 11, expressed.
As the session when to a close, the participants were asked to think of the silent heroes in their lives—those who made such a good impact to them—and to write a letter for these people. A majority of them chose to write a letter for their parents as well as friends.
Asked what their learning from the sessions is, Lera, 16, has this to say: “Heroes, both sung and unsung, from past and present, have contributed much to the society today. They deserve all the respect and appreciation from us who owe it to them.”
Happy National Heroes’ Day!
