On September 29 and 30, we hosted a basketball clinic for boys from the Manila Slum Program communities. 77 boys (29 from Ronas Garden, 33 from Marytown, and 15 from Daantubo) were happy to run in their squeaky new shoes and thump their basketballs onto Barangay Loyola Heights’ covered court. All of this would not have been possible if it weren’t for Kaleb Beveridge’s initiative and the help of his good friend, Johnny Duer.
Kaleb is not new to the realities of the children that we help in our Manila Slum Program. He is also not new to basketball. Back in Australia, he actively shares his love and skill for basketball through Evolve Hoopz Lab—a platform he has for offering “coaching, shooting machines, gym, and more.” Seeing the kids in MSP, he thought about sharing a part of it with these children. He and his friend, Johnny, ran a donation drive for basketball shoes and basketballs to fly with them to the Philippines. And there, our event was made possible.
The first and second days were dedicated to two-hour training sessions, which included warm-ups, drills, and a mini-game to prepare for what would have been the culminating activity on the third day (31st). One of the bigger challenges for Kaleb and Johnny was the language barrier, but it was easily remedied by our staff translating the drills into Filipino.
There, we asked one of the kids, Emar, an 8-year-old who paused and said he’s 9 when asked about his age. We interviewed him because he is a small kid who bravely blocks other boys twice his size and runs after the ball like a thunderbolt. He knew about the basketball clinic through his father, who was present on the same day. We asked him what he felt when he learned about the basketball clinic, and he said, “Masaya!” (Happy!) And his favorite move? “Tumira!” (To shoot!)
It’s not only the children who were excited to play, but their parents, too! Like Ate Freda, a mother of a kid named James, said that it’s her first time seeing her son playing basketball. She says he doesn’t play physical games with other kids a lot and is only frequently glued to his tablet. As Ate Freda saw her little one run and sweat and work on his coordination skills, she could not help but giggle and squeal. It was a truly delightful sight.
Another boy, Jemuel (9), is accompanied by his brother. He said he had always been fond of basketball and had been watching the games of the Philippine team, Gilas Pilipinas, on television. Like Emar, Jemuel was “Masaya” when he heard that there would be a clinic held near them. In one of the moments Jemuel and Kaleb had together, Kaleb playfully told him to come to Australia, to which Jemuel answered, “I can’t, my mom is pregnant!” This kind of innocence touched Kaleb’s heart. As the day of the clinic ended, he expressed his excitement about their culminating game the next day!
We bid our goodbyes and see you tomorrows to the kids. But just less than an hour later, the rain started pouring hard. It is the rainy season in the Philippines, and due to climate change and misuse of government funds for flood control, the covered court flooded. We didn’t realize that those goodbyes were the last.
Sadly, this is the reality for many Filipinos, especially for those living in poverty areas. The little joys, like basketball clinics and tournaments that these kids could experience, could be easily washed away by the pouring rain. Attempting to brave these floods means risking themselves to illnesses like Leptospirosis and Tetanus.
On the third and last day, the rain still fell. Although not as strong as the previous day’s, the covered court was still bedraggled from the previous night’s outpour. We cancelled the event and became grateful for the last two days. The plan may not go as hoped, yet we still felt honored to see the smile on the children’s faces and feel the roaring energy that spread across the court. Seeing them become more confident players, we knew we still made it—these children will look back on this one day in their childhood and cherish it fondly.
We asked Kaleb and Johnny what they learned about their experience.
“It’s to find joy and happiness in whatever situation I am in.”
It was not only the children whose lives were changed, but ours, too.
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We need 10 people or families each willing to donate USD 3,500 | AUD 5,000 per year for 3 years to start in a new community. Help us provide education and support to children and families in Manila’s slum communities.
With your support, we can stop the “slum story” with this generation of children.
