Travel ^ Adventure ^ Photography: A memorable Valentines

A memorable Valentines

2/14/2010 | Posted by ghen the backpacker

Valentines day has come to represent what the essence of love is believed to be. It's a special day to let our special someone know how much they mean to us and how much we love them. More importantly, it's a day of forgetting about ourselves and putting another's interests above that of our own.

Bottom line is--- it's a day of love.

So how do you usually spend your valentines? As for me, I usually give out surprises or plan for a holiday getaway.

But this time was a whole lot different and totally an incomparable experience.

Together with the Gees.YOs.Mams, I spent my valentines by throwing a party at SOS Children's Village, an orphanage in Talamban, Cebu City. More or less, 50 kids joined the party ages 5 to 10.

Thanks to Berzhie who was the brainchild of the event. It's actually her birthday on the 19th, so she decided to have a pre-birthday celebration with the orphans on valentines day as well.

                    Photo above by Mimi Diopenes

We started the party around 4pm by introducing ourselves. We brought snacks for them and kiddie bags with chocolates and candies. Some of us donated books and school supplies too. After taking the snacks, parlor games started-- Hep Hep hooray, bring me something, longest line and trip to Jerusalem were among the games we played. It was so fun and everyone participated! I could see the happiness and enjoyment on each faces.

Happy Kids

It really felt good to give love on valentines day especially to these kids with no families to run to. By sharing a little of what we have, spending at least a couple of hours with them, and throwing out a simple party, are just few ways of showing and letting them know how important and loved they are despite of what they have been going through in their lives.