KN Gives: One “Give” at a time for a better future
AS I write this column, I am taking a much-needed break at Tagaytay City’s T House, a nice boutique hotel that provides good, friendly and personalized service to its guests. If you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila, T House is a very good establishment to check into, especially if you are trying to find some quiet, private time for yourself. Last week was particularly hectic, since two of the organizations I spearhead, the Asia Society Philippines and the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, had important activities. Kaya Natin! had formally launched our Kaya Natin! Gives ( http:/gives.kayanatin.org) online donation portal that aims to encourage more Filipinos to help financially disadvantaged students finish college and help their families attain a better quality of life. At the Asia Society, we collaborated with the Korea Cultural Center for the second leg of our Asia in my Pocket (AIMP) series that featured Korea. This series aims to help introduce the culture and business practices of different Asian countries to Filipinos. Malaysia, Singapore, India and Japan will be featured next in the series. Those who want to inquire about AIMP can call Nash Cordero at (02) 752-4374.
What leaders need
If there is one thing I realized, leaders need to find time to rest in order to recharge and reflect. If one is tired, he or she may not be able to make the right decisions for his or her organization. Being tired can also make one become more impatient and short-tempered, which can potentially lead to conflicts within the organization. Many people think that you become a better leader if you work longer hours, but having a balanced lifestyle is actually the best strategy for that. By taking the time to rest and reflect, leaders will be able to step back and look at the bigger picture, which can eventually help him or her see things that can help improve the performance of his or her organization. Also, a leader will always need to find some quiet time alone to be able to understand himself or herself better. Many people fear silence or being alone, but finding the time to spend in solitude and reflecting on your past experiences can actually help you become a better person. Each day we are battered by the noise and clutter of information that surrounds our community, and thus we often come home feeling stressed and lacking the time to really process whatever experience we went through. If this continues, we will eventually feel burned out and unfulfilled, which can also affect our personal relationships with our loved ones. There is a reason why our loving God created Saturday and Sunday and this is because He knows that we need to use these days to rest, relax and appreciate the many blessings that we have received. Learn to take a break and spend time by yourself, and you will be amazed at what it can do to you, your relationships and your organization.
KN Gives update: Touching note from a donor
Last week, we received a very touching note from one of our first donors, a New Jersey-based Filipina who helped sponsor the education of one young Filipino student and the health insurance of two indigent Filipino families through our KN Gives online donation site. Below is that note: “First of all, I would like to congratulate all the people behind this endeavor for all your efforts. I am glad to have just made donations to two families and one student. We are by no means what you may consider rich, but we are certainly blessed to be able to afford to share.
“I have been wanting to help, but did not know how until I came across this program in a news article. I would like to help spread the word so I was wondering if you could send me even a standard letter asking for support for your cause that I could attach to an e-mail I intend to circulate among friends and families.
“Good luck and may God bless everyone behind this worthy endeavor.”
KN Gives makes it easier for people all over the world to make donations online and help more young Filipinos in finishing college. It also enables those who are not as financially blessed to contribute as well, since a donation as low as P200 would be of substantial help. You can gather your friends and if everyone in the group contributes a small amount, you can already make a huge difference in the lives of many young Filipinos. You also don’t have to leave your house or office anymore if you want to contribute, given that KN Gives is a full-service donation portal that gives you a variety options on how you can donate, such as the use of your credit card and ATM card (Megalink). Let us all help our country by sharing our blessings one give at a time and through these small contributions, I am sure that we will be able to help build for ourselves a more progressive and poverty-free Philippines that we can all be proud of. Comments are welcome at
harveykeh@gmail.com