Cybalink Celebrated Community Ethos Month
Embracing the Community Spirit
Cybalink Solutions has always contributed to great foundations like “True Manila” but stepped up further this year holding Community Ethos Month. Employees were asked to contribute innovative ideas to help their communities, or put forward a charity that was close to their hearts. Community Ethos Month was initially planned for one month but as everyone embraced the true spirit of giving, it extended to three awe-inspiring months with the campaigns commencing in June 2019. Kim Lombardi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Cybalink Solutions is undeniably one of the key motivators behind everyone’s fervor to live out community ethos at Cybalink Solutions. Described by both peers and her team as a true good Samaritan, Kim has a deep sense of social responsibility towards the Philippines and the surrounding communities.
I am always conscious of the beautiful country I get to call my second home (the Philippines) and the immense contradictions to life here with poverty, hunger and a big divide between those that have and those that don’t – Kim Lombardi
Blood Donation Drive with the Philippine Red Cross
The first activity we had the opportunity to do was a blood donation drive that happened on July 11, 2019. After rounding up interested blood donors, we had over 30 volunteer staff for the blood drive. The blood drive happened at Cybalink’s offices organised by the Human Resources Team in collaboration with the Philippine Red Cross.
When people think blood donation, those of us hailing from the western countries don’t see this as much of a sacrifice. We see it as a norm because we have access to healthy supply in blood banks. However, in a country like the Philippines blood is a scarcity and one not to be taken for granted. Yet even so, you might hear it ever so often – this or that person has donated blood. And that’s it, passé. No biggie.
BUT NO.
Blood donation is not simply just about the extraction of blood from the donor. The intent of a donor giving blood is an act of selflessness and should be given due commendation. Because giving blood is giving life whichever country you’re from, especially to those in most need here. Blood is a life source to anyone from a baby to an elderly who could be fighting for a chance to life. That 450cc of blood extracted from a donor could save a person from a brink of untimely death. Every drop of blood count.
One cannot make blood; it is a gift we all have inside of us to those in need. There is no doubt that the need is huge here in the Philippines. The 30 staff who volunteered served as an inspiration to others. – Kim Lombardi
The True Manila Experience with North Construction
For the next activity, Cybalink Solutions took a team of 6 to experience True Manila. Edwin Nombré ‘toured’ them around the streets of San Andres Bukid to witness the impoverished living conditions of his community. Being a native of San Andres Bukid, one of the most densely populated impoverished areas of Manila, he is well-versed in the socioeconomic disparities of living in the Philippines. Growing up, he was blessed to be provided for by two foreign mission workers. They put him to school and answered the cost of his living expenses. He had the opportunity to leave the squalor behind and live a better life outside of San Andres. However, he did otherwise.
Incredibly, he continued to live in the same community to support and live out the True Manila cause. His belief is evident in how he lives out his calling to support the people of San Andres Bukid. True Manila provides school supplies for over 10,000 children every year. They organize feeding programs for the little ones, taking them off the streets and putting them to school just as how Edwin was provided for by his benefactors. Other projects also help to develop new interests or hobbies in order to keep the kids away from street gangs.
During the visit, staff from Cybalink Solutions, along with one of their amazing clients, North Construction, were able to feed over 300 children. They also distributed small bags of 1kg of rice to the families living within the community, provided school supplies to children and more.
Coming from a humble community in the provinces myself, the walk around San Andres Bukid right here in Manila, opened a whole new perspective for me. The humble living, which I thought I was raised in, was in fact a luxury compared to the way the people in San Andres Bukid are living. I could never imagine living in squalor, let alone living in makeshifts 4 feet underground – Cybalink Solutions HR Specialist, Esavilhe Wing talked about her first-time experience with True Manila.
An Afternoon with the Children of Payatas Kids Church
Children are the heart and soul of many outreach programs because they are at the mercy of many things in life that they have no control over. It is heartbreaking to see innocence lost. Children as young as toddlers are taught to fend for themselves, suffering hunger not just for food but for the love, warmth and comfort their families might not be able to provide. Two such children entered the hearts and the home of Mr. and Mrs. Culala, known fondly as Tatay Mon and Nanay Melu in the Community of Payatas.
Payatas Kids Church (PKC) now serves over 200 kids every Saturday. Weeks before their visit, Cybalink Solutions staff came together to pool in their resources to donate coloring books and materials, clothing, snacks, food stuffs as well as beverages to PKC.
On August 17, a team from Cybalink Solutions joined the community for a session of prayers, singing, dancing and fun games with the kids. The kids see their Saturday sessions as cherished moments. And truly, we saw this from the energetic participation in the games and fun activities set for them by the team of Payatas Kids Church and Cybalink Solutions. Tatay Mon echoed Oscar Wilde’s reflection on how to make children good. “The best way for them to want to be good and to do good, is when they grow up happy. So, we try as much as possible to give them such spiritual happiness that they could draw from when the going gets tough at home.”
As a father of three, this experience gives me great honor that I was able to teach my children humility and selflessness. That very moment, it showed us volunteers do not necessarily have time, they just have a kind heart. Seeing their fellow kids at their peak of happiness and appreciation given that they have less than others or perhaps close to nothing educates them that at the end of every day, it’s not about who you are and what you’ve achieved, it’s what you have lifted and what you have made better. That as children, the understanding of paying it forward is what can change our society.” – Carlo Dumlao, Cybalink Solutions’ Operations Manager.
Our Reflections
It is not enough to just see the hardships caused by the great socioeconomic gap here in the Philippines and take it as it is. We need to open the eyes of our hearts to be completely aware and be kinder to the poorest of the poor in our communities. Inspired by people and teams that make up the various foundations whom we have had the opportunity to collaborate with, we aspire to look for more avenues to establish Cybalink’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts for the good of ourselves and most importantly, of others.
Cybalink Solutions concluded the course of 3 months activities with an increased desire to continue to support other causes in the future. We are already looking forward to the next round of Community Ethos events. Keeping an eye out for causes, foundations and organisations to render our support. Cybalink Solutions is always open to innovative ideas that will be beneficial to our surrounding communities.
At the same time, such activities enable us to have a deeper look in how we can build our own employee engagement, working to further embed our values in what and how we do things. We are ever grateful to the starters of great foundations; great people like Edwin Nombre, Tatay Mon and Nanay Melu, and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross, for their tireless efforts to facilitating opportunities to make a difference to the lives of others. May we aspire to do our best, and to step up when such a call to touch a life arises.
Cybalink Solutions aims to deliver outsourcing excellence by empowering and enabling innovation, through collaborative partnerships as we foster our belief in promoting the celebration of community spirit, to inspire the desire to be of something more for ourselves as individuals and most importantly as a Company.