WHAT IS THE COST OF LOVING?

Like priceless art masterpieces, it is difficult to put a value to the nobility of our caretaker teams. There would be no Gawad Kalinga without these extraordinary men and women whose sacrifice for the poor is beyond measure. It would take several volumes to write their extraordinary stories simply because there are thousands of them, scattered in some of the most remote or troubled communities, doing the most challenging jobs in the worst of conditions, often risking their own lives without counting the cost because they have discovered something precious - the joy of giving.

The caretaker team is essentially GK’s lifeblood “on-the-ground”. The empowerment of the community rests in their hands through their daily interaction and guidance. They ensure the delivery of GK programs and activities at the village level. Members of the caretaker team are selected on the basis of willingness to embrace the vision and mission of GK and to live out it’s the values of faith, patriotism, and padugo (heroic sacrifice and service).
 
This volunteer group is led by a project director and community organizer. They are responsible for: Organizing communities into GK kapitbahayans (GK neighborhood associations)

• Delivering the values formation program
• Implementing the community development plan and GK programs
• Mentoring the community leaders towards self-governance