Seventeen years ago, if someone told us we’d still be doing this today, we might have laughed it off as wishful thinking. Back then, we were young, energetic mountain climbers fueled by strength, excitement, and the passion to give back to the communities that made our adventures possible.

When we founded Trails to Empower Kids (Trek), it was with a simple yet profound purpose: to help kids in underserved communities. Our ultimate hope was to render ourselves obsolete—to see the day when our help would no longer be needed.

Fast forward to today, and while we certainly feel the years in our bones, the heart of our mission remains unchanged—and so does the need for it.

Our journey started with simple goals: delivering school essentials to kids who do not have access to them. However, it quickly became apparent that the communities we serve needed much more. This realization prompted us to undertake tasks such as the repair and construction of school facilities, including classrooms, comfort rooms, and feeding areas. We also provided essential school furniture, solar lamps, and educational equipment to enhance learning environments.

Recent mission

Many times, we felt we could not accomplish these goals because we are a small group, but help always comes.

Our most recent mission brought us to Sitio Polis in Kibungan, Benguet, home to the third-largest cultural community in the mountain provinces of Northern Luzon, the Kankanaeys. This visit marked our fourth outreach in Sitio Polis, a place we have returned to time and again over the years. Our journey there began in 2010, followed by another visit in 2012 for our group’s fifth anniversary, a third visit in 2017 to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and an aid program during the pandemic in 2020.

The challenges remain as steep as the trails leading to Sitio Polis. All of us at Trek are volunteers, juggling workloads, personal activities, and our commitment to outreach. Planning for this mission began two months before the actual trip, giving us only a month to rest after our extensive four-school, two-municipality outreach in Iloilo province.

The pressure we impose on ourselves to make each outreach memorable, not just for the kids but also for our volunteers, was high. This mission marked both our 17th anniversary and our Christmas celebration in the mountains.

But with close to two decades of experience, our group operates like a well-oiled machine. Each volunteer is well aware of their roles, making our efforts run like clockwork. We have dedicated team members who handle everything from meal planning, marketing, and cooking to feeding. Others manage our program seamlessly, including hosting duties. Our dental mission team takes care of solicitations, coordination, and the actual dental activities. The rest of our volunteers efficiently transport and repack donations.

To maximize participation, we scheduled the outreach on a weekend, even accommodating volunteers who came straight from their company Christmas parties. An advance team handled last-minute purchases to ensure everything was ready.

Christmas wishes

Early Saturday morning, we all met in Baguio City and boarded two rented jeeps that took us to Barangay Poblacion in Kibungan. The ride lasted about three hours, excluding a breakfast stopover. By 7 a.m., we reached our first stop at Kibungan Central School. Although it was our first time visiting the school, we had provided them with assistance during the pandemic, so it was fulfilling to finally set foot there.

We distributed backpacks, loot bags, and dental hygiene kits to the students. Each child had a ninong or ninang who granted their Christmas wishes, facilitated by letters collected months prior. We also provided school supplies for the teachers and donated new and old tumblers to the school. After a brief interaction with the teachers and students, we proceeded to the jump-off point for Sitio Polis.

In Sitio Polis, we were welcomed by community members, including students we first met in 2010, now elementary school graduates. They helped us carry donations to the community. We noticed some changes along the trail, including more handrails and blooming flowers like small white blooms and sunflowers, making the path even more picturesque. Our lead team began the hike at 1 p.m., with the last team arriving at the school around 5:30 p.m., just as the mist started to envelop the mountains.

The community had also seen improvements since our last visit. A health care center was now in place, where we conducted our dental mission. Electricity, introduced during a prior visit, added comfort. True to tradition, we were greeted with hot lemongrass tea and rice cakes upon arrival. After dinner, cooked by community members, some volunteers began repacking items and working on the dental mission.

Backpacks

The next day, everyone woke up early to prepare for the turnover program. We distributed grocery and noche buena packs to all households, along with backpacks—a collaboration with Conquer Outdoor Equipment, where every backpack sold supported a child in the mountains. Each backpack was filled with school supplies, and we also distributed new clothes and shoes, umbrellas, hygiene kits, and loot bags. Additionally, we provided sleeping mats, sports equipment, and other essential items to further support the community. We also provided grocery packs for each household in the community.

This mission held profound meaning for me as it coincided with my 50th birthday. Trek itself was established close to my birthday, a thoughtful idea from one of my co-founders to make the occasion more purposeful. To my delight, my co-founders arranged surprise celebrations at both schools. One of the cakes, skillfully carried by a teacher through the difficult trail, arrived unscathed. I was deeply touched and overflowing with gratitude.

Another particularly moving moment was seeing Dempsey again, a boy we met in 2010 who inspired the design of our shirt that year. Dempsey, who is now a young man, along with other boys from the community, has chosen the noble path of farming, making him a hero not just to us Trek volunteers but to the entire country. His mother, now the Parents-Teachers Association president, delivered a heartfelt thank-you speech. The school representatives honored us with a certificate of appreciation, while the community members performed a touching song they had composed to the tune of a familiar melody.

For many of us who have visited Polis multiple times, it truly felt like coming home. We were also joined by newer and younger volunteers, and we hope they will continue to carry on our mission for as long as it is needed.

On the trail back to our jump-off point, our physical loads were lighter, but our hearts were overflowing. And, as always, we will keep moving forward for the kids.

Find Trek on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TrailsToEmpowerKids.