Maybe there's hope for me yet

As a requirement for our Theology class, we we're assigned to plan and implement a social enterprise for our chosen community. Now, I wasn't big on the idea. Not because I don't want to help or I'm just being lazy, but it's because I felt that it was useless. I mean, everything we could do just seem so insignificant.

Graduating from a Catholic elementary and high school, and now a Jesuit College, I was always shown depressing documentaries about how the country is ridden with poverty, violence, hunger, deprivation, and corruption. And the speakers would always say that "You have to do something about it" (maybe not always outright state it, but very strongly implies it). They may not realize it (or maybe they do), but its putting a heavy burden into the mind of a young idealistic child. It's like shoving the load of the world into my shoulders, like I'm expected to solve the problems of society. But reality will always bite the butt of the idealistic youth. Even if I DO do something, someone or something out there will always screw you up in the end. There will always be barriers and obstacles that will seem impossible to overcome. That's why I was so pessimistic about this project. Because in the end, I know it won't change much, if anything at all.

That was my way of thinking, until I saw this short promotional video about a social enterprise called "Hapinoy". Basically, it's an organization for Sari-sari store owners. It acts as a mediator between the owners ("Nanays") and the big companies (like Smart Communications, Unilever, Rebisco, etc...) so the Nanays could get more merchandise for lower prices, offers business training, as well as help improve the establishments of the Nanays (bigger stores, advertisement, etc...). It's considered a successful enterprise, but what it really struck me the most is that it's not so idealistic that it's actually doable. It addresses poverty but doesn't seek to eliminate it in all aspects. It just focuses one specific target (the sari-sari store owners) and accepts that even though they aim to address poverty, it cannot and will not concern itself with its other aspects (street children for example). Another thing is that it doesn't have that idealistic "I want to change the world out of the goodness of my heart" drive (which makes you feel bad if you don't think the same way, as those documentaries/speakers always imply), but it sees itself as a business, and aims to make profit out of it. I always get this vibe from the documentaries/speakers that "You should be ashamed that you live a good life", or "Enriching yourself is a selfish act", like money for the well off is intristically evil. But Hapinoy aims to make money for itself, so it's not so "up there" that it's unreachable and impractical.

I can already sense my pessimism and apathy decreasing. Maybe there's hope for me yet.