Gawad Kalinga - History

History

The foundation for Gawad Kalinga was laid on December 26, 1995, when lay Catholic community Couples for Christ held a Youth Camp for gang members and juvenile delinquents in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, then the largest slum area in the Philippines. The program was organized by CFC – Youth for Christ.

In 1999, the first GK house was built for the Adduru family, also from Bagong Silang. The name "Gawad Kalinga", which translates in the Filipino language either as "to give care" or "to award care," was coined in 2000.

The first GK Expo was launched on October 4, 2003, in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. During this gathering, GK launched a campaign called the GK777 campaign to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities for 7 years.

On February 25, 2006, GK launched the Isang Milyong Bayani ("One Million Heroes", also known as GK1MB) program, where volunteers from various nations would donate 4 hours of work per month to assist in GK communities. The program includes an annual event called the GK1MB Bayani Challenge, a one-week national immersion/build activity, where volunteers within the program come together to build homes in a GK community for a week. The Bayani Challenge has been held in Aurora Province and Quezon Province (2006); Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Marinduque, and Samar (2007); Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur (2008); and Sulu and Zamboanga City (2009).

The first Gawad Kalinga Global Summit was held in Boston, Massachusetts, last June 12–14, 2009. During the event, GK launched another feat, a 21-year timeline to end poverty for 5 million families, by providing land for the landless, homes for the homeless and food for the hungry.