Way To Go, Cuz!

12/04/10

There are times that jobs in construction can take us away from family, home, and all that is familiar and comfortable to us. Some designers, engineers, construction workers, or other specialized builders choose or have been chosen to work in foreign lands, where, in the absence of their family and friends, they have to contend with homesickness, loneliness, and separation. Some people may do it for financial reasons, others are lured by the challenge and adventure; still there are those who leave to look for meaning, meaning in their career, their spirit, or their life.

One such fellow is my cousin, Ditus Reynaldo de Guzman Jr., who also comes from a family of builders. Ditus is a civil engineer and for a large portion of his career, has focused on building and construction within the country. I remember him working on several ranger stations even in the farthest areas of Palawan and Samar. In the succeeding years though, he enlisted as a UN volunteer and has chosen the most remote location to give of his talent and skills. He is now assigned in El Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, Africa, where he supervises the construction of UN projects there. He has been there for several years now, facing the twin challenges of many overseas workers, that of physical discomfort and even more so of loneliness. But the man is not one to feel despair from his situation. Instead, he fills his extra hours with as much noble and productive activity as he can.

In his own little way, he helps the locals in the area through community service in a number of simple and creative ways. Seeing that the people needed to prepare for better employment, he conducts career orientation sessions, which includes guidance in the preparation of their curriculum vitae, writing application letters, and hurdling job interviews. Aside from that he facilitates the recycling of the UN’s disposable assets, channeling some furniture to be used in public schools or health centers. This activity he handles under the umbrella project called “Log Base Goes Green”. This way, he not only helps the community through the formal construction of UN facilities, but he is also able to upgrade the condition of the smaller institutions.

Truly, it does not matter where we are in the world. We cannot remain unaffected strangers forever in foreign lands because, after all, we are all brothers under one sky. We can do our share. We can be involved. Ditus has shown us the say to go. Continue to make us proud!






*photos courtesy of Ditus de Guzman